Jacinta Gascoigne

Australia

Profile Information:

School / Work Affiliation
Jazazi Pty Ltd - Training and Development - Research: Education/Learning Technology - Enhancing Learning Environments and Experiences
Blog
http://socialnetrockstrue.blogspot.com/
Website
http://www.myspace.com/jinxsalvic
Twitter / Plurk / Other Account
http://twitter.com/JINXIE
About Me
Allergic to destructive and regressive politics within the educational arena in Australia. Traditionalists making policies devoid of knowledge, experience and an unwillingness to provide, adopt and adapt for learners in a rapidly changing world.

An educational/learning practicioner. A curious cat, looking for far to much at times.

Teacher, Co-ordinator, Lecturer, Practice Firm Facilitator for Certificate 1V Marketing Students in TAFE. Disciplines: Business, Law, Marketing, Advertising, International Business.

Learnscope Manager - check out the NSW Learnscope Page on the Australian Flexible Learning Framework - you will not be disappointed.

E-Learning Facilitator - guiding colleagues slowly into the world of email to begin with, TAFEVC and with the resistance to email in the beginning, I will leave the attempt to encourage others to use or at least play around in myspace and other sites - still to this day, in one centre in one large TAFE, social networking tools, are not seen to add any value to the courses undertaken at this time and the same attitude was alive and well in 2002-3.

I have worked in the publishing industry:author, sales representative (secondary), State Sales Manager (McGraw-Hill Book Company), Reviewer.

The private training industry was an incredible experience, managing the marketing and sales, internationally - oh and still running training sessions in the workplace.

Afforded professional development opportunities, I had never dreamed of or expected, but thankful for: Flexible Learning Leader Scholarship 2003 Australia - flexiblelearning.net.au - The Australian Flexible Learning Framework.

In the same year, I was trained in online instructional design - wow what a learning curve - loved it and have such great respect and admiration, that pour blood, sweat and tears, into every aspect of the process, from idea, concept, content, storyboards, functionality, design, programming, testing - so many and whilst it may look easy - my bit anyway, I have to admit I struggled. A learning experience nontheless, an area I would like to return to and continue learning.

Represented Holmesglen in Beijing, lecturing in the Diploma of International Business in English, to Chinese students (a program between BCBI and HIT). 7 months in all and at a time when I was working, through my Masters in International Education, with a side order of multimedia - Professor Bernard Holkner of Monash University, a man ahead of his time, who conducted the unit online, used a variety of online techniques, engaged me to the extent that I could not wait to get home and see what he put up for us to work on next - fun and so much learning - I want to clone him.

The Future of Learning, now a major focus - challenging/rewarding - frustrating/exhilarating - the unkowns part of the drive as I do not want not want to miss too much. Even a couple of days away and you can find new tools/technologies and innovations.

Great debates and arguments, articles and whether you agree or disagree or ambivalent at the time - learning has taken place without you even learning.

People, talented, caring, sharing and open to whatever lies ahead. Connecting with others to take the journey together, learning whilst having fun and meeting the most amazing people.

This world on the net is great - Educate, take away the fear and the blocking mentality and we can all get on with learning and doing our jobs, doing our best for the learners and the future of each and every country. It is up to us to prove that, we are right and they are wrong - the truth may hurt, but the future of my children, yours, your grandchildren, sister, brother, need all of us now to make those with the power, see for themselves, that they are in fact acting in a negligent manner and not catering for their clients, breaching their duty of care.

So I am on a mission and hope I have some walking the road with me - a little scary but I will not stop, until I see the learners catered for in the now, the future and not the past.

Comment Wall:

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  • Jacinta Gascoigne

    Just a brief note to all those who have already accepted my invitation and made comments.
    It is an honour to take this ride with each and everyone who is within this network. I am sure it will be somewhat of a roller coaster, but a ride that I would not miss out on for the world.

    If anyone has any tips on how to convince management to allow the use of social networking tools within the walls of institutions, to aid and benefit learners - Those tips I feel would be appreciated by all. Maybe we could all work together on a list of tactics and strategies, that can be adopted and adapted by each member of the network and their extended networks, to suit their needs when battling those who wish to remain in the 'ice age'.

    Jul 28, 2007

  • James Picton

    Hey Jacinta :-)
    Thanks for the comment. I'm actually engaged in a course at Uni called 'e.Learning Futures' and we are getting right into the issues associated with 21st century learning and transforming pedagogy. We are examining new 'learning centres' that have been developed across the globe ('Building Schools for the Future' (UK), 'Innovative Schools' etc) and also homegrown projects like the Broadmeadows pedagogy reformation (http://www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/edulibrary/public/assetman/bf/Broadmeadows_Ed_Rationale.pdf). The idea behind most of them is to embrace the new pedagogies through the creation of colaborative spaces, learner-friendly architecture, embedding of ICT (not 'bolted-on' as an afterthought) and the inter-connection of schools, the community, business and government. It's a brave new world, but one which needs to be embraced.

    Like yourself, I'd like to see the network restrictions 'eased up'. Classroom learning experiences are supervised, and therefore 'duty of care' should not be an issue. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the web (more specifically, some users) inappropriate material is a huge problem. Bandwidth is also an issue, but I reckon that the uncertainty regarding user-posted material is the main issue. Checkout this news article and you'll get an answer regarding the blocking of YouTube, their angle also includes 'cyber bullying' - http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,21330109-15306,00.html .

    Education QLDs policy with respect to Website access is available at http://education.qld.gov.au/information/service/libraries/resource/eval/evalc-site.html and the 2 leading criteria appear to be:

    (1) Sites that contravene Ed QLD's Internet acceptable use policy; and

    (2) Lead to sites that are illegal or inapropriate material.

    That being said, there is a plethora of other criteria as well! Enough to make your head spin. On a similar vein, I helped my wife create http://learn.artofjimbo.com as a resource for Japanese LOTE teachers and tried to get it added to Ed QLDs 'Curriculum Exchange'. The amount of paperwork that I had to comply with to get it listed wasn't worth the effort :-( That's even though I have already acknowleged all sources of text and imagery through dedicated 'Copyright & Acknowledgements' pages. Sad but true.

    Cheers,
    Jimbo

    Jul 28, 2007

  • Gerald Carey

    Interested in your call to free up social networking for schools. Will comment on it when I have time!

    Jul 28, 2007

  • Hasmik N. Avanesian

    Thanks for the invitation. How is everything in Melbourne? I congratulate in rainsing two boys.

    Jul 28, 2007

  • George F. Washington

    Hi Jacinta

    I look forward to sharing....

    Jul 28, 2007

  • Heather Blanton

    Hi Jacinta! I was reading some of your posts and I look forward to sharing ideas and info with you! Thanks for the invite!

    Jul 29, 2007

  • Claude Almansi

    Thank you for the invitation, Jacinta - could you check the links to your blogspot.com blog, please? It gives me a page not found and I would like to read it. There is also a glitch with the link to "Australian Flexible Learning Framework", but there it's enough to cut the things that precede www.

    Best

    Claude

    Jul 30, 2007

  • Jacinta Gascoigne

    A URL update from Jacinta - thanks Claude:)
    My blog link is in fact http://socialnetrockstrue.blogspot.com/
    I do apologise, I was having a play in ning sometime ago and forgot to change it.
    The Australian Flexible Learning Framework has undergone updates and the URL is http://www.flexiblelearning.net.au/flx/go

    Jul 30, 2007

  • Claude Almansi

    Hi Jacinta

    Thank you for your message on my wall and for the links. Great blog - I am puzzled by your news widget on top, though: it gives me the news in Italian.

    Did you program it this way or is it once more Google's patronizing habit of deciding that Italian should be my default language for the sole reason that it is my browser's ?

    Best

    Claude

    Jul 30, 2007

  • Anita McAnear

    Hi Jacinta,
    I look forward to reading more of your posts and learning more about social networking in Australia. It sounds like the US and Australia are having a similar reaction to social networks.

    Anita

    Jul 30, 2007

  • Lisa Parisi

    Thank you for the invitation Jacinta. I look forward to reading your posts in Classroom 2.0.

    Jul 31, 2007

  • Jørn Hoelstad Pettersen

    Hi Jacinta
    Thanks for the invitation! I was very impressed by the wide variety of experience in the teaching and learning fields that you describe in your introduction and look forward to sharing ideas with you!

    Jul 31, 2007

  • coakes

    Hi Jacinta,
    Thanks for the invite, I too am impressed by your great introduction. Rock on.

    Jul 31, 2007

  • Pamela Livingston

    Hi Jacinta, thanks for the invitation. You bring up great issues in your posting. I also have much respect for Australia, where the first laptop program started,and where I have friends through laptop learning.

    Jul 31, 2007

  • Jim Sprialis

    Thank you for the invitation Jacinta. The diverse range of experiences you have is very impressive. I am struck by the way you have initiated much of your own learning and I look forward to accessing and reflecting upon your contributions.

    Jul 31, 2007

  • Jim Sprialis

    PS. Sorry.. forgot to mention my name.

    Jim Sprialis

    Jul 31, 2007

  • Peter Micheuz

    Jacinta, Thank you for the invitation.
    From the "spelling" point of viev there is not much difference between Austria and Australia and I think the differences in the approach of E-Learning in education is also not very big.
    Looking forward to Your further efforts in successfully integrating the computer in the learning process.
    Some useful informations about a big E-Learning prohejct in Austria can be found on
    http://elsa.schule.at/elsa-english.htm

    Peter Micheuz

    Jul 31, 2007

  • sandy fivecoat

    Jacinta:

    GREAT reading on your page. Thanks for all your sharing and dialogue. You might also want to check out the WeAreTeachers IMAGINE community here in ning (You can go to WeAreTeachers.com and join the IMAGINE community there -- or directly from NING). We are a small start-up company, working on putting together tools to help empower teachers to develop, publish and sell content and services -- so that they can practice their craft on their own terms, and find financial support independent of institutions. We also are encouraging teachers of ALL types (not just traditional K12 teachers), so are beginning to gather an interesting group of music teachers, yoga teachers, etc. We just launched a campaign to engage the community, and are trying to make it fun by letting folks earn WAT$ (points for participation). Hope you'll check it out.

    Jul 31, 2007

  • J Guadalupe Salcido N

    Hi Jacinta, thank you for the invitacion. I hope to share comments on this social network with you.
    I live in Mexico.

    J Guadalupe Salcido

    Jul 31, 2007

  • Scott Weidig

    Hello.

    Jul 31, 2007

  • Annie Gentithes

    Hi Jacinta! Thanks for the invitation. I am looking forward to knowing you.

    Jul 31, 2007

  • Lee Anne Morris

    Jacinta, thank you for th invitation. Interesting stuff.
    Lee Anne

    Jul 31, 2007

  • Annie Gentithes

    Hey there, Jacinta! Thanks for your message...I have noticed that I might be a bit of an Aussie magnet :)! In our fifth grade classroom, we used Google Earth for the students to "restore" the Mayan ruins. They were put in teams of 6-8, and acted as archaeologists who were trying to rebuild the Mayan ruins to their original glory. First, they had to work as a group to research their Mayan city (Tikal, Chichen Itza, Copan, and Uxmal). Then, they each chose a specific building. They conducted more research, taking field notes, about what the building was used for, size (integrated math with relative size and scale), and other characteristics. They used Google Earth to create their temple, cenote, etc. They wrote a short paragraph about their building, and together with their team, mapped their city to combine all of their buildings. The goal was to actually combine the buildings on Google Earth. That was the only limitation of the project - we were unable to actually load them into Google Earth and merge each of the buildings together. Our school's tech director was still working on getting the buildings online in his wiki as an example of the work we did. I'll pass it along if he has more information. What are some of your most successful projects?

    Jul 31, 2007

  • Alan Dawson

    Hi Jacinta

    I have my hands full too! I need to get on here more often and to practice what I am preaching. But as you can see from my pic my soon to be one year old (the pic is getting seriously out of date) is providing me with lots of fun and distraction.

    Alan

    Jul 31, 2007

  • Scheherazade Makki

    Hi Jacinta,
    Your Classroom2.0 page is fantastic. I am just now getting on the technology and multiliteracy train. I have a lot of catching up to do before I can introduce my elementary students to blogging and posting etc. What a great way to develop 21st. century skills.

    Scheherazade

    Scheherazade

    Jul 31, 2007

  • Bill Urwin

    Hi Jacinta - thanks for the invite. Reading your intro I'm humbled by everything you've packed into the last decade. Don't worry too much about social networking. By the time they work out how to stop it the kids will have moved to something else anyway. My two use Myspace to promote their music and most young people I speak to who are 15+ deal effectively with the dark side stuff and get on with the positive. While we do need to look more closely at the use by underage and risk-taking students I think there is more froth than anything else to this issue and the majority use their personal spaces fairly sensibly. Educating parents to undertake a true dialogue with their kids is high on our agenda at the moment because that seems to be the best way to obviate many of the problems that tend to originate at home and suface in school.

    Jul 31, 2007

  • Susan Kubitz

    Dear Jacinta,

    What a burst/flood/deluge of energy...

    You lose me if you don't write in paragraphs but at least I got to the bit where you said you were in Melbourne.

    I know somebody who has a housing problem there! Doing a doctorate, totally reliable. transferred to Melbourne from Germany a few months ago, currently living in student hall of residence. About to be joined by wife and child. Wife a teacher, with stunning references, good at mixed ability but also a biologist. Won't have to look long for a job, I imagine.

    But the flatsfor rent the husband looks at are not offered to him because the only current income is his scholarship.

    Very grateful if by a lucky chance you can come up with a suggestion.

    Jul 31, 2007

  • Greg Mar10

    Hey Jacinta,
    Thanks for the add.
    I had no idea, until I read your intro, what the situation for using collaborative online tools in Australia was like. Thanks for informing us.

    Jul 31, 2007

  • Jorge Blanco

    Hi Jacinta. I am shocked to know the barriers being put in Australia for everything that sounds like a Social Network. I share your thoughts about not blaming the SN becuause of the terrifying stories around. Is like banning driving at all because of drunk drivers and people killed in car accidents. There are many success stories about the good of Social Networks in education, philantrophy, etc. Hope to talk to you soon in this community. Best Regards. Jorge Blanco

    Jul 31, 2007

  • Jacinta Gascoigne

    I am flattered by the comments and humbled by the interest so many have taken in Australia and my experience.
    Many hurdles to jump here as you can now see, however that should not negate, the work of so many in Australia, that is positive, innovative, cutting edge and brilliant.

    We have great talents, innovators respected globally and networks created some years ago, leading to the forging of solid working (albeit unpaid most of the time) relationships, friendships and above all, respect for each other, which has lead to trusting, open and collaborative efforts. I will soon share with you a number of projects and case studies that have been of great value to all of us in Australia and in many cases have extended their reach globally.
    I am looking forward to the journey ahead with all my new friends. I am looking forward to a learning about your experiences, frustrations, successes and your visions for the future of learning.

    Kind Regards

    Jacinta Gascoigne

    Aug 3, 2007

  • Lizzie

    Hi, Jacinta - thanks for the invite. I've always had the perception of Australia as far more freewheeling than the U.S., so it is a suprise to read about the problems with SN you're having there. I look forward to learning more about it! - Lizzie

    Aug 3, 2007

  • Lizzie

    Me too - that's what led me to this site in particular - how wikis can improve and expand education and opportunities. I've been stunned at the resistance expressed from traditional educators.

    Aug 3, 2007

  • Anne Mirtschin

    Good to be able to be your friend. I have just started using web 2.0. Trying to establish wikis for my classes and blogs for them as well. I also enjoy working with digital videos, including animation with my classes. I teach straight IT from years 3-12, plus accounting. Am starting to work with podcasts with my grade 6 and year 10 history class (in collaboration with the history teacher.) Would love to keep in contact cos you have done such interesting stuff.

    Aug 5, 2007

  • Anne Mirtschin

    Jacinta, thanks for contacting me. I look forward to working with you and sharing web 2.0 practices etc. If you ever need school to work with we would love to be part of it. You have done some amazing stuff. One of the guys in his comments said he loved your web 2.0 pages. Was he referring to your myspace or do you have another page. I am such a beginner at all this but I just love this site. Jacinta, I try and send you a message rather than a comment but it says I need to be your friend which I thought I was. Are you or someone able to help me. Taa
    Regards
    Anne

    Aug 5, 2007

  • Leo

    Thx for invite.
    How To Write Efficient E-Books. Watch The Video.

    Aug 6, 2007

  • Adam Blackwood

    Hi, just back from a holiday above the floods in England. Thanks for the invite Jacinta, look forward to learning and sharing knowledge and ideas. One comment... not sure I like the font and colour scheme here.. :) .. reading the font for me at least, is a bit difficult.

    Aug 13, 2007

  • Jacinta Gascoigne

    Please check out my sons blog at http://zanegomularz.blogspot.com and follow him on his new learning journey outside of formal or traditional education models.
    If you can aid or encourage and support him - anything greatly appreciated as ventures into worlds unknown and infinite, in an effort to continue learning, when traditional models of education have failed him.

    Thanks

    Jacinta

    Aug 22, 2007

  • Alison Saylor

    Hi Jacinta, I am looking for middle school students (classroom) to collaborate on a joint "20 question" project, each class sending messages on a wiki to each other- sharing something about where they live, how they live, their lives and friends, photos, video and cumulate by having the other class make a guess as to where the class is from. Any contacts or ideas for me? Thanks! Alison Denver Colorado US

    Aug 22, 2007

  • Alison Saylor

    My son had a 4 year problem with Epstein-Barr, fatigue and severe headaches. He had to drop out of high school. I finally took him to a homeopathic doctor and this finally helped Nick. Amazing, he is now at university and healthy again. Hang in there! Thanks for hooking me up with your friends. Alsion

    Aug 23, 2007

  • L. Suzanne Shanks

    Hi Jacinta, I see you're following my tweets. I just started yesterday - I don't quite have the hang of it yet. I can't wait to explore your page. I only joined this afternoon after finding you here, so my page is empty right now. You can find me at www.thetechtrainer.com (beta) or my school site: www.d11.org/mann/computerliteracy
    Have a great week.

    Aug 26, 2007

  • janien

    Very pleased to meet you, Jacinta Gascoigne. I am happy to join you in CR2.0!
    Cheers
    janien from The Sausage Machine and here on Steve Hargadon's CR2.0

    Aug 30, 2007

  • fsinfo

    isn't Zane too young for SL? He needs to get on Teen Grid.

    Sep 1, 2007

  • Allon Mason

    Hi - great SN. Btw, have you heard of youfig.com? It's a useful tool for collaboration, especially between students and between educators and their classes. I still have a few invites if anyone is interested (message me).

    Sep 3, 2007

  • SHANG Xian-fu

    THE MOST EXCITING BLOG I HAVE SEEN . BE GLAD TO BE YOUR FRIEND AND TALK SOMETHING ABOUT . I AM A NEW LEARNER HERE , PLS HELP ME A LOT

    Sep 3, 2007

  • Allon Mason

    Hi Jacinta - just sent you an invitation...

    Sep 3, 2007

  • Andrew Robitaille

    You look like someone who likes to shake things up. We'll get along great!

    Sep 4, 2007

  • Linda Mitchell

    Hi Jacinta, great to meet you. Juts getting into what Learnscope has to offer and impressed with the achievements of AFLF. Had Clint Smith out to talk to us the other day: beginning the process of designing our e learning and e business strategies and really excited about the possibilities of flexible delivery and communication for learners in the ATC context. Are you in Melbourne now? Linda

    Sep 5, 2007

  • Jacinta Gascoigne

    I have noticed that classroom 2.0 has not been as active of late. Is there a reason? Holidays in other countries, to much on, I am not doing enough to keep others engaged? Would appreciate honest comments - thanks.

    Sep 13, 2007

  • Alan Dawson

    Hello Jacinta

    Distractions, distractions, distractions. That's in reply to your comment on September 13th. How much is this site a part of your life? How much time do you really spend on it? How much time can you afford to give it. I joined it and for many months did nothing with it. I have now come back and done far more than I expected and who knows it might grow but that depends on me and my attitude to it. The numbers on the site grow which should mean more happening but looking around there is a lot of different parts to the site and that means DISTRACTIONS. So like spilling a glass of water and watching it flow in every direction very thinly, 3800 plus people across the world with all of what they have to do with their lives leads to very little apparently happening.

    I wonder when you will pick this comment of mine up? Will you reply? We will see!!

    Oct 2, 2007

  • Chris Clementi

    Hi Jacinta. Thanks for the invite. I am usually too busy to visit this site. Not that I'm on vacation, I can explore, which brings me great satisfaction. You have very interesting credentials. I also like your comment about having alergies to destructive politics.

    Dec 29, 2007