Archive for the 'learning events' Category

Digital Game Based Learning

When it comes to learning technologies games have been around for quite a while. However with technology progressing as fast as it is there is now a whole new way to develop games and serious games for all aspects of learning.

Continuing in this light the Shuttleworth Foundation will be holding an Indaba on games and learning in South Africa on the 14th of August.

It will be exploring, amongst other things, the state of gaming among the youth, opportunities for using games in education and learning, and identifying barriers to increased use of gaming in learning.

Steve Vosloo will also be reporting back on the 2008 Games, Learning and Society conference.

Space is limited but to attend you can contact Wendy Stoffels (wendy@shuttleworthfoundation.org)

Ben Zander at TED

While recently getting my daily dose of inspiration I came across this video on TED.

Symphonia will be bringing the Zanders out to SA in August so for a taster check this out. He is amazing.

For bookings or inquiries you can email louise@symphonia.net

Pecha-Kucha Cape Town

Pecha-Kucha

Last night the first ever Pecha-Kucha evening in South Africa was held at the What If The World gallery in Woodstock.

For those who don’t know what Pecha-Kucha is, you basically have 20 slides and 20 seconds per slide to explain yourself… It was started as a showcase for designers and creatives but the theory behind it could be implemented in various areas where you don’t want someone hogging the spotlight.

Go to http://www.pecha-kucha.org/cities/cape-town to sign up and to see dates of the next get together. Judging by the response last night the next event will also be standing room only. Lets hope they decide to have it more frequently than bi-monthly.

Breaking News; David Gurteen is heading to South Africa

David Gurteen

The founder of the Gurteen Knowledge Community, David Gurteen is heading to SA in November to be hosted by Symphonia.

The Gurteen Knowledge Community is a network of over 14000 people who are committed to making a difference. He also started the Gurteen Knowledge Website which is a resource for the Knowledge Community.

He is well known for his Knowledge Cafes which are the regular meetings of the Gurteen Knowledge Community as well as a free monthly newsletter, the Gurteen Knowledge Letter. You can check out his series of short stories on knowledge management here.

We will keep you posted as to details and dates of his visit.

Ben & Roz Zander in South Africa

Symphonia Leadership Development will be hosting Ben and Roz Zander in SA in August.

Ben Zander has been the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra since it’s inception and has been a guest conductor all over the world, He is also an acclaimed speaker. He also co-authored (with his wife Rosamund) the acclaimed book, The Art of Possibility which is based on the principles developed through the authors’ unique partnership.

photo by Koren Reyes Rosamund (Roz) Zander’s work is, ” In all it’s aspects, is about growth. The intention is to expand people’s capacity for leadership, insight, expression and contirbution”

“Benjamin Zander’s presentation takes an audience on a journey that offers a startling new perspective on leadership. Through stories, music and concepts it causes a radical shift in perception. This is not a speech, it is an experience!

In this new model of leadership, the conductor sees his job as awakening possibility in others. The orchestra is a group of highly trained individuals poised to coalesce into an effective whole. Passion, creativity and the desire to contribute are basic human instincts to be released.

World famous conductor, Benjamin Zander uses the metaphor of the orchestra and a life-time of experience conducting, coaching and teaching musicians to work his magic to overcome barriers to corporate productivity. This presentation sources fundamental changes in organizations.
The Art Of Possibilities

There are going to be a few opportunities to interact with Ben and Roz.

1. Small group conversations with them (while they are in Cape Town) for youth leaders

( If you work with young people / know someone who do and who would be willing to prepare the group for a conversation with Ben & Roz, please let me know so that we can see whether we can arrange a conversation with Ben & Roz for the group )

2. Roz would like to facilitate accomplishment groups (Cape Town) This is for a small group of people to help them to dream big.

 

3. “Art of Possibility” facilitator training. (Cape Town) Roz will be offering an “Art of Possibility” training course for facilitators who want to sustain the process in thier businesses.

( This will be a 2-day process (Wednesday, 27th & Thursday, 28th August) at a cost of R8,000 per person (ex VAT))

4. Art of Possibility presentation for Principals, Teachers and Grade 12 Students(Cape Town) Ben will be doing the talk on Saturday the 23rd August.

(This will be at a nominal cost (R50 per ticket))

The seats at the public presentation have already started to sell so please book.

* Friday, 15th August: Johannesburg (Vodaworld) [9:00 – 13:00]
* Friday, 22nd August: Cape Town (Artscape) [9:00 – 13:00]

Please note the early bird special
• For tickets booked and paid before 30th April: R1,100 + VAT
• For tickets booked and paid after 1st May: R1,350 + VAT

This covers the cost of the presentations + a copy of the book “Art of Possibility”

A 10% discount applies to group bookings for more than 10 people. A further discount applies to large groups.

For more information and bookings you can contact Louise at louise@symphonia.net

Technomadic Marketing

Nomadic Marketing, the executive education course is being run by the UCT Graduate School of Business from the 16th to the 18th of April.

Nomadic Marketing Button

The course is designed to help you understand the value of new media tools such as social networks, blogs, wiki’s, etc. It will not only show you the concepts behind these but also show you the benefits you can gain from using these in your business. So those of you who are struggling to see how these tools can affect (and probably are already affecting) your business go and check it out.

There will also be contributions from Adii, Eric Edelstein, Jon Cherry and Max Kaizen

For more information you can contact Junita Abrahams (021) 406-1323
Email: abrahams@gsb.uct.ac.za
Website: www.gsb.uct.ac.za/nomadic

Keep watching for updates and some interviews…

Online education; The Future?

E-learning is soon going to be changing the face of education as we know it.
Old methods of face-to-face and traditional classroom training will eventually be surpassed by these new methods of training.

The development of the second generation of the internet (Web2.0) is going to speed up this process of change. The fact that the internet is moving towards interaction will serve to speed up the process of the education world adopting the web as the medium for the future of teaching.

Today’s businessman doesn’t really have the time to attend classes and make time for tutorials. They would far rather be able to log on whenever they have free time and learn when it suits them.

Online learning is also remarkably flexible. You can learn a variety of skills from flying aeroplanes to manufacturing your own electricity generator. The scope of learning is virtually endless.

Half a million American children are already taking classes online. There has been a similar increase in numbers of people in higher education online. Already more than two-thirds of all higher-education institutions have online offerings in some form and there are nearly 3.5 million students were taking online courses in 2006.

The NY Times recently posted an interesting article showing the trend of educators and how the situation is changing…

With this increase in numbers something to think about is where will it leave our educators? There is soon to be a huge demand for online educators and it could see a shift away from your traditional tweed-clad professor to a more technologically adroit educator.

Jon Kabat-Zinn: Mindfulness Screening

There will be a screening of Dr Jon Kabat-Zinn speaking on mindfulness at the Labia on Orange on Sunday 24 February at 6:15 pm. What’s more is that it will be a double bill, there will be one screening of the Mind and Life Conference and one of Mindfulness in Medicine.

jon-kabat-zinn.jpg Dr Kabat-Zinn is renowned for bringing mindfulness into the mainstream of medicine and of society. His two books: Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness (Delta, 1991), and Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life (Hyperion, 1994) were bestsellers

Dr Kabat-Zinn is the founder of Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He is also the former Executive Director of the school.

He will be touring South Africa in May 2008 hosted by the Institute for Mindfulness South Africa and the UCT Graduate Business School

 It will be introduced by Dr Simon Whitesman, the Director for Mindfulness South Africa.

Bookings at the Labia on Orange : Tel 021 424 5927

The cost is R40 and there will be Flagstone wine and snacks provided.



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