It's getting late...but I'll Mahara on.

I was a little dubious about setting up my mahara account after reading some of the forum posts on the subject, but I have managed to do so and I guess by expecting the worst it seemed quite easy!

I feel that this is a wonderful tool and it would have many applications in educational settings. Apart from setting the page up in the style of moodle, mahara is a great (for want of a better word) portfolio tool. I can see myself, as I create new multimedia items, adding them to my view or views, if I choose to arrange them in order of subject. This would be a great compendium of the work that I have created, the work others have created that I like and recommend to others and possibly an overview or sample of the wonderful work created by my students. This could be a digital brag book.

My students would equally benefit from having a mahara account as they could include their own resume with examples of applications they have used to show their knowledge areas and build on these as they progress through their studies. This would give a real world value to the students work (Keirsley & Schneiderman) and as such would hopefully elicit their best efforts (Marzano).

Students could use mahara as their hub with links to all of their online school assignments (as I would still require access to and administrator rights to school items and group projects), and they could set up their own groups, as I have, for their own collaberative learning or study groups (Oliver, Keirsley & Schneiderman).

It is late however and I need a cuppa so I'll sleep on this topic and I may have more to say at a later date. In the mean while have a look at my mahara page and join my group The 'I'll make my own group' group. Excuse my ramblings, but being the only member...it may be a sign of madness??