Category Archives: Professional learning

2010 K12 online conference

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This fantastic free online conference officially kicks off on October 18th (US time). With over 40 sessions on “innovative ways Web 2.0 tools and technologies can be used can be used to improve learning” there’s sure to be at least several sessions to interest every educator.

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The conference provides a wiki for session details, scheduling information and time zone details, a blog for announcements and a ning for registration and continuing the conversation. You can also follow the conversations via Twitter and Facebook.

In 2009 all sessions were available via iTunes for free downloading as well, so that if you have a mobile device, you can access these terrific sessions anywhere, anytime. This is sure to be repeated once the conference concludes.

This is a professional learning opportunity not to be missed.

State Library of Victoria survey

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Hamish Curry, the Education & Onsite Learning Manager, Learning Services at the State Library of Victoria asks readers of Bright Ideas for the following assistance:

The Education team at the State Library of Victoria are embarking upon steps to evolve the learning services we offer onsite, online, and offsite.

A significant part of this is to gather feedback from our audiences and partners. From those that connect with us regularly, and reaching those that don’t.

We’ve built this survey, which takes no more 10 minutes to complete, to collect this information. Entering your email address at the end puts you in the running to win one of eight $50 iTunes vouchers.

I would love your participation in this survey (if you feel it’s appropriate), but also if you know of other educators and networks who can help paint a picture of how we can build better education services.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/slveducation_survey

The State Library of Victoria is such a wonderful resource and they are planning (with our help, via this survey) to make it even better. Exciting times ahead!

International School Library Month (ISLM)

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October is International School Library Month. The theme for 2010 is Diversity, Challenge, Resilience: School libraries have it all. The ISLM coordinator is Marie O’Brien from Australia and International School Library Day is October 25.

ISLMonth Logo

The ISLM bookmark project is running again and the IASL website will be showcasing what people are doing for ISLM. The IASL website states:

What people are doing for ISLM 2010

Send in your submissions for “What people are doing for ISLM 2010” by email to the IASL Web Manager, Karen Bonanno.

Subject line: ISLM activities

Include in your email message the following information:

  • Country
  • Name
  • Title of your position
  • School or organisation
  • Brief outline of the ISLM activity
  • Web link, if appropriate

If sending images to accompany your report on ISLM activities please send them as .jpg or .gif. Keep them as small as possible, example 240 x 180 dimensions, as large files will slow down the display of the web page

Please note: Submissions received after 31 October 2010 may not be included on the ISLM “What people are doing for ISLM 2010” web pages

Logos and resources such as posters and maps can be downloaded from the IASL website. Looking forward to reading about and viewing pictures of the celebrations!

Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy

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Andrew Churches has developed this fantastic interpretation of Bloom’s taxonomy for the digital era.

Blooms

His wiki also contains a number of PDFs that include more information about the taxonomy as well as comprehensive presentations.

This chart, which features on the wiki, is an excellent ready reference for you to see how tasks such as commenting on blogs fits into Bloom’s taxonomy.

Bloom's Digital Taxonomy Concept map

There is much more to explore in this informative and broad wiki. Thank you to Andrew for permission to feature his wiki here.

Digital citizenship continuum

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The Living Sky School Division in Canada has developed and shared an excellent digital citizenship continuum for students, parents and teachers. Covering students from pre-K to year 12, this public document covers topics such as:

  • responsible use of information
  • safety
  • communication
  • education
  • access

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What a great idea to include teachers and parents in this document to encourage good modelling of digital citizenship at home and at school. Well worth a look.

Bialik College

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The library staff at Bialik College are preparing for their new library to be completed. In the meantime, they have produced a number of resources about the library. These include:

Information about the new Bialik library building including:

  • facts about the new library,
  • construction photos and floor plans,
  • information on the spaces in the new building, and
  • how the new library will support teaching the curriculum and build a culture of learning, independent thinking, and reading within the Bialik community.

A number of photos of the construction of the library are also available here. We thank David Feighan, the Director, Libraries and Learning Resources and his team for providing this exciting information and look forward to seeing the physical library completed along with more news on the developing virtual library.

Educators’ Guide to Innovation ning

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This ning is a “professional network for those interested in innovative practices happening in education.” The Educator’s Guide to Innovation ning is part of action research by the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development’s Innovation and Next Practice Division.

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The ning has rich content, which includes:

  • event listings
  • forums
  • blog posts
  • links to free Elluminate sessions
  • archives and links to Elluminate session recordings

Anyone who is an educator and/or is genuinely interested in innovative practice in education is welcome to join.

Listen2Learners

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Hamish Curry, the Education and Onsite Learning Manager of the State Library of Victoria has kindly sent the following information:

HI warmly invite you to join me at the groundbreaking Listen2Learners event.

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The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development and the State Library of Victoria, together with the UK’s Professor Stephen Heppell, are staging Listen2Learnersto enable you to meet students who are learning with technology and demonstrate how they are shaping their digital learning world.

Listen2Learners is a chance to understand the types of skills, expertise and enthusiasms which young people have, and to hear about it from the students themselves.  Creative primary and secondary students from across Australia will tell their own stories about how they are using technology to overcome barriers, meet personal challenges and access learning in the 21st century.

Professor Heppell, will be on hand to tell you what other systems are achieving by listening to their learners.

The event will be held on Monday 11 October 2010 in Experimedia at the State Library of Victoria.

Please visit any time between 10am and 2.30pm to speak with the students, meet Professor Heppell and network with like minded people from across the education sector and beyond.   Light refreshments will be provided.

Register your attendance here.

For a glimpse of what you can expect to discover at the Listen2Learners event, please visit the website and follow the event on Twitter # Listen2Learners.

I know you will value this opportunity to see the kinds of things students are doing with technology, driven by their own passions and interests.

I look forward to catching up with you at Listen2Learners.

Listen2Learners sounds like a brilliant initiative and Stephen Heppell is an inspiring speaker.

Manifesto for 21st Century School Librarians

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School library guru Dr Joyce Valenza has written an inspiring post entitled A Manifesto for 21st Century School Librarians. Covering our responsibilities to students regarding:

  • reading
  • information landscape
  • communication and publishing and storytelling
  • collection development
  • facilities, your physical space
  • access, equity, advocacy
  • audience and collaboration
  • copyright, copyleft and information ethics
  • new technology tools
  • professional development and professionalism
  • teaching and learning and reference
  • into the future (acknowledging the best of the past)

this is a must read, must react, must reflect post. Thanks to Helen Boelens for directing me to this post.