2006-05-09T13:52:00.000-07:00

Hi - Welcome to my blog. My name is Paul Richardson, and this page is just to introduce myself.

I have been a farmworker, biologist, environmental campagner, and teacher. Currently, I work with learning technology. This is not because I have a particular interest in computers, or the paraphenalia which surrounds them, but more because I like to see groups of people learning, in a classroom or online. The interesting thing about online learning is bringing people together who otherwise would not meet.

I work with Coleg Harlech WEA in North Wales, which organises learning for adults in communities and workplaces in villages, towns and cities across the region. I also work part-time for the Open Universtity of the UK which does much the same type of thing, except that mostly people learn at home. These learners really benefit from and enjoy online learning, and - ironically - the teacher may have much closer contact with a group than would occur with the just occasional tutorial.

One of the projects which I am supporting is called 'Uniting Humanity'. This aims to educate teachers to improve their own understanding of 'global citizenship', so they can better educate their own learners. This cascade of teaching and learning is sometimes called the 'study circle'. The project brings together people from different parts of Europe, with diverse but related interests, e.g. human rights, Trade Unions, slavery, global warming, pollution, etc.We are using this project to learn about how these themes are related, to find common issues, and to support each other in the fields of campaigning and advocacy.

Paul's blog