tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96843972011-09-01T03:52:56.428+12:00I began this blog to reflect on my experiences as a 2004/2005 Flexible Learning Leader in New Zealand. I am now officially a member of the FLLinNZ alumni. My personal learning continues...Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.comBlogger591100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1144550919496896322006-04-09T14:50:00.000+12:002006-04-09T14:54:30.686+12:00

My husband Lynsey is of Viking descent. When I saw this illustration on the Flame Warriors website it somehow seemed appropriate to use it here. It is particularly pertinent to the announcement I am about to make.I have moved my blog and I am no longer writing in this space.My new home is http://marica.ako.net.nzLynsey and I decided we wanted to bring both our blogs together onto our own server

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1143796847375282352006-03-31T20:05:00.000+12:002006-04-01T01:27:02.836+12:00

It has been another long and difficult week. I am completely wiped out. I should be downstairs preparing tea for my family. Instead I am sitting here back in front of a computer. I only left work 2 hours ago. Yet here I am at it again! Although I must admit this isn't work, this is what keeps me going.Every week I promise myself it will be different.Every week I promise myself I will get more

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1143260553795030722006-03-26T16:22:00.000+12:002006-04-01T17:06:00.096+12:00

My son Damian is different. The packaging is different on the inside and the outside. As a result life poses challenges for him that you and I can't imagine. I often wonder what it must be like living inside his body. I love him. I want to protect him. I want the best for him.I have watched him fight; to stay alive that is!I have watched him get excited over the simplest of things.I will never

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1143334967578111812006-03-25T19:00:00.000+12:002006-03-26T15:33:19.126+12:00

I have been endeavouring to write regularly, to listen more carefully, and to increase my awareness of everyday things going on around me.Today as I was walking up Cuba Street I was stopped in my tracks by a group of people catching up with one another. They had completely blocked the footpath. They were so busy talking that they were oblivious (at least that is what I would like to think) to the

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1142926461267447792006-03-19T19:19:00.000+12:002006-03-22T00:11:11.106+12:00

We were sharing a sisterly moment. We had both just attended the most inspirational workshop facilitated by Trevor Romain on writing memoirs. We wanted to talk about it. The sound of my sister's mobile phone ringing interrupted us. I could tell straight away that something was wrong.Barba Ivan had died! Our mother's beloved youngest brother, our uncle, had lost his fight with a brain tumour. He

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1143274748449804152006-03-16T23:49:00.000+13:002006-03-26T14:44:29.160+12:00

One day to go until Blog Hui.Today is one of those special Wellington days. The sun is shining. It has created this amazing haze so that the light is not crisp and clear as it usually is. Colours look incredibly different. It is warm. I am automatically feeling energised as a result. Lynsey and I have so much to do for tomorrow but none of this is as important as going to the airport to meet

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1143029540296568372006-03-15T23:48:00.000+13:002006-03-23T00:12:20.310+12:00

Blog Hui begins on Friday. Both Lynsey and I are beginning to feel excited. Two of the international speakers have arrived - Torill Mortensen and Mark Bernstein. I can't wait to hear everyone and meet everyone.We had so many things to do today. As we were dashing about we bumped into Mark in town. A quick change of plans. Everything else can wait. We decided to spend time with Mark instead and so

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1142370622650554232006-03-14T23:47:00.000+13:002006-03-22T23:47:12.966+12:00

One of my passions is journalling - the old fashioned version that is. In more recent times I have ventured into creative journalling where words are not the primary means of recording a message. This has been a challenge because I have always considered myself to not be artistic. This new form of creativity has led me into a new interest area - book binding.As I have juggled study, FLLinNZ, work

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1142025856873703112006-03-09T22:41:00.000+13:002006-03-12T13:17:10.233+13:00

No act of kindness,no matter how small,is ever wasted.AesopWe have had a lot of people leaving my workplace in the last few months. Farewell events have become commonplace. Today I attended a farewell which really moved me. The person who was leaving began by explaining how he came to the decision that he needed to move on to another job.It all began last July when he was sent by work on an 8 day

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1141808401830153342006-03-08T21:43:00.000+13:002006-03-08T22:06:40.706+13:00

I am so excited because Trevor Romain will be taking these two writing workshops. I am really interested in the one on writing memoirs. I keep thinking my interest in blogging, digital storytelling, writing, and online human communication is connected and is leading me somewhere. Where? I am not sure.Don't forget to register for Blog Hui. It is promising to be an exciting event. Check the Blog

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1142040478696342272006-03-07T23:18:00.000+13:002006-03-12T22:52:29.726+13:00

Setting an example is not the main means of influencing another, it is the only means.Albert EinsteinI received some work for marking from one of my learners the other day. Tucked inside was a card my learner had made for me. I was so incredibly touched. A few days earlier in a phone conversation she had asked me how my own studies were going. She had been reading my blog. She wanted to know more

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1142039711290058932006-03-06T23:49:00.000+13:002006-03-12T22:20:39.140+13:00

This evening I went to listen to Andrew Thompson be interviewed by Chris Laidlaw for a Radio New Zealand programme which will be broadcast at a later date. The National Library Auditorium was packed to capacity with organisers having to turn people away.Something that Andrew said took me back to my previous posting on the wrestling and the discussion of whether experiencing a real event was the

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1141442624599287482006-03-04T23:59:00.000+13:002006-03-11T09:40:12.256+13:00

Tonight has been an experience - a very special one at that - and yes, it involved wrestling. Or more accurately WWE - World Wrestling Entertainment!My son Damian has long been a wrestling fan. His passion has not abated over the years. We as a family have had to listen to many accounts of the wrestling matches Damian has watched on TV. We have been woken in the middle of the night to be told

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1141420228813412552006-03-01T21:26:00.000+13:002006-03-04T12:22:35.910+13:00

Have I got your attention? Now for the story behind the title...I had an appointment at the hospital this morning which meant I was going to be at work later than usual. I normally detest my daily drive to and from work. Having to concentrate as the driver of the car and being stuck in traffic are not my idea of having fun nor do I consider it a good use of my time. Many people tell me they use

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1139667223424013332006-02-12T01:54:00.000+13:002006-02-12T03:19:16.253+13:00

For some reason I can't sleep tonight. So instead of tossing and turning, I have got up out of my bed and here I am at my computer. I hadn't thought of blogging as a 'cure' for insomnia but I may as well do something constructive with this time.As you may have guessed - I am back! I can't believe we are already well into February. The days are flying past.The great news is, I have finished my

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1139662015318119532006-02-11T12:15:00.000+13:002006-02-12T01:50:58.186+13:00

We normally don't rush to get up early on a Saturday morning. We all look forward to a lazy start to the day after a long working week - well, that is what we aim for. This morning was different. We wanted to watch the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics being held in Turin in Italy.As with all these ceremonies it was a spectacle. I kept wondering what it must feel like to actually be there.

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1137320887842924972006-01-15T23:24:00.000+13:002006-01-16T01:12:20.526+13:00

2006 has got off to a flying start - writing, work, work, work, tragedy, unplanned family get togethers, questions about life and living (far too many actually), study, research, writing, plotting and scheming (or is this goal setting?????), and more writing - and I am still pondering 2005 - what happened last year and what I hope to achieve this year!Every now and again I buy a Saturday

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1137298775254551722006-01-15T16:34:00.000+13:002006-01-15T17:19:35.696+13:00

As I was reading about data analysis today I came across this quote.A word is not a crystal, transparent and unchanged, it is the skin of a living thought and may vary greatly in colour and content according to the circumstances and the time in which it is used.Oliver Wendell HolmesAn interesting point to consider in light of the current controversy over James Frey's book A Million Little Pieces.

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1137224151372723002006-01-14T20:09:00.000+13:002006-01-14T23:31:58.326+13:00

Before getting on to what I am really supposed to be doing (yes, you guessed it, my research!) I decided to read some of my regular blogs. In light of my recent meanderings about life, I couldn't wait until I wrote again to draw your attention to this post from Trevor Romain.Yesterday my cousin told me how fantastic the Victim Support people had been over the past week. The discussion veered to

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1137208914671006842006-01-14T12:16:00.000+13:002006-01-14T23:51:43.756+13:00

Yesterday was a day of stories. These stories were about a life lived to the full and they were rich with expressions of love for a special woman who has touched the lives of many. This is a woman who thought she wouldn't have a 40th birthday party because she didn't believe she had enough friends to invite to it. Yesterday was testament to how wrong she was. The church we sat in to farewell

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1136884107457435402006-01-10T19:52:00.000+13:002006-02-12T00:15:44.686+13:00

Words have no legs, yet they walk.Mali proverb (Bambara people)I couldn't write about this yesterday. Today I have a need to write about it. Something has happened which has taken me back in time - a flashback of sorts - to a morning when I was sitting in bed after coping with a devastating personal crisis. I was exhausted. I hadn't been sleeping. So many people were relying on me and I had to

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1136788541959270652006-01-09T19:02:00.000+13:002006-01-10T00:45:41.616+13:00

I am not sure where to start. I am still in shock from the phone call I received this morning at work. Bad news always takes you unawares and this morning was no exception.My youngest sister could barely talk as she told me that our cousin and his wife, who live in the South Island, were involved in a jet ski accident yesterday while on holiday. My cousin's wife, Leslie, died at the scene. Even

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1136707496397862202006-01-07T20:26:00.000+13:002006-01-10T01:14:26.953+13:00

Why is that we always equate natural flow with moving forwards? It has permeated our culture and our beings. This is typified in sayings like 'onwards and upwards'. We always focus on moving forward. This is the power of positive thinking and is great. However, if we continually exclude going backwards from our psyche we deny an unavoidable reality that faces all of us at some time in our lives.

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1136619492468624582006-01-04T22:00:00.000+13:002006-01-07T21:45:17.646+13:00

I think I should re-title this blog posting to: Paper, paper everywhere!Over the last three days I have concentrated on nothing else but my writing. I am now getting excited. The thoughts are flowing as are the words. All the reading, the thinking, the discussing, the agony, the fear, is all coming to something. I have to admit though that navigating the flow is more challenging than I would ever

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1136615060278149982006-01-03T17:32:00.000+13:002006-01-07T21:46:21.020+13:00

Lynsey and I are home alone. The kids have gone away on holiday together. We have stayed behind so I can work - mind you Lynsey is busy working too, but on other projects. It is so exciting that the kids get on so well and care for each other as they do. I don't remember ever going away with my sisters for a holiday like this so I have suggested it - a girl's adventure now that we are older and

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1136165555054820672006-01-02T14:32:00.000+13:002006-01-03T03:21:08.193+13:00

Someone asked me last year: 'What are your dreams Marica?' I looked incredulously at the person, thought about it, and replied: 'I don’t have any!'As I said the words, I was thinking: 'How sad.'When did I lose, or more correctly give up, my ability to dream? I suddenly realised I had become so focused on getting through everyday that the simple pleasure of having dreams for me and my life had

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1136079799038882212006-01-01T13:59:00.000+13:002006-01-14T20:48:54.026+13:00

Sretna Nova Godina.Happy New Year to all of you.It is the 1st of January and what am I doing - I am at my computer. I am meant to be working on my Masters research but instead I want to blog. In the past month I have jotted down so many ideas that I have wanted to write about and they haven't yet surfaced where I want them to be - here in my blog! In the meantime I am determined to write more

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1136018137278660902005-12-31T21:24:00.000+13:002006-01-03T03:00:23.116+13:00

2005 is fast coming to a close. I am sitting here reflecting on what has been an incredibly busy and intense year, and I can't help wondering what 2006 will bring for me. I am typically morose at this time of year because I tend to dwell on what I haven't achieved rather than on what I have achieved. It is always seems so much easier to beat yourself up and be negative instead of celebrating the

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1136067692588913392005-12-26T10:48:00.000+13:002006-01-01T14:43:52.080+13:00

Our Christmas was loud and noisy as it always is when we all get together as a family. This year was no exception. We are an animated group of unique individuals who love each other and who love being together. This year we all congregated at my parents home, Mate and Danica Sevelj.My parents are two amazing human beings. They set off over fifty years ago for the unknown. They left behind family

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1136084331759733532005-12-25T09:00:00.000+13:002006-01-01T15:58:51.776+13:00

Sretan BožićMerry ChristmasI have only ever experienced Christmas in New Zealand. Christmas has always been for me a time of family, reflection, and being thankful for what I have. It is summer in our part of the world. There are no fires to sit in front of. There is no snow. It is warm not cold. Instead, we all wish that Christmas Day will be a wonderful sunny day. Many people don't even have

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1133474941442971822005-12-02T10:10:00.000+13:002005-12-02T11:53:30.050+13:00

All our knowledge has its origin in our perceptions.Leonardo da Vinci The way we perceive things makes a big difference. I was feeling really bad yesterday because I hadn’t met the goal I had set myself – to have my first draft of my research completed by 1 December! This morning in the shower (yes, again it came to me in the shower) I suddenly realised there was another way of looking at the

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1132882050942462052005-11-25T12:55:00.000+13:002005-12-02T11:32:56.743+13:00

I am energised by my fellow bloggers out there in the blogosphere.Yesterday I had to go into work. I know it sounds so decadent - in reality having to go into work is actually a necessity and not a luxury for me. If only it was the other way around. For those of you that are not aware I am currently on leave while I write up my Masters research. I am officially away (the reality is I am tucked up

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1132627924815944462005-11-22T14:00:00.000+13:002005-11-22T16:28:49.330+13:00

You might well ask what do oysters and learning have in common? At 3am I was asking myself this question.I was working on my research. I was writing up a section on the pros and cons of formal and informal mentoring. Formal mentoring is when an organisation or community group sets up support structures to control the mentoring process and ensure it meets the necessary expected outcomes. Informal

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1132458369611091842005-11-20T15:54:00.000+13:002005-11-20T16:46:09.636+13:00

My husband Lynsey has been busy working behind the scenes while I have been losing the plot. He has managed to organise, by himself, something we were hoping to get underway together for next year - a blog conference here in our hometown.Planning is now well under way. The conference is being held on March 17-18, 2006 at Wellington, New Zealand. We are now inviting people to come and share in

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1132437868564262552005-11-20T09:27:00.000+13:002005-11-20T15:47:04.453+13:00

I hate computers - well, at this moment I do! I have just spent the last hour writing and a few minutes ago I watched all my thoughts disappear in front of me. I sat here incredulously wondering what was happening. I had decided to write a blog entry before I did anything else today because lots of things are whirling around in my mind and I need to clear some space.I got up from my computer. I

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1132226800306680262005-11-17T22:01:00.000+13:002005-11-18T11:23:39.913+13:00

Flow isn't coming easily. I have come to realise I need to focus on the trickles - one after the other, slowly but surely - and this is okay. I am so impatient though. It is not about one thing. It is about everything. Just like learning, it doesn't happen in isolation or in any particular way. What I am going through at the moment is a learning experience. Why does it have to be so hard? My

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1131099272302081112005-11-04T18:41:00.000+13:002005-11-18T11:26:12.623+13:00

Distance education is everywhere these days and I must admit even I am a bit amazed at my latest foray into this form of learning.A courier parcel arrived for me today and inside it were my course materials for a programme I had enrolled in only the day before. This made me stop and think about how long my learners have to wait to receive their course materials. They fill in their enrolment forms

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1125218418111572032005-10-30T23:39:00.000+13:002005-10-30T23:43:21.790+13:00

A couple of months ago I took this picture on a leisurely walk through the Wellington Botanic Gardens. This waterfall captured my imagination at the time because I was thinking a lot about the concept of flow and how to achieve it.Imagine my surprise when a few days later one of the online newsletters I subscribe to - elearningpost's Daily Links - had a reference to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1125148373958713722005-08-28T00:52:00.000+12:002005-08-31T13:51:17.523+12:00

A colleague of mine is undertaking a PhD research project on using metacognitive strategies to support professionals in health and education disciplines to develop electronic portfolios. I have agreed to participate in the pilot of this research and at present, on top of everything else, I am undergoing a facilitated process whereby I am developing an electronic portfolio.There are copious links

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1125143143462961602005-08-27T23:31:00.000+12:002005-08-31T13:52:04.990+12:00

For a while now I have been grappling with my growing unease with traditional education and my own role within it. I know that the systems and processes behind it all have good intentions but somehow their translation into reality doesn’t seem to work so well for the learners of today. Or is it simply that the wheels of change don't move fast enough to meet the needs of a world undergoing change

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1124104997293903782005-08-14T21:17:00.000+12:002005-08-24T14:37:01.833+12:00

I first heard about desire lines during a panel presentation by ZedTycho.com at the Blogtalk Downunder conference I attended back in May.desire line (di.ZYR lyn) n. An informal path that pedestrians prefer to take to get from one location to another rather than using a sidewalk or other official route.The Word SpyDesire lines are linked to urban planning. It all made so much sense and I

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1123927762787935082005-08-04T21:26:00.000+12:002005-09-01T16:27:01.386+12:00

Cancer is such an insidious disease. I remember the day I was told my son had leukaemia. All I could thing about was that he was going to die. After all, in my eyes, cancer equated to death. My life experience had taught me this. Everyone I loved who had cancer died.Thirteen years later my son is still alive– he has been lucky.Today someone incredibly special to me was not so lucky. Nola Campbell

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1121258984029396282005-07-13T23:31:00.000+12:002005-08-13T22:27:51.320+12:00

On Saturday afternoon I went to see the World Press Photo exhibition 2005. It was a freezing cold Wellington afternoon. The exhibition was being held at Shed 11 on the Wellington waterfront.Shed 11 is now used by the National Art Gallery as a Temporary Contemporary Gallery. This was the first building on the waterfront to be refurbished and opened for public use. The place was packed with people

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1108297063493035082005-02-11T12:17:00.000+13:002005-02-15T00:12:49.193+13:00

The most profound technologies are those that disappear. They weave themselves into the fabric of everyday life until they are indistinguishable from it.Mark Weiser. The Computer for the 21st Century, Scientific American, September 1991, pp. 94-104. HTML draft.I can't decide whether or not ubiquitous computing is now a fact of life. Sometimes I think Yes, it is and then I am brought back down to

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1106920642416717572005-01-28T23:52:00.000+13:002005-01-29T15:18:42.560+13:00

I have been an avid journaller for many years. Writing has helped me deal with many life challenges. There is something amazingly satisfying in getting thoughts down on paper. Over the past few years I have tried to move away from solely using the written word to express myself and I have been experimenting with visual journalling. As I am not what I consider a natural artist I must admit I still

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1106915995340083152005-01-16T15:15:00.000+13:002005-01-29T01:51:59.960+13:00

I know what you are thinking - what does a song made famous by Gladys Knight and the Pips have to do with anything? Read on and find out... I bought a newspaper yesterday (as you already know this is now an uncommon act for me) and as I lay on the floor reading it this morning with my cup of coffee I had to laugh at an item that appeared in the Oddspot column of the World News. It was headed

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1105444741428539802005-01-11T23:28:00.000+13:002005-01-12T10:33:36.156+13:00

I suddenly realised today while I was eating my lunch at my desk and reading online Google News New Zealand and Stuff that I have changed. I can't remember the last time I read a newspaper in hard copy. All my news information now comes from the internet, the odd TV news programme I manage to see, or from the radio as I drive to and from work. Sadly, there isn't a piece of newsprint in sight.

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1105267482696929672005-01-09T23:01:00.000+13:002005-01-10T00:01:47.893+13:00

Is it really? Why do we always have captions with our images then? Images communicate powerful messages but not always those intended by the sender. They also invoke strong emotions. This image depicts exactly how I'm feeling at the moment and I decided to share it with you. I'm sure you'll all recognise it. My day has been spent trying to make things work on my computer and the frustration

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1105236953798144292005-01-08T14:42:00.000+13:002005-01-10T10:12:46.406+13:00

Back in December while attending the 2004 ASCILITE (The Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education) conference in Perth I went to a presentation by James Farmer on his paper Communication dynamics: Discussion boards, weblogs and the development of communities of inquiry in online learning environment. I was particularly drawn to this presentation because of its focus on

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1104212875530875222004-12-27T22:21:00.000+13:002004-12-28T19:18:40.213+13:00

Today my husband Lynsey, my son Damian and I drove to Wanganui to visit my mother-in-law. These three hour car trips have been turning out to be productive planning sessions for me. I now always get into the car with pen and paper in my bag, ready to record the ideas which seem to spew forth while I am stationary and unable to do anything else. Ironically I still haven't found a piece of

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1104215885687355572004-12-01T16:37:00.000+13:002004-12-28T19:44:54.610+13:00

This morning I headed off for my first FLLinNZ visit while here in Perth. The day started with me needing to navigate my way to Ginos, a famous cafe on 'the strip’ in Freo where I was being met by Mary Aquino, a 2004 Australian Flexible Learning Leader. It turns out that Freo is the common abbreviation for Freemantle. Mary decided we would meet here because I was staying closeby and then she

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1104215380041925122004-11-30T14:24:00.000+13:002004-12-28T19:29:40.040+13:00

I am now in Perth on the next leg of my FLLinNZ journey. There has been an added personal bonus to this trip in that I am staying with family I have never met before. My mother’s brother was on his way from Croatia to see her in NZ many years ago. He stopped in Perth and never got any further. I have been surrounded by an incredibly loving family – my uncle, aunt, their three children and their

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1103541659520168602004-11-27T12:06:00.000+13:002004-12-21T00:20:59.520+13:00

I can't remember all the details of everything I am being told or being exposed to. I wish I had a USB port in my head so I could just plug in a memory stick to download some of this information. I am finding the interviews a bit challenging because it seems rude to take notes and yet I know I won't remember everything. I am also trying to pack so much into my trips that reflection time is

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1103539534302861722004-11-12T14:38:00.000+13:002004-12-22T14:11:01.190+13:00

I am felling particularly technologically challenged while here in Australia. All I want is a fast internet access so I can do what I have to and then get onto the next thing. So much has happened in the past four days so I decided to slow the pace down a bit by not attending the Net*Working live event I had planned to go to this morning. Instead I thought I would take advantage of technology to

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1103538096079034432004-11-08T19:28:00.000+13:002004-12-20T23:37:20.523+13:00

Another early start to the day – I had to be at the airport by 5am! I am certainly getting used to operating on minimal sleep. I am now on my way to Melbourne and I feel I have well and truly joined the flexible learning world as I am sitting here on the plane writing this entry on my laptop while at the same time I have ear phones on also listening to the movie currently being shown. There are a

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1103455281976449152004-11-05T01:55:00.000+13:002004-12-20T00:43:51.393+13:00

Tell me and I will forget; Show me and I may remember; Involve me and I will understand. Confucius 450BCOver the last two days I attended a course on Coaching and Mentoring at the University of Auckland Business School. The course is part of the University’s short course programme, and was facilitated by Anouk Graav. I included this course in my programme as part of my leadership development and

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1103454424264265922004-11-02T23:33:00.000+13:002004-12-20T00:09:17.916+13:00

I am currently participating in an online course on distance education facilitated by Joe Levine from Michigan State University. Have a look at this link for more details. It has been an interesting experience for me as the people in this course are from different parts of the world. There has been a lot of discussion on how many of the participants do not like synchronous chat as a part of

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1103453969977825132004-10-31T23:56:00.000+13:002004-12-20T00:02:31.566+13:00

I have just been in Melbourne on holiday for six days (planned well before being selected as a FLLinNZ!) and have suffered severe internet withdrawal. The budget hotel we stayed at told me there was no internet access from my room but I could use their coin operated computer which cost a fortune. This however didn't stop me - I pulled apart the phone connection in my room, found a Dick Smith

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9684397.post-1103443775629537402004-10-23T21:56:00.000+13:002004-12-19T22:15:23.053+13:00

My wonderful husband Lynsey set all of this up for me back in August when I mentioned I wanted to start a blog to document and share my experiences of my year as a Flexible Learning Leader in New Zealand. I was so excited that I sat down and wrote a long message which I somehow lost as I tried to publish it. This annoyed me so much I decided to give up in disgust. Well, the time has come to

Marica Seveljhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835432212656818841noreply@blogger.com0