e-Learning Round-Up | 14 August 2013
Talofa lava, kia ora and welcome to the latest e-Learning round up.
Look out for following up-coming online events starting over the next few weeks, such as:
FORUM: Professional learning in the digital age: 12 August - 12 September
There's a huge explosion in number, range and participation in social networking sites. How can informal online learning, such as social networking and unconferences, become part of a personalised PLD design for schools? How can social media be leveraged to help your students' learning? Join us in this forum discussion.
WEBINAR: Smart libraries and information hubs of the future: 21 August, 3.45 - 4.45pm
Libraries have traditionally been and continue to be a centralised space to access information. But what does this mean now that we have ubiquitous access to information? What makes a library smart? Is it access 24/7? The environment? What about the role of the smart librarian? Find out more, as our guests Paula Eskett and Peter Murgatroyd joins us in this webinar. This event will be supported by a thread in the Enabling e-Learning | Teaching group. REGISTER NOW! Librarians welcome!
Karen, Tessa & Catriona | Blended e-Learning Online Team
This week we honour and thank Rob Clarke and Linda Ojala for sharing their stories, resources and some great advice!
Linda has been a guest blogger for the past week, sharing her journey with UDL in the classroom, while Rob (Former primary principal, Google Certified Teacher, former ICT PD facilitator, consultant) has been engaging in a number of threads across the VLN/Enabling e-Learning groups.
Each fortnight, we like to say thank you by nominating a community member for active participation in the Enabling e-Learning / VLN Groups. Look out for these announcements in the coming weeks.
Leadership & strategic direction
- Growing leadership of e-learning | NAPP Kōrero 6 – Resourcing: What theory, pedagogy and practical ideas drives effective resourcing of e-learning in schools? There’s a wealth of knowledge to consider in this thread, so feel free to peruse.
- What is e-learning? Transforming teaching and learning through technology. Here's a couple of
videos to start a bit of dialogue in your staff meetings. Do you have a top e-learning video worth sharing?
- Education under discussion: Links between professional development and helping to lift student achievement? Posted by hazelowendmc.
- New resource | Phases: Here’s a new page in Enabling e-Learning which unpacks the phases of the framework. It includes: the differences, the characteristics and examples in action.
- What do tomorrow’s classrooms look like? Here’s an interesting series of videos demonstrating the potential future of learning with technologies.
Check out Leadership and e-Learning via the Enabling e-Learning website.
Professional Learning
- Staff progression in competence for appraisals: Rob Clarke offers some great advice around effective teacher development, that combines both skills and pedagogical practice that aligns with the Registered Teacher Criteria.
- Your school library online: Janet McFadden invites us to think about how great school libraries can provide access for students to learn both in and outside the classroom, 24/7. Want to know more about a 6 week online course from National Library's Services? First intake 19 August.
Check out e-Learning & Professional Learning>>the Enabling e-Learning website.
Teaching and Learning | Digital Citizenship
Increasingly secondary educators are seeking opportunities to weave e-learning into learning areas and inquiry. In this webinar, guest presenters Tim Gander and Steve Mouldey explore how e-learning tools can be used specifically in secondary/NCEA schools contexts. This webinar will be supported by a thread in the Enabling e-Learning | Teaching group. REGISTER NOW!!
- What is Digital Literacy in the 21st Century? In his blog, Steve Wheeler talks about digital literacies as deeper than skills and competencies that enable users to assimilate transfer their skills into new and unfamilar environments. Would you agree?
- Does your school have a Digital Citizenship profile? Community members continue to share some relevant, local resources as well as examples of digital citizenship profiles. Very useful if you’re currently developing your own thinking in this area.
- Science in the New Zealand curriculum e-in-science: Gerard Macmanus shares how the Ministry of Education has recently initiated a number of Science initiatives in response to the Gluckman report. The emphasis on e-learning to help raise engagement and acheivement is a valuable addition.
For more on the latest e-learning conversations, announcements and resources from across the VLN/Enabling e-Learning groups, go to Enabling e-Learning | Teaching blog.
Focus on our priority learners
- Empowering Pasifika families using eLearning tools: Anthony Faitaua is interested in ways to empower Pasifika parents and families with and about elearning. Do you have any top tips to share?
- Guest UDL blogger Linda Ojala joins us from Silverstream School: This video introduces classroom teacher, Linda Ojala, as a guest UDL blogger reflecting on how she can make the most of the technology in her classroom to meet the varied needs of the learners in her class.
Check out e-Learning and Teaching>>> the Enabling e-Learning website as well as latest resources on the Pasifika resources page with curriculum, language, and cultural information for teachers to use with students.
Technologies & Infrastructure
Ubiquitous learning means learning anywhere, anytime, using any device. Personalising learning means individualising learning pathways. As more and more schools trial or implement BYOD, we invite you to join us in this kōrero as we unpack pedagocial approaches and explore relevant mobile activities in learning scenarios across the sector. This forum will run in the Enabling e-Learning | Leadership group.
- School network support - who maintains your ICT network? Rebecca Ronald is asking whether you use an external organisation for ICT network support at your school, what company you use, and what level of support they provide. All information greatly appreciated.
- Setting up a school with Google Apps - first steps! Community members continue to help provide Melissa with some top tips on managing a Google Account at school – from organising folders to using Teacher Dashboard.
For more on the latest conversations about mobile technologies from across the VLN/Enbling e-Learning groups, go to Enabling e-Learning | Technologies blog.
Mobile technologies
- Android App Sharing: Allanah King has created a Google site collating useful Android apps for primary schools. Do you have any apps to add to this growing list?
- iPad app to replace black teacher folder (primary school)? Monika Kern shares how one of her teachers wants to replace her black planning folder with an iPad app. Do you have an appropriate app to recommend?
For more on the latest conversations about mobile technologies from across the VLN/Enbling e-Learning groups, go to Enabling e-Learning | Technologies blog.
Bookmarks
- Linking pedagogy and space: Paper by Dr Kenn Fisher. Looks at correlations between delivery, learning and physical spaces. Added by Marnel van der Spuy
- (Almost) 1001 uses for Minecraft in schools Added by Monika Kern
Barbara Reid has added the following bookmarks:
Check out e-Learning and Technologies on the Enabling e-Learning website as well as the managed network and portal services that Network for Learning is developing for schools. Find out more about N4L»
Beyond the Classroom
- Mid-year reporting and three way conferences: Catriona Pene (VPLD facilitator) has cross-posted this blog entry from Heather Eccles (VPLD online community), as she shares her reflections of student-led conferences, instead of the traditional parent-teacher interviews.
- FORUM: How are you using technologies to both report to parents and encourage them to engage with their students learning? An Enabling e-Learning event that asks, What tools are teachers and schools using to streamline their reporting processes? Do your students share their progress through blogs or other online sites? We’d love to hear your stories.
- Seeking advice about how to best use MyPortfolio with a year 9 class: Margaux Hlavac has a year 9 BYOD class and wants some good advice around how to use MyPortfolio.. Do you have any examples, ideas to share?
- School Websites. If every school’s website provides a telling insight (to a wider audience) about where it sits on the international school evolutionary continuum, then what does your school website say about your learning community?
Check out Beyond the Classroom on the Enabling e-Learning website.
For your calendar...
Enabling e-Learning events
- Enabling e-Learning forums and webinars: Check out what is coming up in Term 3 in the Enabling e-Learning calendar. Add these events to your own calendars!
- Find the recordings here for 2011/2012/2013 sessions you may have missed, including using digital resources, BYOD, mobile technologies in a junior classroom, social media and ethics for teachers, LEARNZ field trips and many more!
e-Learning events around NZ
- EduCamp
- Timaru - 31 August
- Palmerston North - 30 September
- Your school library online: Engaging your learners 24/7 - An online course from the National Library. Three intakes:
- 19 Aug-20 Sep
- 16 Sep-18 Oct
- 21 Oct-22 Nov
- Using social networks to support readers: On online course for literacy leaders, teachers, and library staff - An online course from the National Library, delivered via the VLN Moodle platform. Three intakes:
- 5 Aug-13 Sep
- 2 Sep-11 Oct
- 23 Sep-1 Nov
- Free micro online course for educators, 4 - 18 September, Online. Open education resources, copyright, and creative commons licenses
- ULearn 2013, 9-11 October, Hamilton.
