Comments on: Better than Free, or why organisations like Naace are still relevant http://advisorymatters.naaceblogs.org/2008/02/08/better-than-free-or-why-organisations-like-naace-are-still-relevant/ In 1992, I was involved in an exciting ICT and learning conference with this title. I'm assuming that Steve Heppell, who was one of the main organisers for the conference, came up with this phrase to express the theme of the conference. Although a great deal has happened in education since, we've still got a long way to go to make this question irrelevant. Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:26:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Chris Ryall http://advisorymatters.naaceblogs.org/2008/02/08/better-than-free-or-why-organisations-like-naace-are-still-relevant/comment-page-1/#comment-1024 Chris Ryall Sun, 17 Feb 2008 17:46:43 +0000 http://advisorymatters.naaceblogs.org/2008/02/08/better-than-free-or-why-organisations-like-naace-are-still-relevant/#comment-1024 I think I've managed it! - used the form on the old website, now just waiting... I presume I need to wait until Monday morning. One imporvement might be granting temporary access, or an email confimration when registering - your first point in the post above is Immediacy! :) I think I’ve managed it! - used the form on the old website, now just waiting…

I presume I need to wait until Monday morning.

One imporvement might be granting temporary access, or an email confimration when registering - your first point in the post above is Immediacy! :)

]]> By: Chris Ryall http://advisorymatters.naaceblogs.org/2008/02/08/better-than-free-or-why-organisations-like-naace-are-still-relevant/comment-page-1/#comment-1023 Chris Ryall Sun, 17 Feb 2008 17:24:11 +0000 http://advisorymatters.naaceblogs.org/2008/02/08/better-than-free-or-why-organisations-like-naace-are-still-relevant/#comment-1023 I'm going to take the leap and subscribe to Naace for a year! (Paul Valley, the primary editor, has posted a link on the TES forum whihc only Naace mmebers can read - a bit mean I think! - but it's got me to join!) I'll let you know how well I think the organisation provides the benefits mentioned above! What opportunities will I have to contribute? How do I reclaim my tax? :) I’m going to take the leap and subscribe to Naace for a year!

(Paul Valley, the primary editor, has posted a link on the TES forum whihc only Naace mmebers can read - a bit mean I think! - but it’s got me to join!)

I’ll let you know how well I think the organisation provides the benefits mentioned above!

What opportunities will I have to contribute?

How do I reclaim my tax? :)

]]> By: Gareth Davies http://advisorymatters.naaceblogs.org/2008/02/08/better-than-free-or-why-organisations-like-naace-are-still-relevant/comment-page-1/#comment-1020 Gareth Davies Sat, 09 Feb 2008 09:33:22 +0000 http://advisorymatters.naaceblogs.org/2008/02/08/better-than-free-or-why-organisations-like-naace-are-still-relevant/#comment-1020 Kevin states, "Immediacy is a relative term, which is why it is generative. It has to fit with the product and the audience. A blog has a different sense of time than a movie, or a car. But immediacy can be found in any media." The weekly newsletter that Naace send out is hand crafted specifically for the audience of members (fits in with personalisation), and that's why it is consistently stated as the most valuable service given by members. It also draws from a range of information sources and many of them don't have RSS feeds attached to them! I use RSS feeds extensively to keep up to date, but information I gather there is seldom repeated in the weekly newsletter. Kevin also points out that what you pay for, as far as immediacy is concerned, is the fact that it is 'pushed' to you, rather than you 'pulling' it -"but getting a copy delivered to your inbox the moment it is released". Which perhaps is another important point. You need to find the source of information, decide its worth and whether to subscribe to it or not, before subscribing to the feed. All this takes time of course. Kevin's use of the word 'accessibility' is not used in the sense of being 'available to the widest audience', after all free stuff is 'available to the widest audience'. His use of the word is to do with accessibility to personal possessions - it's about finding things you already have. My analogy is about finding things you already know, or know a little about because you remember there was discussion on the Naace listserv some time ago, and someone collated the information for members. Naace's knowledge wiki will in time be the place to find that, and share your own knowledge. Kevin is right when he says, "The fact that most of this material will be available free, if we want to tend it, back it up, keep adding to it, and organize it, will be less and less appealing as time goes on", and that's why it's worth joining the club, not necessarily because others will sort out your stuff, but because the collective knowledge of ICT educators will be banked there to be drawn on. As I entitled my blog, "Never mind the technology, where's the learning?" - Naace's wider contribution is not about promoting technologies, or even their use, its about 'advancing education' and a belief that ICT does that. UK education has had unprecedented amounts of money in the last 10 years related to ICT, and there is a greater pot to come in the future because, in general, the commitment has been made to creating a 21st century education system with technology at its heart. Naace in its 25 years, has helped to firstly shape that agenda, and then to fulfil it. Naace is represented on nearly all the key committees shaping this future. For example, I'm on the Home Access Task Force Group, chaired by the Minister. This influenced the Minister's announcement of the pilot at BETT, and should lead to a roll out which will help bridge the digital divide for all learners. My point is that belonging to an organisation that promotes what you are both doing, and what you believe your professional purpose to be, can only be of benefit to you. >Not being a member of Naace maybe I need a free sample of your services to see if I'm wrong :) Well ... Naace membership is cheaper than a yearly subscription to PCW, or buying a daily newspaper for a year, and has been the only educational ICT association in the UK since other all merged into it some three years ago because one organisation was better than many. So there is no need to compete. There's no 'try-before-you buy' because the value of membership is not just about drawing on the community but giving to it. To do this you have to make a commitment, and by paying a membership fee, you are doing that :-) Gareth Kevin states, “Immediacy is a relative term, which is why it is generative. It has to fit with the product and the audience. A blog has a different sense of time than a movie, or a car. But immediacy can be found in any media.” The weekly newsletter that Naace send out is hand crafted specifically for the audience of members (fits in with personalisation), and that’s why it is consistently stated as the most valuable service given by members. It also draws from a range of information sources and many of them don’t have RSS feeds attached to them! I use RSS feeds extensively to keep up to date, but information I gather there is seldom repeated in the weekly newsletter. Kevin also points out that what you pay for, as far as immediacy is concerned, is the fact that it is ‘pushed’ to you, rather than you ‘pulling’ it -”but getting a copy delivered to your inbox the moment it is released”. Which perhaps is another important point. You need to find the source of information, decide its worth and whether to subscribe to it or not, before subscribing to the feed. All this takes time of course.

Kevin’s use of the word ‘accessibility’ is not used in the sense of being ‘available to the widest audience’, after all free stuff is ‘available to the widest audience’. His use of the word is to do with accessibility to personal possessions - it’s about finding things you already have. My analogy is about finding things you already know, or know a little about because you remember there was discussion on the Naace listserv some time ago, and someone collated the information for members. Naace’s knowledge wiki will in time be the place to find that, and share your own knowledge. Kevin is right when he says, “The fact that most of this material will be available free, if we want to tend it, back it up, keep adding to it, and organize it, will be less and less appealing as time goes on”, and that’s why it’s worth joining the club, not necessarily because others will sort out your stuff, but because the collective knowledge of ICT educators will be banked there to be drawn on.

As I entitled my blog, “Never mind the technology, where’s the learning?” - Naace’s wider contribution is not about promoting technologies, or even their use, its about ‘advancing education’ and a belief that ICT does that. UK education has had unprecedented amounts of money in the last 10 years related to ICT, and there is a greater pot to come in the future because, in general, the commitment has been made to creating a 21st century education system with technology at its heart. Naace in its 25 years, has helped to firstly shape that agenda, and then to fulfil it. Naace is represented on nearly all the key committees shaping this future. For example, I’m on the Home Access Task Force Group, chaired by the Minister. This influenced the Minister’s announcement of the pilot at BETT, and should lead to a roll out which will help bridge the digital divide for all learners. My point is that belonging to an organisation that promotes what you are both doing, and what you believe your professional purpose to be, can only be of benefit to you.

>Not being a member of Naace maybe I need a free sample of your services to see if I’m wrong :)
Well … Naace membership is cheaper than a yearly subscription to PCW, or buying a daily newspaper for a year, and has been the only educational ICT association in the UK since other all merged into it some three years ago because one organisation was better than many. So there is no need to compete. There’s no ‘try-before-you buy’ because the value of membership is not just about drawing on the community but giving to it. To do this you have to make a commitment, and by paying a membership fee, you are doing that :-)
Gareth

]]> By: Chris Ryall http://advisorymatters.naaceblogs.org/2008/02/08/better-than-free-or-why-organisations-like-naace-are-still-relevant/comment-page-1/#comment-1019 Chris Ryall Fri, 08 Feb 2008 23:38:26 +0000 http://advisorymatters.naaceblogs.org/2008/02/08/better-than-free-or-why-organisations-like-naace-are-still-relevant/#comment-1019 Nice try. Firstly, it's very good to see that Naace has identified the strength of the Internet to deliver personal, immediate and accessible resources freely - in so many ways. It's also very good to see that Naace is trying to harness these technologies to add value to their services. However, I'm not persuaded that Naace does embody the 8 generatives which Kevin lists. Immediacy? - I read the list Kevin mentions 2 days ago, I can't see Naace keeping up to date quicker than the RSS feeds I follow. Accessible? - I can't access Naace without becoming a member, not very accessible? Findable? - I don't think that Naace necessarily helps here either, I can't think of any useful new technologies which would not have thrived in eductaion without Naace support. The three I do agree with wholeheartedly, and I think that Naace can do very well are, embodiment, patronage and to a small degree personalisation. For an established organisation in a rapidly developing area I'd say that maybe 2 and a half out of 8 isn't too bad? Not being a member of Naace maybe I need a free sample of your services to see if I'm wrong :) Nice try. Firstly, it’s very good to see that Naace has identified the strength of the Internet to deliver personal, immediate and accessible resources freely - in so many ways. It’s also very good to see that Naace is trying to harness these technologies to add value to their services.

However, I’m not persuaded that Naace does embody the 8 generatives which Kevin lists.

Immediacy? - I read the list Kevin mentions 2 days ago, I can’t see Naace keeping up to date quicker than the RSS feeds I follow.

Accessible? - I can’t access Naace without becoming a member, not very accessible?

Findable? - I don’t think that Naace necessarily helps here either, I can’t think of any useful new technologies which would not have thrived in eductaion without Naace support.

The three I do agree with wholeheartedly, and I think that Naace can do very well are, embodiment, patronage and to a small degree personalisation.

For an established organisation in a rapidly developing area I’d say that maybe 2 and a half out of 8 isn’t too bad?

Not being a member of Naace maybe I need a free sample of your services to see if I’m wrong :)

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