Virtual Learning Network

The Moodle.org Open Community Hub contains free courses uploaded by Moodle users from all over the world. Check out what is available at http://hub.moodle.org/

Relax, enjoy and happy moodling 

The Internet Archive is an Internet library. Its purposes include offering permanent access for researchers, historians, scholars, people with disabilities, and the general public to historical collections that exist in digital formats.

The Internet Archive includes texts, audio, moving images, andsoftware as well as archived web pages in its collections, and provides specialized services for adaptive reading and information access for the blind and other persons with disabilities. 

One of my faves services of the Internet Achieve is the 'Way Back Machine' which allows users to browse through over 150 billion web pages archived from 1996 to a few months ago. Give it a go.

Visit http://www.archive.org/

This post from Anne Davis of Edublog Insights is probably one of the most commented post on the subject of the use of blogging in education with 215 comments at the time of writing ( how's that's for engagement with an audience ).

I quote from her page:

http://anne.teachesme.com/2007/01/17/rationale-for-educational-blogging/

"Blogging is educationally sound for teaching students because:
 

• Blogs provide a space for sharing opinions and learning in order to grow communities of discourse and knowledge — a space where students and teachers can learn from each other.
   
• Blogs help learners to see knowledge as interconnected as opposed to a set of discrete facts.
   
• Blogs can give students a totally new perspective on the meaning of voice. As students explore their own learning and thinking and their distinctive voices emerge. Student voices are essential to the conversations we need to have about learning.
   
• Blogs foster ownership and choice. They help lead us away from students trying to find what the teacher wants in terms of an answer.
   
• The worldwide audience provides recognition for students that can be quite profound. Students feel more compelled to write when they believe many others may read and respond. It gives them motivation to excel. Students need to be taught skills to foster a contributing audience on their blog.
   
• The archive feature of blogging records ongoing learning. It facilitates reflection and evaluation. One student told me that he could easily find his thoughts on a matter and he could see how his thinking had changed and why.
   
• The opportunity for collective and collaborative learning is enormous. Students have the opportunity to read their classmates blogs and those of others. This is not possible in a regular classroom setting.
   
• Blogging provides the possibility of connecting with experts on the topic students are writing.
   
• The interactive nature of blogging creates enthusiasm for writing and communication.
   
• Blogging engages students in conversation and learning.
   
• Blogging encourages global conversations about learning–conversations not previously possible in our classrooms.
   
• Blogging provides the opportunity for our students to learn to write for life-long learning.
   
• Blogging affords us the opportunity to teach responsible public writing. Students can learn about the power of the published word and the responsibilities involved with public writing."

What do you think?

Is there anything missing? 

If you want to find out more why not treat yourself to some online professional development