Author: James Michie

Husband, Educator, Writer, Runner...

#crit101 v2 – Week Two

In week two #crit101 is turning its attention to research and enquiry. The week two page has been updated with the video lecture, preamble, reading material and information about this week’s assignments.Like last week there will be a Twitter discussion on Wednesday (20.03.13) between 7PM and 8PM (GMT). I hope that more of you are able to join in this week!

The main assignment in week two requires you to conduct research and work collaboratively with your peers using Google Docs. More information about this is available on the week two page and is explained in the video lecture.

Well done to all of you who submitted your first post. They made for interesting reading. I was also pleased with the quality of comments. To make this even more meaningful it is important for you to read and reply to the comments left on your posts. It’s all about the conversation!

Blog Posts and Comment Groups

Just a brief reminder that your first blog post is due at 10:00AM tomorrow morning. I’ll be syndicating your posts to the #crit101 blog, using the blog address that you provided. This allows you to see what your fellow participants are writing.

Don’t forget to include #crit101 as a tag, label or category.

Additionally, it will allow you to find the work of the people who are in your comment group.    The comment groups are as follows in case the email I sent you got lost along the way.

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Group 4

Also, if you are using Tumblr, you need to install the Disqus comment system in order to be able to receive comments on your posts. There are instructions here.

I’m looking forward to reading your first posts! 🙂

#crit101 v2 Twitter Discussion – Tonight 7PM – 8PM (GMT)

Twitter BirdThe first Twitter discussion of #crit101 v2 takes place this evening between 7:00PM and 8:00PM (GMT).

As mentioned in the opening lecture, sharing and discussing ideas encountered in the course is an important aspect of learning to become an in(ter)dependent learner. I hope that you will all be able to join in.

In this first discussion we will be turning our attention to the idea of learning to become a more independent learner. What did you make of the learner survey and reading materials from week one? Do you agree with everything you have read? Are there ideas or concepts that you disagree with or are unsure about? Can you become a more in(ter)dependent learner? Tonight’s discussion is a chance to explore, test and debate ideas.

Joining in with a discussion on Twitter for the first time, with multiple participants, can be a bit daunting.

First and foremost, remember to include the hashtag #crit101 in all of your tweets.

Secondly, prepare yourself. It is best participate using a computer or laptop rather than a mobile phone. You want to be able to see the stream of #crit101 tweets and be able to tweet/reply at the same time. There are a couple of ways to do this…

You could use the Twitter web interface. Search the hashtag and away you go. This has limitations, and works best if you have two windows open side by side. The first window includes the stream of #crit101 tweets. The second is your @ replies, so that you can see if anyone has tweeted you directly.

Alternatively, you could use TweetDeck. Available for both MAC OSX and Windows, TweetDeck is a Twitter client that  works perfectly for following and participating in a discussion on Twitter as it allows you to have multiple columns, including your tweets, @ replies, DMs and hashtags you are following.

See you in the Twitterverse, very soon. 🙂

#crit101 v2 begins tomorrow at 8:00PM (GMT)

Version Two of Critical Skills 101 officially begins tomorrow at 8:00PM (GMT) with a live meet and greet on Twitter. Join in, introduce yourself to your fellow participants, and ask me any questions that you have about the course. Don’t forget to include #crit101 in your tweets.

The ‘Week One‘ page has been updated to include the introductory video lecture, reading material, and assignments. Please take the time to watch the video lecture before joining in with the Twitter meet and greet.

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Based on feedback from previous participants, it is recommended that you do the reading at the beginning of the week prior to the weekly Twitter discussion.

This week’s Twitter discussion will take place on Wednesday 13th March between 7:00PM and 8:00PM (GMT).

Assignments are due in by 10:00AM on Sunday, leaving time later in the day for you to read and comment on responses from participants in your comment group. You will recieve an email shortly, letting you know who is in your comment group.

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If you have friends or classmates who might be interested in participating in the course, there is still time for them to sign up. Enrolment will remain open until Saturday 16th March.

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James Michie

#crit101 Course Leader

@jamesmichie

http://jamesmichie.com/criticalskills

#crit101 – The Interview

Pascal le Rudulier is a fellow educator with an interest in MOOCs. As such, he signed up and participated in version one of #crit101. After completing the course he asked if he could interview me. I readily agreed and what follows is the outcome.

We covered a range of topics including: my motivations for creating the course; how I put it together; the highs and lows experienced in version one; and what I hope will come out of version two.