G’day
September heralds the approach of spring in this corner of the globe. Already the garden seems to be bursting out all over. Long hot days to come I hope. In the meantime, it’s head down to deal with the final arrangements of the 5th NZ Shar-e-fest. All on track an a very good programme looms. In between I’ve been doing my usual monthly womble on the Web having a look at what I can find which is a free and rich resource, useful for us educators.
Having been involved in some workshops recently, I resurrected a very useful Toolkit which I found a few year’s ago. Link is below. Also included in this posting are links to guide for using twitter in education, iPads as an educational tool,innovating pedagogy. mobile learning guide, elearning guide, digital storytelling, an example of curation,targeted information resources, conferences and the odd one out.
October fest to follow.
1. Facilitating workshops: From time to time I get involved with facilitating workshops, round table discussions. panels etc.I found this Facilitators’s Toolkit a very useful resource, with some great ideas and suggestions for managing a range of activities. It’s been around for a while but I think it’s one of the better toolkits and worth exploring and using.
http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/oqm-old/Facilitation.pdf
This one is newer and complements the first one I think. Another useful resource.
http://oqi.wisc.edu/resourcelibrary/uploads/resources/Facilitator%20Tool%20Kit.pdf
2. Are you a Twitter? This guide ‘A guide to using Twitter in university research, teaching, and impact activities’ is a useful introduction and overview of the potential uses of Twitter in educational settings. Makes for an interesting read and you can twitter about it afterwards.
http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2011/09/29/twitter-guide/
3. Innovating Pedagogy. An interesting report just released from the Open University in the UK. ‘The first report proposes ten innovations that are already in currency but have not yet had a profound influence on education’. One such innovation which I am interested in is the use of Badges to recognize various level of student competency and achievement
You are invited to comment and contribute to the discussions on the innovations. Worth spending some time here.
http://www.open.ac.uk/personalpages/mike.sharples/Reports/Innovating_Pedagogy_report_July_2012.pdf
4.The elearningcoach presents ‘tips and reviews for success with online and mobile learning’. This particular section looks at learning technology trends to watch for in 2012, As we approach the end of 2012, how many have come to fruition? and what has emerged instead? Lots of other interesting stuff to explore on the site.
http://theelearningcoach.com/elearning2-0/learning-technology-trends-for-2012/
5.Mobile Learning Guide Part 1: Designing it right. Are you into mobile learning or about to take a trip? This is one part of a useful guide from Kineo. Part 2: Implementing Mobile Learning, helping you with the decision making process around tools and technologies and Part 3: Creating Mobile Learning,a step-by-step guide to writing and developing your mobile learning can also be downloaded from the Website.
This three part guide is useful for beginner as well as partitioner. Lots of information and ideas. Well worth reading and using.
http://www.kineo.com/elearning-reports/mobile-learning-guide-part-1-designing-it-right.html
6. The spicy Learning Guide to e-learning: 70 tips from Saffron Interactive. This is a bit different.
http://clients.saffroninteractive.com/saffron/Spicy%20Learning%20booklet%20PDF.pdf
7. Curation: Are you into Curation? it’s a fast developing area and one that has a lot of potential for assembling useful resources in education
This site has a wealth of’ curated ‘ subjects. Worth exploring.
8. 50+Web 2.0 Ways to tell a story:Digital Story telling, Alan Levine’s site continues to be updated and is a rich tapestry of resources, some old some new and more to come.
9. LearniSt. Another approach to flooding your desktop with never ending stream of information on a wide range of subjects. Just clicking on Education provides screeds of stuff to link to and explore. Probably worth visiting from time to time on a never ending journey.
10. Study Finds Benefits in Use of iPad as an Educational Tool.
The iPad as a Tool For Education – a case study
This report from NAACE in the UK is a case study of the use of Ipads in Education at the Longfield Academy in Kent, England.
The Executive summary states: ‘This study, one of the most extensive yet regarding the sue of tablet devices finds that with the majority of pupils a=t the school now having iPads there has been a significant and very positive impact on learning together with further significant and still developing changes in pedagogy. The outcomes at Longfield clearly demonstrate the value of the iPad as an educational tool and the role it can play in learning and teaching’.
53 pages worth reading.
http://www.naace.co.uk/publications/longfieldipadresearch
11, Conferences
11.1 ALT-C 2012 A confrontation with reality
The 19th international conference of the Association for Learning Technology will be held at the University of Manchester, UK, 11-13 September 2012.
For more information go to:
Register at:
11.2 Innovating e-Learning 2012: Online Conference
The seventh in the popular series of JISC online conferences takes place in November 2012.
The title of the 2012 conference, Shaping the future, reflects the changing educational environment and addresses the challenges that institutions and practitioners are facing. The conference will focus on some of the innovative solutions being developed to: engage students and stakeholders; enhance learning, assessment and feedback; develop digital literacies and employment potential; improve and sustain organisational efficiency; facilitate openness and sharing; and manage organisational transformation.
Pre-conference activity week: Tuesday 13 – Sunday 18 November
Main conference sessions: Monday 19 – Friday 23 November
The conference will take place online using both live and asynchronous sessions.
The conference site will remain open – for reading only – until the end of December 2012.
More information about this year’s themes and programme will be released in the near future.
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/elearningpedagogy/elpconference12.aspx
11.3 ascilite 2012: Future Challenges, Sustainable futures
Dates are 25th to 28th November, Wellington New Zealand
Registration is now OPEN.
http://www.ascilite2012.org/home
12. Other New Zealand events
NZ Sharefest 2012 and regional elearning in practice symposia will take place from 1 – 5th October 2012. The actual NZ Sharefest event will be in Hamilton on 1 and 2nd October.
Final call for submission has been released. See the Website for information on how to submit a proposal to present. The programme is shaping up to be a very useful set of presentations, workshops and demonstrations.
Registration is now OPEN
More details will be posted on the Sharefest site as they come to hand.
http://sharefest.crowdvine.com/
Just make sure you put the date in your diary with a commitment to attend this not to be missed event on the NZ calendar.
13. The odd one out: Learning Interactives. Perhaps not quite in the ‘odd’ category. However, an absorbing and very comprehensive site with lots of activities for the youngster and maybe a few oldies) to hone up on knowledge of a wide range of subjects.
http://www.learner.org/interactives/
That’s it until next time
Richard
Richard Elliott
The Eternal Macademic
Auckland
New Zealand