A Research Agenda for Online & Blended Learning

With Communities of Online Learning coming closer on the horizon NOW is a good time to determine a research agenda that will inform regulations for CoOLs and best practice for online learning in NZ. There is a body of local research I have written about previously here, and some of this research goes back two decades and is still relevant today. A thorough literature review and scope of the current educational landscape would help identify gaps and needs and raise key research questions.

I recently read an excellent paper by Cathy Cavanaugh that provides a good insight into how research for online & blended learning should be undertaken.

"To truly understand K-12 online and blended learning research, you have to dig deeper
into the components that make up K-12 online and blended learning. In other words, there are so many variations in design, instruction, facilitation, purpose, and content, no single study will answer everything we need to know about K-12 online learning. It is more important to explore the components and the research surrounding those components.
In addition to digging deeper, there are at least five key areas that any K-12 online and
blended learning educator should consider. They include:1) asking the right question; 2) answering the critics; 3) appreciating the complexity; 4) understanding resources; and 5) exploring current research."

The right question is NOT Is face to face learning or online learning better? The answer to this is "K-12 online and blended education is as good as, and is sometimes better and sometimes worse
than face-to-face education." It doesn't really tell us anything. We need to finding out under what conditions does online and blended learning work well.
Cathy gives some examples of findings such as - we know that successful online students are self-directed and motivated; Colleges of Ed are not preparing teachers to teach online; successful programmes not only train their teachers to teach online, they also train their students to learn online; high quality programmes push the boundaries and are underpinned by good data.

Learning Spanish online - VLN Primary School 

Answering the Critics - this resonates with me because of the huge criticism of online learning that resounded when CoOLs was announced, from people who had no knowledge of this area of education. These critics don't understand that online learning "is a multi-faceted process that involves such things as high quality and interactive content, teachers with strong and specific pedagogical skills, training for parents and students, and strong mentoring and scaffolding opportunities."
Instead they "see online and blended education as replacing all teachers with machines or they picture a student sitting alone watching videos for 8 hours a day. As a matter of fact, one of the most raised concerns, particularly related to online education, is that online students get no social interaction. Many of these ‘critics’ do not realize that online students often spend more time interacting with their peers and teachers than face-to-face students do. They don’t understand that online classes often require students to leave the computer to exercise (i.e., PE class), to go visit a pond (i.e., science experiment), or to go to a museum (i.e., history or social studies)."

Make sure you read the whole paper here.

I am really looking forward to being part of the development of Communities of Online Learning  and ensuring we have high quality online learning opportunities for our children.

VLN Primary School in Print - STA News

Here is an article i wrote for the NZ School Trustees Association about the VLN Primary School. It gives a pretty good snapshot on who we are and what we do:

"At a time when schools are increasingly stretched to find the resources to provide a broad and relevant curriculum for students, they are also being challenged to become more collaborative and future focused. We are on the cusp of major changes both politically driven through IES Communities of Schools and technologically driven through the N4L managed network for schools. There is a drive to harness the power of technology to change the way we learn, make learning more student centred and personalised and for collaboration across schools. How are schools meeting these challenges? With a deluge of ipads, the ‘appification’ of learning (there’s an app for that), should we have 1-1, BYOD, Chromebooks, Google, Microsoft, Wireless, have we been snupped, when do we get on to N4L?  We are getting close to the point where technology is ubiquitous, a utility like power or water. Schools need to look beyond the digital network and environment to the people network that connects and learns in that space.

The Virtual Learning Network (VLN) Primary School has as its’ tagline “Connecting Schools for Enhanced Learning Outcomes”. It is a people network collaborating online and dedicated to providing equity and access to learning opportunities for New Zealand students. It aims to connect schools through a collaborative online network (the virtual school) in order to open up access to specialist teachers, share the best of our teaching strengths, and to build professional capability that enables schools to become more flexible and open places of learning for our children. It began as a school cluster hosted within Matapu School, South Taranaki, and has evolved into a Charitable Trust led by school leaders and virtual learning advocates. It is partly funded in partnership with the MoE and contributions from participating schools.  

The VLN Primary School builds on work that has been developed in the schooling sector, over the last nearly 20 years where programmes have been provided ‘virtually’ through online classes & projects taught by NZ based teachers. Approximately 80 primary schools and 1000 students have participated in the VLN Primary School to date since 2009. Learning opportunities are developed through the needs and strengths of the schools themselves and eteachers and tutors are provided by schools themselves or contracted into the network.There are regular weekly scheduled classes for extension maths, literacy, science, Astronomy and a wide range of languages - Te Reo Māori, Mandarin, Spanish, French, Cook Islands Māori, German, Japanese, Afrikaans, Korean, Bahasa Indonesian and Tagalog. 

In addition to this the ‘Over the Back Fence’ run by Rosmini College, has regular connections with schools in NZ, Pacific, India & globally focussing on Health & Environmental topics. Our Rural & Remote Schools Project brings together schools from Stewart Island, Great Barrier, Eastern Taranaki & Wairarapa with the goal of reducing the social isolation of these distributed students, giving them opportunities to learn alongside peers their own age and preparing them for leaving their districts to go to High School. There is a great opportunity to build on this project to extend the benefits to many other small and isolated schools, but sustainability of resources has prevented us from scaling up this very successful project. 

Participation in the VLN Primary School gives students a voice and choice in what they learn, how, when and where they learn, and who they learn with; regardless of their geographical location and economic means. It aims to provide teachers and school leaders across networked schools with professional learning and support to enable them to develop as future focused learning organisations. When you next think of your school network, think beyond the technology to the people network and how your school can become connected to an online community of learners."

CRAM - Unpacking the Model with #DEANZ

This afternoon i joined a Google Hangout session with Bill Anderson from DEANZ. Today's informal hangout was to provide an opportunity for DEANZ members to connect and 'talk or ask questions about any of the newsletter items such as the CRAM model; Creative Commons Clinics; the National Digital Forum; the Blended Synchronous Learning Handbook... or any of the latest items about DEANZ.'

It was great to have an opportunity to meet with other like minded professionals and talk about not just whats new in flexible and online learning but how this reflects in our experience within our own institutions and teaching practice.

Bill unpacked the theory behind CRAM (Course Resource Appraisal Model), showcasing it as a tool that can help provide a framework for us to analyse the design and quality of our online courses. He advocates for it to be used as a reflective tool for inquiring into the quality of our teaching and not as a tool for institutional efficiency. From the newsletter:

'CRAM is an acronym for Course Resource Appraisal Model. Doesn't exactly sound 'sexy' does it?
Yet, CRAM is a little online tool that I think is really interesting, and well worth a look. It attempts to support tertiary teachers (and maybe others) who want an answer to the question
“Can we improve the quality of students’ learning experience without increasing staff
workload, even for greater student numbers?” and I think does a pretty good job helping them There is a caveat. To use the tool effectively (even to consider using it at all) you have to be familiar with Diana Laurillard's work on learning and technology – especially her most recent work “Teaching as a Design Science”, although a quicker read is the article “Making meaningful decisions about time, workload and pedagogy in the digital age: the Course Resource Appraisal Model” published in Distance Education here (Caution: You'll need library access or else be prepared to pay!)'

There were lots of good ideas to follow up on around learning design of online courses and support for teacher professional development. In following up on Diana's work in learning design, I found myself at this website http://learningdesigner.org/  an early release version of an online tool for learning design. For the learning designers out there - do you have a particular model or framework that you use and/or specific tools that help you pull it all together. Please share, i would be interested to know.

Share, Celebrate, Participate - VLN Primary School Newsletters

May Update

In our latest newsletter we update you on our recent AGM, talk about our small rural schools, share the buzz on Prince Harry's recent NZ visit, give you a heads up on whats coming up and a shout out for teachers to join us in teaching online. 

Read our newsletter. Subscribe.

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June Update

In this newsletter we update you with a great story of online meets face to face at Orewa Estuary Arts Centre, share the excitement about the VLN Primary School supporting Asian Languages learning in NZ, make a call for enrolments for Second semester online programmes & projects, introduce two new members of our Governance team and congratulate two of our wonderful eTeachers. Please share this newsletter with your colleagues and follow us on our social media channels - we just can't fit all the good news in here!

Opening of the My Story, Your Story, Our Story  exhibition at Orewa Estuary Arts Centre 

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A Year in Review 2014 - VLN Primary School

Connected Students @ Rosmini College

I have always been a great fan of the work that Geoff Wood is doing with his students at Rosmini College and have written on them often in the VLN Primary School blog (here, here & here). His classroom is truly a Connected Classroom and his students Connected Learners. Geoff is a full time classroom teacher and has 'flipped' his classroom to be revolving around the constant connections that fuel their learning processes, through the sharing and relationships they develop with the many, many different students who come 'virtually' into their classroom everyday. On my second face to face visit in two years i can see now how this has really developed into the culture of the students Years 7 - 13 in Geoff's health classes. They are organised, they are confident, they are patient & persistent (dealing with the technology), they are able to communicate with a diversity of students from new entrants, all over NZ and globally. On the afternoon i was at Rosmini two boys were in the workroom (cupboard?), teaching youngsters in South Auckland about sugars in our diet; another two were on the outside deck talking to students from Te Hapua about online safety & Geoff was preparing an international connection with Bangladesh & Pakistan (?) for later in the day. I was impressed with the ease of communication, through pretty average technology & connections (HD desktop VC it wasn't). It was a joy to watch the students at Te Hapua perform a waiata & haka for the Rosmini boys and then one by one approach the camera to introduce themselves & say thank you.
Below is are some snippets of one of the sessions and a short interview with two of the boys:

VLN Primary Schools Roadtrip

A quick round up of my road trip to Auckland last week. It was great to pop in to some of our schools who have students learning with us in our online classes and projects. So good to have some face to face time with our students, getting to meet teachers & kids we have been working with throughout the year; also good to catch up with old friends in real space & time :-)

Moanataiari School                                     

Students at Moanataiari school participate in our extension Mandarin class, extension Maths & te Reo Māori. In addition to these students are another dozen joining in with My Story, Our Story, Your Story - Photography project. (Lots of kids running around with camera's & a very keen classroom teacher). Feedback from their Principal ise that in Mandarin they are 'going great guns', te reo just starting to come out of their shell and participating more, were a little whakama to start with & maths students are being challenged with the step up in learning.

You can listen to some of the students comments here:

Mahurangi Christian School

A shame that I spent a good part of my visit on Helen's floor looking for the screw for my glasses and then more time with her sticky taping my glasses together - we did have a short 'meet &greet' to touch base. Language classes are the interest for this school at the moment & perhaps we won't see them again next year with the prospects of having a Japanese teacher at school. Which is a good thing, some of our schools are participating or NOT depending on the needs of their students and what support they need at the time. The VLN Primary should not be an end in itself but a bridge to connect our students, our schools and learning opportunities. Other projects are of interest but only if they fit what's happening for these kids - so message here - just keep in the loop, keep connected, hook in & engage where there is a clear & relevant purpose to participate.
Great to see independent student learning & inquiry based learning in this school and have the children tell me all about how it works in their school. Thanks for taking the time to chat with me Louise. Here's a short video via VPLD on how Staff at Mahurangi Christian School connects the classroom to the community through digital technologies.

Ahuroa School

A great little country school less than an hour north of Auckland. Ahuroa School was my destination to meet Theressa who is running a collaborative Photography project - again another great opportunity to make a face to face connection. Although completely virtual, if there is an opportunity to touch base in person, it is really worthwhile making the time. Theressa is a great asset to her school, not only running the photography club, but also their Robotics team, and a keen hands on interest in elearning. Thanks Theressa for taking the best of what you do in your school and collaborating with other schools - i know there are a lot of teachers & kids already buzzing with this project, Some nuts & bolts still to work out around managing so many photos, maintaining a feedback & improvement process and keeping engagement going to ensure student are improving their photography skills, choosing relevant photo's to the theme and having some great thoughtful images to exhibit in 2015. Looking forward to watching this unfold.

Getting Ready for Connected Educator Month #CEM #cenz14

Everyday is a Connected Educator day for me, it's my job, that's what i do - &  I love it! So to be involved with Connected Educator Month is a real privilege. I am encouraging our schools to not just share and support our activities but to go and explore the wide & interesting range of what's on offer throughout the month and immerse themselves. This is an awesome PLD opportunity for our teachers to 'learn by doing' and #participate. I really like the Starter Kete for teachers which introduces us to different concepts & tools each day, a great supporting resource. There is something for everyone in events that run in NZ & globally throughout the month. High fives to @virtuallykaren you are doing a fantastic job of bringing this all together.

Here are our contributions to Connected Educator Month coming up soon!
They are adaptations of those we ran earlier in the year at DEANZ and more recently (coming up) at ULearn14 conferences.  I am aiming to get our students to lead and co-host some of these events too and hoping that we will pull in members of our school communities to participate too.

Workshop Presentations

Leveling the playing field for schools through networked learning

Thursday 16th October - 4.00 - 5.00 pm
(Suitable for school leaders, members of school communities &  teachers)
NZ schools have been collaborating for many years across the old No.8 wire & bush telegraph, now we are on the cusp of being more connected to one another than we have ever been in the past, with ultrafast broadband and more ubiquitous & reliable technology. How can we leverage on our connectedness, taking the best of what we have from across our schools and creating new learning opportunities for all our students? Our students have so much to gain with equity and access to learning that has boundless possibilities.
This presentation will showcase how Primary Schools from around NZ are collaborating online and the benefits to our students. We will discuss the vision, practicalities & challenges of working collaboratively online; and explore future opportunities to make connections with schools who are interested in participating in networked learning.

Getting ready for teaching & learning online 

Thursday 23rd October - 4.00 - 5.00 pm
(Suitable for teachers)
This is a hands on workshop for teachers who are keen to participate in online learning with the VLN Primary School. Whether you are supporting students who are online learners (mTeacher) or if you are teaching online yourself (eTeacher), or if you just want to see how it all works; this ‘induction’ workshop will prepare you with the skills, knowledge and confidence to step out with your kids in the world of virtual learning. This workshop session will introduce you to the VLN Primary online learning initiative; you will learn how to use some online tools - Adobe Connect, Welearn & Google Docs to develop an online class, and explore some strategies for teaching and learning online.

WeLearn – Student eLearning Hub 

Thursday 30th October - 4.00 - 4.30 pm
(Suitable for teachers & school leaders)
Welearn has been developed as the social networking and support hub for VLN Primary School online learners. There is awesome potential to shape & share this environment as a collaborative blended learning space across NZ schools. Come and check out what is happening in Welearn and explore the possibilities for participating with your students.

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Student Participation

These events are for students to participate in and are designed to introduce and model activities where students can connect and learn together online.  This is a real time quiz based competition. We would love an international challenge - Global Connected Educators!

Literacy Challenge

Thursday 16th October 10 - 11 am

This has a focus on literature, suitable for your avid readers.

Maths Challenge

Thursday 30th October 10 - 11 am

Test your Maths brain - suitable for students who are working at L4+ NZC

Both of these competitions are aimed at Y7 & 8s but Y5 & 6s are also welcome to participate if their teachers think they will be able to compete. Students can compete in teams of 2 - 4 (but no more than 4).

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Taster Classes

These are for both students and teachers together who are considering participating in online learning supported by the VLN Primary School. Also suitable for those interested in seeing a snapshot of how we learn together in our online classes. This session provides a walk through of the nuts & bolts of connecting and communicating in online spaces, how students can set themselves up for managing their own learning and how teachers can support them.

Thursday 23rd October 10.00 am

Thursday 30th October 1.30 am 

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Connection Details

All sessions will run through Adobe Connect, supported by the Ministry of Education

With concurrent audio conference connection and/OR Skype audio

To join the meeting: http://connect.vln.school.nz/cem/

Participation code will be emailed to you on confirmation of your registration

Phone /Audio Conference Number(s): 0800693638 or 04 4951378

Participant Code: 407130#
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If you have never attended an Adobe Connect meeting before:
Test your connection
Get a quick overview

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Click Here to Register

May the Force be With You!

Are you a student who is interested in Science?
 - in the world around you, and why things work as they do? 

Why is it harder to stay up on a snowboard than on a ski?
Did you know that the G forces at work on a NZ falcon’s brain are over twice as many as those at work on an astronaut’s brain just before he blacks out?

Welcome to the exciting world of “Forces.” This 8 week course will help answer some of the above questions, and similar questions or wonderings you might have had to do with the topic of Forces. This area is part of Physics, and is part of the Physical World Strand of Science.

We will also be thinking about the “Nature of Science” strand of science as we progress through the 8 weeks. The Nature of Science is to do with “what is Science”; “scientists – past, present , future, and what they do”; and “how we can be like scientists – thinking and acting like scientists by predicting, investigating, gathering data, making observations by using our senses and by measuring, inferring, and looking for patterns.”

The 8 week course is very hands on. You will be expected to do investigations and trials in between sessions, and to report back the following week. (In other words there will be “hands on” based homework every week). It would be good to email me photos or short video clips of your investigations between sessions as well.

By the end of the 8 weeks you will be able to think and act like a scientist by gathering and interpreting data. You will have designed your own investigations and trials. I will give you suggestions and ideas to help with this. From designing and doing trials with balloon powered racers to using pulleys and ropes to lift objects, you are in for an exciting 8 week ride!
Fasten your seat belts and get ready for take-off…..oh, and may the Force be with you. (Please excuse the mixed metaphors – Literacy is my other area of interest besides Science!)

Enrolments & queries to primary@vln.school.nz
New schools please check Protocols of Participation first.
Resources students will need access to.

Contributed by:

Kathy Forster

Ngamatea School

Know Your Learners

One of the themes that was recurrent during the recent DEANZ conference was the importance of getting to know your learners. Along with the call (aimed more at Higher Ed. delegates) to be ready because these connected, confident and digitally minded kids are coming to you next! I feel very privileged to have the opportunity to get to meet some of our learners over the last couple of days while tagging along to VPLD Hui in Auckland.
Orere students let me know before i arrived that after my visit 'I would never be the same again!' What has been experienced can never be unexperienced - it was great to get to meet you and help you move forward in your online learning :-)

#vlnpkids know your learners #Orere #f2f pic.twitter.com/rUr6YHIRQq

— VLN Primary School (@VLNPrimary) May 31, 2014

And the one they want the world to see! #vlnpkids virtual learners are real learners 😎 pic.twitter.com/3s25PD53EQ

— VLN Primary School (@VLNPrimary) May 31, 2014

Teaching online (without a camera) is like teaching in the dark, we don't see those visual cues, a puzzled look, a spark of understanding or even a yawn! It takes a lot longer to get to know our students, what their needs and interests are; particularly more so if they are shy and stand back from interactions. We are really looking forward to having the critical mass of bandwidth enabled schools to turn on the cameras soon.

Global Connections – Join the Roof of the World Tour!

NZ schools are warmly welcomed to participate with their students in this ‘ANZAC’ connection with the the people of the Himalayas and celebrating the work of Sir Edmund Hillary's Himalayan Trust during their 50 Year Anniversary.

Visit their website to join or contact Maggie. 

Roof of the World Tour Spreading laughter and fun… sharing cultures, sparking imagination : 20 April- 20 May

Come and visit the Himalayas with us as we travel to 25 schools, teach juggling and theatre skills and learn about life in the highest mountains in the world. Ask us questions and watch our site for updates on the adventure.
Our group are a performing troupe, 2 Aussies and 2 Kiwis, performing for 25 schools in the Himalayas in April and May this year. We have been invited to provide performances in physical theatre and comedy as part of the 50 year celebrations of Sir Edmund Hillary's Himalayan Trust. While we tour we will also be finding out a lot about Hillary's legacy, the history of the country and a range of other lessons. We will be posting quizzes, hosting a forum and providing lesson plans and teaching resources free to use. We are keen to enable as many NZ schools to participate.

VLN Primary Kicking Off for 2011

Taster class

View more presentations from first last

Things are ready to roll with the VLN Primary online classes for 2011. We are starting with confirmed classes this school term of Te Reo, Japanese, French, German & Astronomy. In the wings, to be confirmed and starting from next term will be Spanish, more Japanese & Te Reo classes, Gaelic & Electronics.

It is great to be continuing with a small but solid base of schools who collaborated last year and to welcome a growing number of schools to the VLN Primary community. I have been running Taster Classes the last couple of days (and on request for anyone interested in learning more). We have had quite a number of students from schools as diverse as Thorndon in the heart of Wellington city, to Kaingaroa a school in a lovely and remote Chatham Islands fishing settlement and smalls schools in the hill country of Eastern Taranaki.

Taster classes are designed to familiarise students with the online learning environment and iron out any technical problems schools may encounter when they connect, before they come into our scheduled classes. Students learn about the technology and they also learn how to communicate & interact with others in a way that is quite different from face to face classrooms. These classes allow schools to get an inside look into how online classrooms work before they decide to make a commitment to participate.

One of the students said ‘This is so cool, I can’t wait to start my class!’ Though i responded with a reality hit back to say, ‘Yes i hope you feel like this every week till you complete your class.’ I don’t want students and schools to be instantly hit by the WOW – novelty factor but understand this is an ongoing  commitment to learning. Even so, i was also thinking ‘Me too!’ Looking forward to teaching my class on Friday!

The Rainforest Connection

Check out Rainforest Connection. An opportunity for your students to connect to experts in the rainforest of Belize. This is only available until the 25th February. Get onto it now if you are interested!

Screen Jelly – record your screen from your browser.

This would be very handy for our students to quickly and easily record themselves and share their work. Can see great potential for learning languages online.

Truly Remarkable – NZPF Conference Queenstown

I have spent the day at conference today to share the message of the Virtual Learning Network (VLN) Primary/Intermediate initiative. Unfortunately when it came time to give my elevator speech my technology failed and i couldn’t get my presentation to run – aaagghhh! Anyway below is the presentation. Schools who are interested in finding out more and participating in this initiative should contact me. We are really keen to involve new schools who are wanting to collaborate with other schools to extend learning opportunities for their students through online learning. We have room for new enrolments next term in our German & our Te Reo classes, possibly a new Spanish class starting up also. Keen also to hear from any teachers, language teachers even more so, who want to learn to be online teachers and offer a class to other schools.

Truly remarkable nzpf_vln_presentation

View more presentations from first last.

Class Tools @ Waitara

Today i visited Waitara High School for the first time this year! With my reduced hours i don’t get around the schools so much but it was very good to catch up with Amaia our online Spanish teacher and chat to other teachers about what they are doing with icts in the classroom. Amaia is one of our eteachers on the Virtual PD project and though she has found it challenging to be learning more about using ICTs in teaching and learning she is gaining much from her work with Hazel and the other  eteachers on the programme, and sharing with her colleagues back at school. Here is a handy little tool, i will be using this with the VLN Primary language classes:

‘Classtools.net allows you to create free educational games, activities and diagrams in a Flash! Host them on your own blog, website or intranet! No signup, no passwords, no charge!”

Life Long Learning at Matapu School

I may be a little biased ;-) but a great write up in the local paper this week about Life Long Learning at Matapu School. Matapu are leading the VLN Primary Initiative. They provide French online for Year 7 & 8, & students participate in Spanish & German classes online. Jarad is working with other eTeachers nationally in a Virtual PD programme (the only Primary teacher), he will be a great asset in supporting others learning to teach online. Matapu School also freely give their students to work with our beginning eteachers as they grow in their confidence and capability as online teachers. Principal, Rick, is a Council member of the Virtual Learning Network Community. This is some of what Rick has to say about elearning at Matupu:

“This particular class offers a ‘blended learning’ approach; that is, subjects are delivered in both the traditional manner, and through the extensive use of information technologies.”
This dual focus sums up the classroom experience of the students at the school – blending the old with the new, and Rick sees this happening in more and more ways in the future.
“Technology has been in schools for a long time, but there’s a lot of development going on in integrating it further.”
One of these ways is through what is called the Virtual School’s Network (VLN); an online community of predominantly smaller schools where children and teachers share lessons with each other.
“One of the greatest problems a rural school faces is access to teachers of specialist subjects. By being on the VLN, our students can be involved in virtual lessons delivered by any number of specialist teachers around the country; we run these online and through teleconferencing.
“In fact, as part of the exploration of European culture, we’re audio conferencing with a Spanish teacher in Cambridge and a German teacher in Kaimata. Jarad is helping those schools out with French, from here at Matapu.”
Obviously, this kind of teaching has implications for the traditional classroom experience in terms of lesson delivery and assessment, but Rick definitely sees this as a way forward in education.
“As ‘virtual presence’ technology improves, all the best teachers will be able to teach those students who wish to learn through their own inquiries.
“There will always be a place for that traditional connection between a teacher and their students; teaching ‘via the clouds’ is another tool to enhance learning for their children.”

Interactive Learning & Collaboration

Today in my online wanderings & readings I found the Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration.

I found myself at CILC after reading 5 Ways Classrooms Can Use Videoconferencing. Which highlighted the 5 ways as:

1. Connect with the Experts
2. Virtual Field Trips
3. Working together
4. Accessing Previously Unavailable Courses
5. Teaching the teachers

These things I know, my colleagues and I have promoted and been engaged in these types of activities for many years throughout my involvement with the Virtual Learning Network (VLN).  It is interesting to see the different models of online learning such as CILC or the VLN and probably others, all contain the same basic elements. Thank you Derek, for your work with the LCO (Learning Communities Online) handbook, and the Greater Christchurch Schools Network, for simplifying these elements into the 3 Ps – Programmes, Projects & Professional Learning.

Though online learning, is not just about Videoconferencing, there is a wide range of tools freely available to support Interactive & Collaborative Learning Online. If you’re not connecting & collaborating with other schools – try it out. Contact the Virtual Learning Network (VLN), VLN Primary Collaboration, ICTPD Network, Core-Ed or elearning clusters in your area.

Safe Social Networking with Smokescreen

“Smokescreen game guides teenagers through dangers of social networking”

Learning about safe social networking through scenarios & simulation inside an interactive game designed as a social network site ‘White Smoke’. What is different and very effective about this cybersafety/digital citizenship game is the immersive nature of being inside the social network and interacting with the characters in the scenarios and actively having to seek out through the maze that is a social network to find out what is really going on.

This is a good one – send your kids there. http://www.smokescreengame.com (Most suitable for teenagers.)

NZ Maths Week Coming Soon

A heads up for Maths Week coming up in August. This is a great time to get your kids brushing up on their Maths Skills, at school and at home, with lots of online learning activities & challenges. The official NZ Maths Week site is here. With lots of previous Maths Weeks activities here

Mathletics also opens up their site for free for two weeks around Maths Week – check it out.