Virtual Learning Network

Kia ora

My name is Anna Smythe, I am the Deputy Principal at Forrest Hill School, although this year I am on secondment at Team Solutions as a literacy facilitator.

A few years ago our school embarked on its journey into what was then know as Modern Learning Environments (now known as ILE).  It was through roll growth that we gained a number of new classrooms, which were built in the ‘style’ of MLE.  As we watched over the build, we started to think about things like the furniture and digital technologies we would have in our new space, but gave little thought to the pedagogy that would provide the foundation to our MLE.  We have moved on from those days; we have a couple more spaces that have been opened up, and we now recognise the importance of focussing on the pedagogy. We are still on this journey and recognise we have a way to go.

There is a lot of discussion around modern learning pedagogies and how these might be defined.  On reading Mark Osbourne’s article on Modern Learning Environments he states that quality learning is a combination of personalised learning, socially constructed learning, differentiated learning, learning initiated by the students themselves, and learning that is connected to the physical world and authentic contexts.  In the Education Gazette article, School Principal Peter Verstappen states, “the real business of MLEs is to shift teaching and learning to a model that truly enables students to becomes confident, connected, lifelong learners…” My question is, what is the shift in teaching that Verstappen and others talk about?  Is it shift towards those elements Osbourne mentions?  And if so, is an open plan environment required as a catalyst for this shift to take place?  

Hi Catriona

I believe that each 'educreation' created is stored on the web in your educreations account.  When you log into your educreations account, all of your educreations will show, whether on your laptop/computer, or you ipad.  If you delete one of your educreations from your account (from an ipad or a computer), then it will no longer be available where ever you have embedded it.  We use ultranet, and I just tried it out.  All that's left is a black box with 'loading', but it never loads.

Hope this helps

Anna