We, the people ...

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If you are planning for a year, sow rice; if you are planning for a decade, plant trees; if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people. ~ Chinese Proverb

Life's a Journey ...

... and here are some of the places I'm connected to* ...

View Larger Map

... there are others, and we will revisit some time InshAllah ...

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* in my first blog entry, I mentioned my thoughts on life being a journey and that I was a traveller on that journey...

2B or not 2B?

IYO txtng = NME or NBD?

Translation for those of us non-conversant with SMS-type speech: "In your opinion is texting the enemy or no big deal?"

2B or not 2B?

Let me begin with:
1. a fact,
2. a comment,
and then
3. an opinion.

1. Language changes by the people who use it.
2. Not all people like all the changes. (I h8 txt msgs, John Humphrys).
3. Academic and formal writing in is not yet about to give way to text messaging writing conventions. At least, I hope not, though I confess if this were to happen as in this reported example from New Zealand from USA Today, then it's possible that I may well join with the veteran BBC broadcaster, John Humphrys in his irritation (to put it mildly) of this emerging slanguage.

I posted a comment on the changes in spelling/writing conventions here. (Should give you an insight into what I think).

Spelling/writing conventions change over time; this has been particularly evident in English. I was at a spelling seminar once and the issue of SMS spelling/texting was featured and its role in redefining how people write and spell in formal and informal communications. In formal communication, people can get away with non-conventional spelling and writing rules in advertising, for example.

I haven't, I confess, quite got a grip on texting in short form when I'm sending messages, and find that I have developed my own fairly speedy texting skills using punctuation and regular spellings pretty much throughout. March, 2009

ICE (in case of emergencies), follow this link.

Power Fox

For open-source advocates, try Mozilla Firefox. Like many browsers, it has had many incarnations (and a few name changes too). However, I like the "fox". It's slick; it's smooth; has a few tricks up it's sleeve and it's sharp ... rather like a fox indeed. There are other Internet browsers out there, but Firefox has been my preferred browser for a number of years and the recommended browser for the best viewing experience for this blog.

Ustad Awal Mir استاد اولمير

Ustad Awal Mir, استاد اولمیر, celebrated composer, musician, singer and poet continues to be a legendary figure in Pashto music. He was born in 1931 Peshawar, British India where studied music under Ustad Jafar in Peshawar and began to perform initially for radio broadcasts. His first song for Radio Peshawar was زړگى مې شو ټوټې ټوټې  Zrgee Me Sho Tttottai Ttottai (My Heart Has Broken Pieces).

At 18, he visited Kabul, Afghanistan to perform at the Independence Day concert where he remained until his death in 1982. The title, Ustad, was later conferred upon Awal Mir by the Ministry of Culture and Information, Afghanistan.

The clip shows him performing ستا د سترګو بلا واخلم Sta Da Stergo Bala Wakhlam (Let Me Take the Pain from Your Eyes) written by Amanullah Sailab Sapi and remains one of my all time favourites.

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Foxing Around ... On My Way to Work

I have an early start, leaving for work at 6am. A week ago, on my way there, the mist descended between Abu Dhabi and Bani Yas. This was a strange kind of low cloud; just a small patch of fog, about a metre off the ground. Mostly you could see quite well over the top of of the vapour though it appeared to move further away, the closer we got to it. I haven't experienced this kind of fog much before, and so I took a moment to take a couple of snaps and enjoy the morning air.

(Desert) Foxing Around

And then ... (slightly distracted - I was supposed to be on my way to work), I began to follow my foot patterns in the sand. I then had a go at making hand patterns and then to join up hand and foot patterns. Anyway, I decided to take a photograph or two to share on this blog.

... learning from a distance ...

Last week I watched Curt Bonk's video responses to questions posed by Manchester University DTCE students. The final question - the one on motivation - was a question I had submitted.

My basic premise was that the success of distance learning courses was reliant on the higher motivation levels of driven adult learners. Of course, this is a "gut" feeling and the case would need to be either proven or disproven. I'd suggested as part of the question that distance learning courses could only most effectively target a narrow band of (motivated) adult learners and thereby the success of distance learning could only be judged favourably by the participation of this narrow demographic.

Distance Learning Revolution?

However, I must confess, that having emailed Curt to which he responded promptly (and gave me permission to use his image), and having considered his videocast, I'm not exactly any wiser about his opinion on the matter. My intrinsic belief is that when it comes to the question of the success of distance learning courses, the received "evidence" on this relies on the higher motivation levels of adult learners. I therefore tread with caution over the argument that distance e-learning will bring about a whole scale learning revolution for all* that I sometimes get the impression is a popular belief. There will, for the foreseeable future be the traditional requirement to meet needs for key sections of learners in classrooms in face-to-face settings.

I am interested that Curt Bonk was authoring a book on this very subject which he said was in response to popular requests for (another?) motivation manual.

*As a distance learning student, I am of course happy that I can follow a distance learning programme, as this is the type of setup that meets my needs at this time.

Shouting from the Mountaintop

As an educational advisor working in school improvement, I quote a contributor to Dr. Alec Couros's blog on Open Thinking. This is one of the most challenging aspects of our work here in the UAE.

Convincing teachers to stop teaching from the mountaintop and lead the students up the mountain is an on going challenge ... Our teachers need to constantly remind themselves to try new teaching methods and avail themselves of the tools.

Dave Hill, February 19th, 2009 at 3:25 pm

Copyright Free

Open education - it's an ideal scenario - though with all the proposals around lifelong learning, open networking, classrooms without walls and so on, the whole issue of freeware/open-source at some point becomes an unavoidable part of the debate.

Of course we can't ignore the many who make their livings through genuinely protected works, but the tenet of availability and free distribution is at the heart of Copyleft. Ideally open*, ideally organic* and ideally without walls*.

*There are many accounts of this not being the case. These are cautious ideals, but ideals nonetheless.

Without Walls

It's a great idea, and I quite agree that in many cases we can live, learn and work without walls and boundaries.

My teaching experiences have mostly required me to look for some kind of shelter, and in most cases, roofs and ceilings have been held up by walls. The pendulum for and against open-plan primary school settings in the UK swings constantly one way and another, and is, if anything a reflection on the fact that no one particular model is superior. It is, after all a question of teaching and learning styles and appropriacy. I should confess however, that I do like to keep out distractions so walls do serve a purpose beyond keeping schools standing upright.

Learning Without Walls?

But there are places in the world where learning occurs in the great outdoors - of course there's a whole area of non-traditional or specialist learning that happens outdoors, but then there are traditional classes that are delivered and studied in open ground, under the shade of trees and so on; but of course, much of this is because of lack of choice especially in parts of the developing world.

So why is there a great trend by educators in the industrialised world to rip down walls, where in other places, walls would be the START? Well, there-in, is the attempt to reach out; to empathise, share knowledge and ideas, to join-up learning experiences, to free minds and (for me, the moral obligation) to bridge the digital divide.

Are you listening Microsoft?

See http://educationaltechnology.ca/couros/ for more.

PostScript: Video Games and School Boy Killers

22.20 Abu Dhabi time.

Today's killing rampage in Germany is reminiscent of the events in Columbine. Of course at this time, our thoughts are with the families of the victims. May they rest peacefully and may Allah give the families strength and togetherness at this time.

Seems that the rolling media coverage of the news conference in Stuttgart, has attempted to pick up the issue of motives and causes. Once again music, video, internet, console and video games have been referred to as possible triggers. It seems that even today that law enforcement is keen to make a connection between social violence and violence in the media and entertainment.

The debate is not about to go away.

The Doom Controversy

Explore 3D mazes; shoot the monsters using a series of interchangeable weapons; unlock doors and levels; uncover secret areas; renew your arsenal of weaponry and so on. Destroy the big boss, and his army of cronies, blah, blah.

It's the formula for many shoot-em up type games, but Doom does represent an important milestone. It was the first to portray a kind of realism in maze exploration with experimental shadows and dark corners and allowed for customisability through fan created WAD files which meant that new levels and challenges could be created.

Doom: Screams from the Underworld

Video games have long been criticized for their violence, but it would appear that Doom crossed a line by depicting the bloody face of the protagonist (controlled by you) stranded amidst demons as the last human in hell. Although what you mostly saw of him was his strafing hand/s (intended to be you), his face gave you an indication of your game health. The more hits, the more damaged and bloodier his face became; staring back at you.

Columbine High: "A Select Case"?

Doom also has the notoriety of being linked to the perpetrators of the Columbine High School Massacre in 1999 when it was reported that Ed Harris (one of the perpetrators) wrote a web journal that said that his actions would be like "the LA riots, the Oklahoma Bombing, WWII, Vietnam, Duke and Doom all mixed together".

Is there a link between the simulated violence in movies and video games and society? This is a question that has been asked over and over. In his 2003 paper, Video Games in Education, Kurt Squire writes that some research findings suggests that video games could cause some increase in violent thoughts, but that research into the question between video game violence and social maladjustment was two decades out-of-date and the link not conclusive.

Video Violence: "Don't blame toy stores"

In the journals and web postings recovered after the tragic events at Columbine, Ed Harris co-responsible for the killings, wrote that society should not blame "toy stores for selling us ammo ... because we went on a killing spree ... we are a select case".

It is now well documented that Ed Harris and Dylan Klebold (the other killer) were contributors to internet Doom forums and that they created levels to fit the game. It is with a disturbed sense of things to come, given the states of mind of both, that Harris should signed off one of his levels with the haunting words, "KILL 'EM AAAAALLLL!!!!!" (Washington Post, 1999)

Chariots and Elephants

Sarbaz-e-Shah (Foot-Soldier/Pawn King)

An old favourite of mine. Modern chess was popularised when it reached Europe through the Spanish Arabs; itself originating out of an earlier variant of of the game made popular by the Persians. Shatranj شَطْرَنْج, as it is still known in the Islamic world, itself traces back to India. The modern rules are essentially the same as the original game of Shatranj with slight variants, however the pieces are effectively the same. The Shah is King, the Vizier is Queen, Pils/Fils (Elephants) are Bishops, Asbs (Horses) are Knights; Rukhs (Chariots) are Rooks or Castles and the Sarbaz are the Pawns (Peons or Footsoldiers).

You can play chess right here! (Click below)

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The Diwan of Rahman Baba (رحمان بابا)

Rahman Baba, (رحمان بابا, Grandfather Rahman) is also called the Nightingale of Pakhtoonkhwa

I joined the interest group in Facebook some some months ago and I had been planning a piece of writing on Rahman Baba for this blog before the recent attack on his mazar.

Seems like along with the many other troubles in Pakistan and Afghanistan including the violence in the Pashtoon belt, bizarre deals with the Taleban, death and destruction has become so commonplace, there's a danger that we carry on without realising the long term impact. The recent dismantling of girls' education in Swat, and mass exodus of people from Bajuar, Swat and the neighbouring areas can somehow be seen as part of a sustained campaign all serving to hit the historical culture of the Pashtoon people.

The Diwan of Rahman Baba

Born over 300 years ago in the Afghan mountains, Abdul Rahman was destined to become one of the most loved and well known poets in Pashto literature. A studious child, Abdul Rahman grew to be a man of great character. Rahman lived a life of solitude, prayer and devotion to Islam.

Traditional Afghan poetry is essentially an oral art without the need of pen and ink, and only later are they collected into books. Rahman Baba's collection are available in a collection, entitled The Diwan of Rahman Baba.

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Sow Flowers

Sow flowers so your surroundings become a garden,
Don’t sow thorns; for they will prick your feet

If you shoot arrows at others,
Know that the same arrow will come back to hit you.

Don’t dig a well in another’s path,
In case you come to the well’s edge

You look at everyone with hungry eyes
But you will be first to become mere dirt.

Humans are all one body,
Whoever tortures another, wounds himself.

Rahman Baba (رحمان بابا)

Postcard Bani Yas

... from a place, somewhere in-between ...

Bani Yas: The Tribe of Yas

Outside Abu Dhabi, the cosmopolitan lifestyle begins to give way to tradition. There are differing levels of this too - the real tradition, bedouin tents, goats and camels are for most folk, a thing of the past. Instead we have growing settlements and modern lifestyles as witnessed in the big cities.

There are bright city lights; with non-stop traffic, a buzz on the street and plenty of eateries, social hangouts and entertainment; there are villages, slower, more provincial, with their own elements of charm, winding paths, livestock and simplicity. There are small towns, that combine the convenience of city amenities with the gentler pace of life and then there are places in between. Not wanting to offend anyone, I'll pick my words carefully. "In between" is ok if it offers security; though often enough it's a no-mans-land, neither here, nor there; missing that deeper something (the heart, the soul) that is the essence of every city or village.

Bani Yas, about 50km outside Abu Dhabi is, sometimes referred to as a town. It is also known as the home patch of the ruling family of Dubai.

It does have a shopping precinct, that comprises an ADNOC and a co-operative society. It has a park in Bani Yas East, a hotel in the spot they call Mafraq and a hospital too.

Bani Yas has sand, rocky desert, roads, desert shrubs and carefully constructed villas. It has masjids and people who commute in every day and work there. It has a housing estate, some schools and a graveyard.

It's also where currently, I go most days to school where I work as a school improvement advisor.

Facebooked III

Fa(r)cebook Part II

Part 2 of the response to Lady Greenfield's Guardian interview where she speaks about relationships and her concerns that social networking sites like Facebook are leading to attention deficit in young people. Click on the image below for the expanded version.

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Facebooked II

Fa(r)cebook Part I

Social network sites risk infantilising the mid-21st century mind, leaving it characterised by short attention spans, sensationalism, inability to empathise and a shaky sense of identity, according to a leading neuroscientist.

The startling warning from Lady Greenfield, professor of synaptic pharmacology at Lincoln College, Oxford, and director of the Royal Institution, has led members of the government to admit their work on internet regulation has not extended to broader issues, such as the psychological impact on children.

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/feb/24/social-networking-site-changing-childrens-brains

Lady Greenfield speaks to the Guardian (click)

Lady Greenfield speaks primarily about relationships - she examines the meanings of friendships and discusses radical environmental changes and its effect on the brain when people don't interact with each other in a more general face-to-face sense.

Click on the image here, to see the first part of my (as promised) handwritten response:

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Facebooked I: A Convenient Friendship

Viral surges; sacked employees; youth brain rot; broken homes and murder. Sounds like the Facebook we all know? If not, then read on.

Facebook: Friend or Foe

Last year a UK man was convicted of the murder of his wife when she apparently changed her online Facebook profile to "single" following a marital separation. He was sentenced, quite appropriately for 14 years in prison.

More recently, the founders of Facebook have defended its openess and have said that they won't place restrictions on the social networking site, even if it means threat from those ever-present virus attacks.

Many of us will know that Facebook is a social site whereby friends and acquaintances can network, share ideas, comments and discuss matters of interest. Friendships can be can be kept alive, made or even ended according to interest, mood and opportunity. Think to the role that hujras, cafés and tea-rooms play.

Facebook, like friendships is not without codes. Commonality, shared interest and exchange are central to many friendships. Often we develop an agreed language and agreed boundaries, something that is uniquely special, even confidential amongst friends. Though perhaps this last aspect is where Facebook differs from general friendships.

Commonality, shared interest, yes, but confidentiality? OK, you can set security restrictions to keep out onlookers, but Facebook thrives on being able to browse other's contacts so that users can increase their own networks of contacts. We get to see other's conversations, so can build up an understanding before we get to invite new friends to our networks.

Let down by a friend called Facebook

And boundaries, what happens when they are crossed? Just recently this was tested when an Essex teenager was sacked for comments about her work that were read by her colleagues on Facebook (she called her job "boring"). I confess, that like many, I've often described aspects of my work, as much worse than boring in private. I wonder, would I be able to do this on Facebook? After all, don't I share my thoughts with my friends, and isn't Facebook all about friendship?