e-Learning Round-Up | 27 February 2014
Tēnā koutou, talofa lava, and welcome to the lastest e-Learning Round-Up. There's been a steady flurry of activity over the past two weeks, which we've summarised for you here.
Most notable, has been the increased interest in Modern Learning Environments or flexible learning spaces. Other trends include a continued focus on priority learners, as well as practical ideas for mobile technologies. See more below.
More community foci will be addressed in the up-coming Enabling e-Learning calendar of events for Term 1. Don't miss out - mark these in your diary now.
This is your community, as always we look forward to your input and feedback - hei konā mai,
Karen, Tessa & Catriona | Blended e-Learning Online Team
Each fortnight, we like to say thank you by nominating a community member for active participation in the Enabling e-Learning / VLN Groups.
This week we'd like to recognise Vanitha Govini for encouraging us to trial the use of e-learning, to enhance maths in the classroom. Vanitha contributes to regular conversations in the e-Learning in Primary Mathematics group. Come join Vanitha there.
Beyond the Classroom
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FORUM: How are you using technologies to both report to parents and encourage them to engage with their students learning? Parent/teacher conferences are happening in some schools early this term. How do you share learning goals (and strategies) with parents, through technologies or other means? We’d love to hear more.
Check out Beyond the Classroom on the Enabling e-Learning website.
Learning and Teaching | Digital Citizenship
- Updating Cybersafety agreements: Agil Christ is looking for a cybersafety agreement for those GAFE students using Gmail accounts. Can you help?
- Personalising learning: Isn’t there a worksheet for that? An evocative look at three different scenarios on individualised and personalised learning. Do you have a perspective on this too?
- Tela leased MAC Laptops: Paula Jamieson is looking for some practical feedback on policy and practice in relation to the TELA for teachers. What are the technical aspects to consider in a changing environment?
Hooking kids in. (creating a thirst for maths problem solving): Catriona Pene shares Dan Meyer's videos for engaging students in real life mathematical problem solving. Catriona asks how might this be used in a primary maths classroom.
- 2014 - Sharing ideas / tools! Vanitha Govini has started a new challenge. Finish this sentence: This year I plan to use video clips from teaching channel to support students and teachers…
- Enabling e-Learning | New challenge: Finish this sentence.... Several interesting responses to this challenge, some of which might be a similar goal to your own. How do you plan to integrate technologies to help transform learning this year?
- Secondary Physical Education - analysing movement video/photo capture: Scott Paterson shares some experiences and practical advice when using Ipads for capturing and analyizing movement. Anyone else using apps or software to do the same?
Using digital technologies with Māori and Pasifika learners, and students with special educational needs
- Let us share what works! Here’s a powerful story showing how, 'knowing the learner' as well as well as knowing when/how to use e-learning - has helped to transform and improve outcomes for Pasifika students.
- Effective Supports and Approaches Related to Dyslexia: Roxy Hickman comments about the potential of this thread and builds on the idea, that this could be a powerful prompt for teachers to consider, what is important here.
- Knowing my learners (Linda Ojala): In this timely response, Roxy Hickman invites us us to share some inspiration and asks, What have you been doing to get to know each individual in your class?
Check out e-Learning and Teaching>>> the Enabling e-Learning website.
Leadership & strategic direction
- MLEs: That’s just a classroom with a beanbag isn’t it? Several community members have weighed into this discussion and also shared some experiences and ideas in a related thread, Self directed learning in a MLE.
- MLE in a New Entrant & Year 1 classroom: Marnel van der Spuy is looking for some input/ideas that will explain the pedagogy and learning beliefs around the MLE in a New Entrant & Year 1 classroom. Are you able to share some experiences and examples from your class?
As these conversations continue to grow, it really make us think about learning spaces and how they reflect a school's vision for learning. In this video, Stonefields School demonstrates how research into flexible, open learning spaces translates into action.
Modern Learning Environments: Stonefields School
Check out Leadership and e-Learning via the Enabling e-Learning website.
Technologies & Infrastructure
- Schoology: Karen Melhuish Spencer shares some additional information on learning management systems from the Enabling eLearning and MoE sites. Well worth a read.
- Connecting to the N4L managed network: Resources to support schools - and an update on schools connecting: Here’s an update on progress to date, for those schools connecting to the N4L managed network.
Mobile technologies
- Interactive iPad apps: Paula Ross is looking for a good presentation-type app that can be used in the class, like a activboards or flipchart? Any advice for Paula?
- Tellagami and the SAMR model: Allanah King has shared a pedagogical framework (SAMR) when using iPad apps such as Tellagami and Flick. Have you trialed anything similar in your class?
- Hiding Apps: This thread provides some debate around bringing personal iPads in the classroom. What remains private, what should be accessible to many and what is appropriate in an educational environment? Do you have an opinion or top tip to share?
- Digital citizenship: Tash has shared a fantastic resource from NetSafe that teaches about online safety and netiquette rules. What great Digital Citizenship resources have you used with students and why were they so successful?
Bring your own devices (BYOD)
A simple practicality - locking devices away during breaks? Do you have any practical advice or tips about ways to manage/store devices when they are not in use?
- eLearning class - tracking: Gerard Macmanus is interested in hearing from schools who have tracked a trial class of e-learning or digital classes? If this is you, what forms of data collection/assessment have you used?
Check out e-Learning and Technologies on the Enabling e-Learning website.
For your calendar...
Enabling e-Learning events
- Term 1 Enabling e-Learning calendar of events is out now. Feel free to join in these events. We'd love to see you and your colleagues get involved.
- Enabling e-Learning webinars: Find the recordings here for 2011/2012/2013 sessions you may have missed, including using digital resources, digital learning spaces, BYOD, iPads in junor classes, registered teacher criteria, appraisal and e-learning, gaming and many more!
e-Learning events around NZ
- Creative Commons Licensing for NZ Schools: 12, 13, 17 March, 4-6.30pm, Christchurch, Auckland, Wellington.
- Festival of Education: 21-23 March, Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch
- Learning@School Roadshow 2013: 13-22 May 2014, Gisborne, Palmerston North, Ashburton, Dunedin.
- ULearn14: 8-10 October, Rotorua. Registrations now open for the ultimate modern learning & teaching conference.
