Sigi

My intro for RSCON 3

Profile Information

If we don't grab the future the future will grab us!

I was teaching English and application software at vocational schools in Mannheim and Heidelberg for more than 20 years, always trying to be up to date with digital media development. I have always been persuaded that learning needed to change with the focus on the students' activities, giving them more responsibilitiy and freedom to choose the way and the topics they are learning
This implied to be somewhat disruptive, taking risks on new methods and overcoming lots of obstacles. That's how I came to know Moodle in 2005 and setting up virtual courserooms for all my classes. It solved all the cooperation and communication issues we had using email and directories on school servers or juggling with floppy disks and USB sticks.
Moodle made it easier for me to integrate all the student centered activities and bring the world into the classroom. My English courses evolved from one single YouTube video with various student activities to a course with many units depending on the students' input and the current topics we found on the internet. So the moodle courseroom became the centre of our English class with all the possibilities of communication, cooperation and communication any time and any place.
The next logical step came in 2006 with the MOSEP project (a European funded project ) where I did the German testing project with participants. MOSEP was using Mahara as an ePortfolio software and that's how my Mahara "Addiction" started. Mahara and Moodle complement one another , Mahara giving students the control of their ePortfolio and Moodle giving them a place where they learn with their peers.
I also worked as a teacher trainer for new media and digital media in the classroom , not as technical training but encouraging change and proposing ways to use both Moodle and Mahara to improve independent learning.
Although I am not teaching any more I am still committed to change in education and wherever and whenever I can make it possible I support and encourage colleagues to use Moodle and Mahara as tools to make learning for their students and for themselves more rewarding, independent and satisfactory.
My international network of educators has been inspiring, encouraging and supporting me all these years - whenever the walls of conservatism were made of concrete and no hole in the wall seemed to be possible.

Always ready to exchange ideas!