April2009elearningWatch

G’day
April has no time for fools so be pleased that you belong to the erudite community of exemplary educators exploiting elearning. Well you can fool anyone with the right words.
However, to get to the real stuff, this month has another basket of websites for you to dive into. Easter will provide you with an uneggspected bonus with time of to loaf and peruse. Or maybe some of you will be a little shell shocked from the challenges of the first semester?
Tony Bates sent me the first link which has some useful information on Web 2.0 selection criteria (courtesy of brainfly.com). other sites focus on mobile learning standards in VET, learning design, an innovative vocabulary builder (good for ESOL?), Wikepedia sister sites, constructivism (you really need more ?), tips for using social software, 100 ways to use your ipod for learning and teaching , a real library chick, conferences and the odd one out.
1. TekTrek[traveling the learning technologies landscape]: Web 2.0 selection criteria. The author of this Blog provides an overview of how he used five criteria to help him decide what Web 2.0 tools he wanted to use in his teaching. Useful guidelines, not tramlines

http://tektrek.wordpress.com/2009/03/02/web-20-selection-criteria/

2. Australian Flexible Learning Network: Mobile learning standards – 2009 out now!
Extract from the site:
‘The key issues of affordability, accessibility and interoperability feature in the revised Mobile Learning Standards (M-standards), as the vocational education and training (VET) system seeks to keep pace with rapid technological advances in mobile learning (m-learning)’
A timely development as m-learning continues to widen its territories. Have a look at the other information on this site while you are there.

http://flexenews.flexiblelearning.net.au/pub/pubType/EL/pubID/f993ea1d2bf8f224cef3/nc/c0064676784e424fb916/interface.html

3. Learning Designs: This was a project that was started a fewr of years ago and well worth visiting or revisiting for some useful insights into learning designs. With education stalwarts like Ron Oliver and Jan and Tony Herrington being involved you can be assured that this is quality material. Worth exploring the rest of the site.

http://www.learningdesigns.uow.edu.au/project/learn_design.htm

4. From the makers of Snagit and Camtasia comes JING.
Jing is free software that adds visuals to your online conversations. A nice little tool and easy to use. Run the video and decide for yourself

http://www.jingproject.com/

5. Word Ahead: is a free video vocabulary builder. I think this site could go places and hope there are many who contribute to it. Its entertaining and engaging [where have i heard those words before?] . It could be a very useful tool for those who teach English as well as a fun resource to learn all about the meanings of words.

http://www.WordAhead.com/

6. Wikipedia sister sites: Wikimedia Commons
A database of 4,157,824 freely usable media files to which anyone can contribute.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

and

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Main_Page

Wikisource is an online library of free content publications,with 124,104 texts in the English language library.
Both the above have some useful resources
7.Constructivism and the Five E’s: From the Miami museum of Science an overview of constructivism and some resources to reinforce the concept. Worth following some of the links to some good resources.

http://www.miamisci.org/ph/lpintro5e.html

8. Engaging Students with Assessment Feedback [ESWAF]: This is a project the main phase of which has just been completed . If your are interested in feedback and how to get it , the material hear is worth reading. Download and read the final report on the main phase of the project Another report is due out soon so worth bookmarking the page .
Extract from the site
‘The aim of the ESWAF project is to enhance student learning by improving student engagement with assessment feedback. Feedback is central to the learning process but research has found that students do not always engage with it. Furthermore, students and staff have different understandings of what feedback ‘means’, and how they should engage with each other to give and receive it’.

https://mw.brookes.ac.uk/display/eswaf/Home

9. Learning Conversations Blog: Ten tips for choosing & using social software.
The author of this blog presents another approach to choosing social software.

http://www.learningconversations.co.uk/main/index.php/2009/02/23/ten-tips-for-choosing-aamp-using-social-?blog=5

10. 100 Ways to Use Your iPod to Learn and Study Better. There is a wealth of information in the links provided on this site. Thank goodness you have all that time at Easter to peruse and choose. The iPod is certainly making a positive contribution to the student learning environment. So Poddle along to your hearts content and use some of the resources.

http://oedb.org/library/beginning-online-learning/100-ways-to-use-your-ipod-to-learn-and-study-better

11. An Easter special: Welcome to Librarian Chick.
Extract from the site:
‘Hi! My name is Stacy Reed and I’d like to welcome you to Librarian Chick, a collection of links to the best of the Internet’s FREE resources for those with big brains and small pocketbooks!’
Must be talking about us.
Where do you start on such an amazing collection of resources. There has to be something here for you although you might take some time finding it. Another Latte, another bite of the egg, another search.

http://librarianchick.pbwiki.com/

12. Conferences
12.1 ALT-C 2009: “In dreams begins responsibility” – choice, evidence, and change. 8-10 September 2009, Manchester, UK.

http://www.alt.ac.uk/altc2009/

The ‘Number 1’ conference to be at in the UK.

Bookings open: May 2009
Presenters’ registration deadline: 29 June 2009
Earlybird registration deadline: 6 July 2009
Bookings close: 14 August 2009
“[taken from the ALT Digest, a fortnightly publication from the Association for
Learning Technology (ALT) ]

http://www.alt.ac.uk/

12.2 ASCILITE 2009: “Same Places, Different Spaces” AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND: DECEMBER 6- 9th.
The Keynotes are secured, the programme is taking shape and the call for papers is imminent [watch the Webspace towards the end of April]. Make sure you are planning to submit a paper and to come and enjoy New Zealand.

http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/auckland09/

13. The Odd One Out: Beyond Biology. An unusual site packed with all sorts of useful stuff, especially for the kids at Easter. I was particular interested in some of the downloadable resources. Before you even start wombling across the site, click on downloads on the left and scroll down to latest downloads. i wanted some information on Weather and climate. What I got was superb. Many of the other resources are just as good.

http://beyondbiology.org/

Have fun and a pleasant Easter break
May we meet again.
Richard Elliott
The Eternal Macademic
Auckland
New Zealand

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