User:Alisonmead

=My Profile=

Professional Background
My background is in corporate communications, broadcasting and management consultancy. I moved into distance and flexible learning when I joined the University of Bath in the UK to manage a Higher Education Research Council-funded project in Flexibility in Learning.

I lived and worked in Africa for 13 years, managing projects in Botswana, South Africa, Zambia and Rwanda. I am an experienced distance education manager, practitioner and consultant with more than 17 years of international practice over 21 DE programmes. I have a broad experience of different educational subsectors and have worked with Ministries and institutions on distance and flexible learning programmes for open schooling, teacher education, tertiary education, adult education and technical and vocational education. I've been contracted by major international development agencies including DFID, European Union, NZAID, British Council, African Development Bank and the ILO. I specialise in programme design and capacity building, organisational management & change and the development of national ODeL policy and strategy.

Most recently, I have been designing a new open schooling system for Rwanda, supporting national ODL policy development in the Solomon Islands and helping to introduce distance and elearning into the Government VET programme in Botswana.

Education
MA in Distance Education : University of London

My Interests
I am interested in the use of media and technology in distance and flexible learning. I spend a lot of my time learning how to use new technology - but sometimes it is an uphill struggle!

To relax, I enjoy beading, decoupage and tapestry. When I'm feeling active, I walk in the mountains and forests near my home, do aerobics, yoga and I have just taken up ice skating.

Professional
I have recently joined the Commonwealth of Learning as Education Specialist for skills development. This encompasses COL's work supporting flexible delivery in both formal and non-formal technical and vocational education and training in 54 Commonwealth countries.

I am committed to capacity building in the use of technology and distance learning methods to expand access to education and training in developing countries.

My Projects
If you have a Nokia, then your phone operating system is probably Symbian. It could also be Windows Mobile.

The Android phone
Android is the first free, open source, and fully customizable mobile platform which will make it easier and cheaper for developers to create apps ... or applications for the mobile phone. Android will bring huge educational benefits once it takes hold in the mobile phone market.

Here are some web resources which help explain what the android is all about;

|Top Android Phones

|Open Handset Alliance

/Different Android Phones/

My Sandbox
/My sandbox/

Feedback & Notes from my WikiNeighbours
Kia ora from Dunedin Nz! I appreciate your thoughts about web 2 on your profile page and can definitely relate to your comments. All the best with building your page and your online project! :-) Clairbee 09:41, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

Thanks Patricia - I've only just found time to upload the profile pic. I'm enjoying learning to use WE - just 4 more days to catch up on!