Virtual Learning Network

To reach a wider audience of EBOP teachers a Facebook page has been set up recently for our group. Take a look.  We will endeavour to cross-post items deemed of importance.  

https://www.facebook.com/Ebopconnected

Kia ora Rachel

Thank you for your continued support.  We have made a great start to the year and dates for future hui will be posted up shortly.  

Kia ora Koutou. What an awesome turnout for our first gathering of the year - thank you.  To those who were unable to attend, we do hope you follow along or continue to connect and support our group of like-minded colleagues.

Kaupapa:

1. Jude Cornelius-Nuku welcomed the group and talked about her role and involvement as the REAP Schools Co-Ordinator.  She also mentioned the upcoming local 2015 Eastern BOP  e-Learning conference initiated by the Whakatane Principals Association, Noel Leeming and supported by REAP.  Registrations close Wednesday March 18th.  A panui or flyer will be posted within this webspace.  For more information contact Jude or Tony Horsfall.

2, Jeanette Murphy talked briefly about the Virtual Learning Network and enabling e-Learning for 2015.  Attendees were encouraged to fully utilise this free online resource by joining the VLN, becoming a member of our EBOP Connected Teachers group, sharing what has motivated them to be part of our team and following the thinking and learning journey of others.

3. Introductions and general group discussion.  Topics of interest included safety online, deployment and management of ipads and chromebooks, ipads in the classroom, Google Docs, motivating colleagues to use ipads well, blogging and ways to get staff on board with ICT.  Do check the resources space (ie: within this webpage) for follow-on resources and links that were shared. 

4. Time to document wants/needs or ideas for future meetings, grab refreshments then mix and mingle.

5. Jude spoke about REAP funding for digital technology.  The focus for 2015 will be on building the ICT capacity of teachers.  For further information contact Jude directly. 

6. Group concenus that EBOP Connected Teachers Hui will be held twice a term on a Friday from 4pm-5.30pm at REAP in Whakatane.  Jeanette and Jude to collaborate and then advise colleagues of future dates and kaupapa/agenda.

Kia ora koutou

Last year I was in two minds about submitting an expression of interest for the ACET recognition and chose not to given the amount of work that I had deemed necessary for the portfolio.  I did however continue to follow this group's discussion and would like to commend those who committed to the process and those were indeed successful.

I am now considering an expression of interest for 2015 in the hope that other teachers also applying along with those who are part of this group, will enter into discussion that supports our collective ACET thinking and learning journey.  Looking forward to connecting with like-minded others:)

Kia Ora koutou. Thanks everyone for a great afternoon of sharing ideas and cheers Rachel for including those links here. Sam will soon post a Google share doc and information about our next hui.

Tino reka Annemarie for I am back in twitter mode - game on! Good luck too with the Educamp Minecraft today.

As Rick mentioned, those attending ULearn could share one thing back at the next meeting (or alternatively here in our webspace)...so keep that in mind.

Off now to watch my mokopuna at swimming lessons. Ma te wa...until next time:)

A little more to add...

For three years I worked alongside a number of Y6-Y8 students as e-Learners in a digital classroom.  They managed their own webspaces and all work was completed online.  We found web2tools that would accomodate and any Word documents were converted to pdf files.  So... for them it became what was considered 'a norm' to check, recheck and assess work before posting live.

Now that I'm back in the classroom fulltime with Y5-Y6 students (and another school), 'the expectations' have not changed.   

@Jennie...Congrats on posting your blog live. 

We had our receptionist travel overseas with the school mascot-buddy last term and so I created a page within our class weebly just to document her travels.  She would e-mail me info and images that I would place up (as she did not feel confident doing it herself and all classes in our school just loved following her journey).

In answer to your patai....I would agree that surfaces features are equally as important as the content of the blog post.  Students I work alongside will type up in MS Word, check, peer assess then copy and paste.  They are often reflecting on what is written and have learnt very quickly to... 'do it once, do it right'.  

Tena koutou katoa.

Over time I have created a number of personal and professional blogs using online spaces like Edublog, Blogger, Wikispaces and Weebly. 

I have also critiqued certain sites, reflected on my own learning along the way, discussed with different groups of teachers and students (in some depth) blogging etiquette and come to the conclusion that ANY online webspace is only as good as the purpose (and often the audience) for which it is intended.

I have worked alongside teachers who have become quite enthused then, 'jumped the gun' and created web pages that can now be regarded as outdated repository spaces.

I have watched schools set up websites that are content driven and work...and also schools where websites have  'fallen by the wayside'.

In my own opinion what I consider to be a great blog will most certainly depend on 'what's in it for me....HOWEVER in saying that what I may choose to think is great right now may not serve me a purpose in maybe 2-3 years down the track.  Perhaps 'great blogs' are based on the premise that there are and will always be..different strokes for different folks...

Kia Ora Koutou.  When I 'first' started thinking about blogging and creating a webspace I completed what was then known in 2008 as the 31 Day Challenge (Karen has mentioned in her second post here). 

It was absolutely brilliant as I learnt so much in such a short space of time about things like RSS feeds, page traffic, blog stats, creating a sneeze page etc.  I was able to collaborate with other participants and had to complete a challenge a day (over the Dec-Jan holidays mind you).  It was so very worthwhile therefore I encourage any 'newbies' to find a wero or similar challenge and J.D.I...just do it 

PS: I'm mentoring a couple of teachers who are using Weebly and thinking of setting up a wero or challenge that will keep them enthused and up with the 'blogging play'