The Dadamac Learners

Every now and again it's a good idea to tidy things up. With that in mind I have been thinking about the various people I connect with online for learning, and how I should bring them together. The result is a new yahooo group "Dadamac Learners".

This is how it came about. Recently we had the Teachers Talking (TT) 4th online anniversary celebration. The celebration was held physically at Fantsuam and virtually at the Minciu Sodas chat room. Things have developed in many ways since John Dada and I planned the first TT group in 2004, and I set up my first yahoo group to support it!

The group has widened. At Fantsuam the learners have gradually changed from TT participants to Dadamac Learners at Fantsuam. The anniversary guests are no longer mainly school teachers, and the guest list extends well beyond learners from Fantsuam Foundation (FF). Beyond Fantsuam we have TT Kenya, and various other individuals and groups I lead or connect with, including people from the Learning From Each Other Group in Miciu Sodas.

I look at the people who attended, and the others who wanted to attend but couldn't make it this year. For their benefit, and my own, I want a single, over-arching Learning Group - even if only to ensure that they all get invited to the 2005 anniversary celebration.

In reality it will be more than a guest list. It is a hub for people who share an approach to learning online. This is what I wrote about the group on its home page.
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The Dadamac Learners' Group is an Internet based community of learners. It connects local groups and individual members who help each other to learn. There is no membership fee. The initial Dadamac Learners came from Nigeria, Kenya, and UK, so we have many interests related to community development and the use of ICT for communication and learning.

We find that:

* We learn well when we help each other to learn.

* Some topics are best "explored" rather than "taught".

* Sometimes a "learning buddy" is more help than a formal teacher.

* The "need to know" for a practical purpose is a great motivator for learning.

* The Internet helps us to find "learning buddies" as well as factual information.

Dadamac Learners has developed from Teachers Talking and other connected groups, and brings them together. We learn according to the interests and learning needs of our members, and we encourage newcomers to join us.

The Learning Leader for this group is Pamela McLean. She writes a blog called LearnByDoing

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Joining is easy. Click this link to the home page and follow the joining instructions. (If you are new to yahoo groups and the instructions seem strange to you send me an email at pam54321@googlemail.com and I will try to help you. Please give you email the title "Joining Dadamac Learners". That will help to keep it out of my spam filter and get it safely into my inbox.)