Monday 26 March 2007

Workshop Learning facilitators march 2007

On Thursday March 22, we had the first meeting of the ICCO-Alliance Learning Facilitators and some other people involved in the Capacity Development Programme (CDP). It was quite an intensive and sure interesting day. After a short introduction about the state of the art of the programme we talked about the already ongoing activities in the field of learning. It appeared that it was so much that we needed much more time than foreseen. By itself very good, because it means we have already have lots to go further on. Anyhow there was much to tell each other and to discuss as for example differences in approaches and ways of working. So, much work will have to be done to get us all working in a coherent IA-learning system (by which I do not mean necessarily everything along one model!).

This all meant the programme had to be changed. It was good in the way things went, but it was a pity that we had to skip the theoretical/conceptual presentation and telling a little bit about the available tools for learning networks. But OK, next time we will concentrate on those two parts and make good use of the detected needs during this meeting.

For myself I have some difficulties to give a final opinion about the day. I hoped we would get a little further on the practical aspects, but on the other hand it was very good to get to know more about the thoughts, activities and ideas of colleagues. And one of the lessons for me was that I should have included at least some words about the concept of learning and capacity building which are used as the basis for the programme design. By not doing so, the “state of the art” was not sufficiently clear because there was no (common) “reference”. But anyhow we know now much better how to proceed.

Of course I am also very curious to know what thoughts you, the other participants in the workshop, have about that day. So I think it really would be very good if you would spent some time to write down your ideas (not necessarily in English) and post them on this blog.

By the way, the day before I was in a workshop about learning organised by Euforic and Wotro. There it became clear all organisations are looking hard on how to foster learning within their organisations and with and among their partners. So we surely are not the only ones wondering around in this “learning field”. It also became very clear that the research institutes (departments) of e.g. Wotro and DGIS are also looking for collaboration with other types of organisations, for example like ours. So I think that is something we should be working on too (as soon as the researcher of the CDP has taken her place).

Monday 19 March 2007

Gabbly Chat

Net een eerste ervaring achter de rug met Gabbly Chat. Alweer een nieuwe "tool" van Google. In dit geval was het erg handig om te overleggen over deze ICKo-Blog met Peter en Pier (van Euforic). Het ging over de opzet, lay-out en inhoud. Handig ook omdat je de site zelf op de achtergrond had. Nou is chatten een beetje vreemde manier van communiceren, maar het werkt wel als je even kort iets met een paar mensen wilt "be-chatten" (bespreken). Met meer dan twee personen kun je dan tegelijkertijd communiceren zonder een aprte vergadering (met bijv. Skype) op te zetten.

WELCOME!

Here I am "blogging", although playing with the idea I never thought I would actually do such a thing. It seems so exhibitionistic ;-o. But ok, I have been convinced of its usefulness especially for our ICCO-Alliance Learning Network. Let me tell you how come and wherefore this "Blog" has been started.

Thursday March 15th was a really nice and inspiring day. I was in Maastricht talking with the Euforic team about to plan the implementation of the Support programme for ICCO Knowledge and Learning Networks. We talked about all kind of issues like the mapping of what already is being done, what tools we could use, how to get some coherence within the various activities, preparation of workshops etc. I think we really got some good plans and a promising start.

And of course there was one element of the programme we just had to talk about: the knowledge sharing among all involved in the ICCO-Alliance Capacity Development Programme and especially the Learning Facilitators. If the LF's don't share their experiences and ideas how can we ask it from our colleagues within the Alliance and our partners? So that is how we came to the idea to start this blog.

The idea is that all of us, especially the LF's regularly write some short stories bout what they have been doing and learning. It could be about anything as long as it has to do with our "learning". An anecdote, a bright idea which came up during a meeting, a "golden nugget" you saw while visiting a partner, or just an announcement.

Everybody who wants can subscribe to the Blog and get the postings in their email box. But if preferred one can also just now and then have a look at it (http://ikcoblog.blogspot.com/).

OK, friends I hope this tool will help to keep us updated on our activities and especially on our learning's, so please do not hesitate to contribute!

Maarten