Virtual Learning Network

Reflections on and wonderings after  L@S 2011:

•  The professional development community is alive and well and the sense of collaboration is very strong !!!  The culture of sharing is very evident.
•  The ideas/insights presented are nothing new and we are 11 years into the 21st century, clearly .........change takes time !!!
•  I am an advocate for ICT's as an enhancement to the teaching and learning process.  I see a lot of technology usage that has changed the look of the  "presentation" of knowledge - sometimes the 'juice isn’t worth the squeeze”   For example a death by power point presentation that demonstrates knowledge gain, is the time and effort put into the prsentation worthiy of the learning intention? 
  
• There are still plenty of examples of learning about and with technology.  I would love to see examples of (learn more about) assessing the key competencies of a learner through technology.    My goal in 2011 will be to work on how we as a school, who have key competencies as the central part of our learning model/school curriculum,  will demonstrate student growth in these competencies of a C21 learner. 
  
•  At our school we have many awesome ideas and a very keen staff, however,  I am hamstrung when  financing  the purchase of necessary equipment to meet the aspirations of our school curriculum (particularly with the depreciation aspect of school accounting). How do other schools manage this?    We have the money to purchase but not manage the depreciation of the "assets" and I have been told that it is the same for leasing????

Lastly, I came away form the conference hearten by the teachers that I went with, they are an amazing group who are striving hard to make a 'real' difference to the learning outcomes of the children in their care, they inspire me !!!