Submissions and proof transcripts from the Melbourne hearing are now available.
Please click here for the School Library Association of Victoria submission.
Let’s begin with what is transliteracy? Watch this video for a definition.
So looking at that definition, we really need students to be transliterate. The brilliant Buffy Hamilton has agreed to share her presentation on how school libraries can help students become transliterate:
- Transliteracy is the ability to read, write and interact across a range of platforms, tools and media from signing and orality through handwriting, print, TV, radio and film to digital social networks (slide 16)
- Participatory librarianship is about inviting and creating spaces for inviting and engaging participation sparking conversations, knowledge construction and creation (slides 21-24).
Many pertinent examples of ways that school libraries can support transliteracy are included and all are important and achievable. It may take time for everything to come together in your school library. It may mean little steps with one or two colleagues. But one or two steps forward at a time soon turns into a run when students become inspired by creating and publishing digital objects. You can read more about this topic at the Libraries and Transliteracy blog.
Thanks to Buffy Hamilton for sharing her work. It is also worthwhile accessing Buffy’s Unquiet Librarian blog.
This information comes from Mary Manning, the Executive Officer of the School Library Association of Victoria:
The School Library Association of Victoria was pleased to be able to appear before the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Education and Training Public Hearing for the Inquiry into School Libraries and Teacher-librarians in Australian schools today. The committee indicated that they found the SLAV submission to be most informative and questioned the SLAV representatives, Mary Manning and Susan La Marca in relation to aspects of the submission as well as areas of interest to them. Click here for the introductory statement that we made. We were also able to provide committee members with copies of , What a teacher-librarian can do for you, Open the door to inquiry: A planning tool for teacher-librarians and teachers in primary schools, and Rethink: Ideas for inspiring school library design. The hearing was webcast (audio only) and the transcript will be available in the near future along with the submissions that the Committee received, at: http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/edt/schoollibraries/index.htm
Also appearing today to support the valuable role of school libraries and teacher-librarians were representatives from the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), Monash University, VALA – Libraries/Technology and the Future, and the Victorian Catholic Teacher-Librarian Network.
Following the hearing, SLAV representatives were pleased to speak further with the Chair of the Committee, Sharon Bird, MP and with Karen Bonanno, Executive Officer, Australian School Library Association.
An update on The Parliamentary Inquiry into school libraries and teacher-librarians.
The School Library Association of Victoria have also been invited to provide further oral evidence at the hearing of the committee which takes place on Thursday 29 April (today) at Parliament House, Melbourne.
It is a public hearing – however if you are unable to attend, the hearing will be webcast live (audio only) on: http://webcast.aph.gov.au/livebroadcasting/
If you are unable to catch the webcast, the hearing proof transcript will be on the Committee’s website approximately a week after the hearing. Submissions will also be published on the Committee’s website at some stage in the future.
Mr Marcos and his students at Lincoln Middle School in Santa Monica, California have developed a lovely set of screencasts to help teach maths. There is a choice of student or teacher created screencasts as well as videos with captions.
Teachers can use Mathtrain.TV in two ways. By using it in the classroom to help reinforce concepts taught (and for students to be able to revisit these topics at home) but by also having your own students create similar screencasts.
By creating these screencasts, students are not only demonstrating that they have learned the concepts behind the particular branch of mathematics, they are showing how they got to the answers. But perhaps more importantly, they are creating a product to share with others.
When creating their screencasts, they need to address:
They also need to learn how to use a tool such as the free JingProject to record their screencasts.
So students are learning lots of Web 2.0 skills, helping others as well as reinforcing their own learning. What an excellent idea!
The 2010 Horizon Report for schools K-12 has recently been released. Predicting the technologies that will be influential in teaching and learning over the next 5 years, the K-12 Horizon Report is a must read for all educators.
The top trends to watch are:
CLOUD COMPUTING
The Horizon Report explains:
The “cloud” refers to surplus computing resources available from specialized data centers, each often hosting thousands of servers, that power the world’s largest websites and web services.
Examples of this include:
Virtually anywhere were information is not stored on your own computer and accessing to it is via the internet.
COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENTS
Collaborative Environments are defined by the Horizon Report:
Collaborative environments are online spaces where the focus is on making it easy to collaborate and work in groups, no matter where the participants may be. As the typical educator’s network of contacts has grown to include colleagues who might live and work across the country, or indeed anywhere on the globe, it has become common for people who are not physically located near each other to collaborate on projects. In classrooms as well, joint projects with students at other schools or in other countries are more and more commonplace as strategies to expose learners to a variety of perspectives.
Examples include:
GAME-BASED LEARNING
The Horizon Report explains more:
The interest in game-based learning has accelerated considerably in recent years, driven by clear successes in military and industrial training as well as by emerging research into the cognitive benefits of game play. Developers and researchers are working in every area of game-based learning, including games that are goal-oriented; social game environments; non-digital games that are easy to construct and play; games developed expressly for education; and commercial games that lend themselves to refining team and group skills. At the low end of game technology, there are literally thousands of ways games can be — and are already being — applied in learning contexts. More complex approaches like role-playing, collaborative problem solving, and other forms of simulated experiences have broad applicability across a wide range of disciplines, and are beginning to be explored in more classrooms
Examples that use consoles include:
Examples that use PCs include:
MOBILES
The Horizon Report gives more information:
The mobile market today has more than 4 billion subscribers, more than two-thirds of whom live in developing countries. The global network supporting mobile devices of all kinds now covers more territory than the electrical grid. A massive and increasing number of people all over the world own and use computers that fit in their hand and are able to connect to the network wirelessly from virtually anywhere. Tens of thousands of applications designed to support a wide variety of tasks on a host of mobile devices and platforms are readily available, with more entering the market all the time. These mobile computing tools have become accepted aids in daily life for everything from business to personal productivity to social networking. The range and number of educational applications for mobiles are growing at a rapid pace, yet their use in schools is limited — more often constrained by policy than by the capabilities of the devices they run on.
Examples include:
AUGMENTED REALITY
The Horizon Report explains:
While the capability to deliver augmented reality experiences has been around for decades, it is only very recently that those experiences have become easy and portable. Advances in mobile devices as well as in the different technologies that combine the real world with virtual information have led to augmented reality applications that are as near to hand as any other application on a laptop or a smart phone. New uses for augmented reality are being explored and new experiments undertaken now that it is easy to do so. Emerging augmented reality tools to date have been mainly designed for marketing, social purposes, amusement, or location-based information, but new ones continue to appear as the technology becomes more popular. Augmented reality has become simple, and is now poised to enter the mainstream in the consumer sector.
Examples include:
It is vital that we all start considering and using these tools to keep pace with the use of technology across all aspects of society so that our students are not disadvantaged or left behind.
Places are still available for the SLAV / SLV Personal Learning Network Program which commences next Tuesday 27 April 2010. It is a great opportunity to provide technology leadership at your school while also creating an ongoing personal learning network and gaining 25 hours for VIT registration. Suits beginners as well as those with web
2.0 skills and experience. See https://slav.global2.vic.edu.au/2010/03/18/your-personal-learning-network/
for further information and for registration details.
Plaese contact the SLAV office on 9349 5822 if you require further information.
Thank you to the Victorian Department of Educations’ Virtual Conference Centre for passing on the following free professional learning opportunities for all Victorian teachers (irrespective of type of school – government, independent and Catholic are all welcome).
There are some exciting professional learning opportunities coming up in the Virtual Conference Centre in the coming weeks:
· Tech-Talk Tuesdays: Using Images Online
· Gaming and Social Networks in Education
· Tech-Talk Tuesdays: Learning Adventures
· Connecting Kids and Culture: The Floating World Project
· Professional Development for SRC (Student Representative Council) Teachers
· Becoming Asia Literate Grants to Schools Briefing
· Monthly ESL Matters: Out of school hours opportunities for ESL students
Most of these do not even require you to sign up. Full details of these sessions are below.
Further information about upcoming events can be found on the Virtual Conference Centre calendar at: http://www.education.vic.gov.au/researchinnovation/virtualconferencecentre/program
Tech-Talk Tuesdays: Using Images Online
WHEN: Tuesday, April 20, 2010, 3:45 – 4:45pm
PRESENTER(S): Online participants general discussion
SUMMARY: Are you an educator who is interested in integrating ICT into your lessons? Do you hear about the exciting learning opportunities that technology offers to students, but want to find out more from others before you dive in head first? Then Tech-Talk Tuesdays are for you! Resizing images is important for online use e.g. emails, blogs, wikis and other web2.0 based programs. This will be a sharing session amongst participants on some free tools to use, appropriate sizes to work and different ways of displaying them online e.g. slideshows, Flickr etc. Bring your ideas along and share or if new to online publishing, come along with your questions.
SESSION LINK: https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?sid=2007026&password=M.4A3A8EB8D5FEAC01D361317AAB4923
Gaming and Social Networks in Education
WHEN: Thursday, April 22, 2010, 4 – 5pm
PRESENTER(S): Adrian Camm – Adrian is Head of Mathematics at McGuire College. His pioneering use of current and emerging technologies is impacting positively on student engagement and learning outcomes across the state of Victoria and beyond. Adrian was awarded two awards at the 2009 Australian Awards for Teaching Excellence. He was awarded Best National Achievement – The Ministers Award for Excellence in ICT and also the Highly Commended Excellence by a Teacher award.
SUMMARY: In the global, networked environments of the 21st Century, we are seeing a growing divide between how students learn and the curriculum that is being offered in most schools. Come and see how gaming can be used as a vehicle for learning and how social networks are enabling conversations that can highlight the tentative nature of scientific inquiry and the need for collaborative, critical thinking.
SESSION LINK: https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?password=M.F77B2A1C837A1623640D8BA2B01EFE
Tech-Talk Tuesdays: Learning Adventures
WHEN: Tuesday, April 27, 2010, 3:45 – 4:45pm
PRESENTER(S): Adrian Camm and Anne Mirtschin
SUMMARY: Are you an educator who is interested in integrating ICT into your lessons? Do you hear about the exciting learning opportunities that technology offers to students, but want to find out more from others before you dive in head first? Then Tech-Talk Tuesdays are for you! In order to model a more constructivist educational setting, Gary Stager coined the term ‘learning adventures’ to replace ‘assignment’ in describing classroom activity. He argues that this simple rhetorical shift has a profound impact on teachers spirit and effectiveness in teaching. In this session, Adrian Camm from McGuire College will focus on the participation in learning adventures that are deep, rich, have inherent cross-curricular opportunities and can be used in your own classroom.
SESSION LINK: https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?password=M.AD73E31E227D8087B58F321FE57CC1Connecting Kids and Culture: The Floating World Project
WHEN: Tuesday, April 27, 2010, 4 – 5pm
PRESENTER(S): Jean-Pierre Chabrol and Craig Smith
SUMMARY: Introducing the Pictures of the Floating World – an exciting new online resource for teachers and students to explore Japanese art, music, animation and story telling. Presented by Jean-Pierre Chabrol (National Gallery of Victoria) and Craig Smith (INP Division), Pictures of the Floating World was developed with 20 Victorian schools, who used the resources in learning areas such as primary and middle years literacy and narrative/storytelling, Japanese LOTE, Art, Visual Communication and Design, Dance, Photography, Drama, SOSE, ICT (including animation and digital storytelling), Japanese history and culture. Come and hear Jean-Pierre and Craig share some of the stories behind the development of the resources and its positive impacts on teaching and learning outcomes.
SESSION LINK: https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?password=M.4A3AA147C67874D4BDBA492D2CFC49Professional Development for SRC (Student Representative Council) Teachers
WHEN: Tuesday, April 27, 2010, 6 – 8pm
PRESENTER(S): Scott Duncan and David Mould
SUMMARY: VISTA is the Victorian Institute of SRC Teacher Advisors. It is the professional association for both primary and secondary teachers working across all sectors (government, catholic and non-government schools) who are responsible for working with student councils. As the SRC Teacher Advisor, is your pigeon hole becoming the dumping ground for every organisation that wants you school to sell something, raise money for something or hold another “day” for them? Join us as we explore why SRC’s need to fundraise, how to manage your money, what to do with it when you get it and new ways you can earn your SRC some cash.
SIGN UP LINK: http://eventactions.com/ea.aspx?ea=Rsvp&invite=0sd8m278cr2zvmk7ab29ps057r3tj0fdes4m2e51nfn1d6t5h61aBecoming Asia Literate Grants to Schools Briefing
WHEN: Wednesday, April 28, 2010, 4 – 5pm
PRESENTER(S): Lindy Stirling and Jessie Mitchell
SUMMARY: The National Asian Languages and Studies in Schools Project (NALSSP) opens the second round of Becoming Asia Literate Grants to Schools online on 4 May 2010.
The grants are between $20,000 and $40,000 for individual schools or a cluster of up to 5 schools. The grants are to support the Studies and Languages of China, Indonesia, Korea and Japan. Last year the application process was very competitive, so a briefing on Elluminate is being offered to all teachers who wish to learn more about the process and maximise their application’s potential for success.
SESSION LINK: https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?password=M.73230EB4B374C96CBD88E82C887828Monthly ESL Matters: Out of school hours opportunities for ESL students
WHEN: Wednesday, April 28, 2010, 4 – 5pm
PRESENTER(S): Anita Calore and Robyn Tribe
SUMMARY: The Monthly ESL Matters series offers practical advice for supporting ESL students in your class. Each month will have a particular focus with expert ESL teacher input with tips and sharing of ESL learning and teaching strategies. This session will focus on out of school hours opportunities for ESL students. DEECD has a partnership with The Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY) to coordinate Learning beyond the bell. There are 20 programs funded in locations with high numbers of refugee students. How can you set up a program in your school or improve an existing program? CMY can assist with training, ideas and resources.
SESSION LINK: https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?sid=2007026&password=M.295E4AAC429702A6E6F55AC242C7DB
No username or password necessary, just click on the relevant session link no earlier than 30 minutes before the scheduled session.
The Ed Tech Book Club ning is an excellent way to connect with other educators reading non-fiction that focuses on technological change in schools.
From the ning’s main page comes the following information:
I believe the true catalyst to change in education is collaboration and communication between educators. Those in the trenches know what is needed in schools more than politicians and many policy makers.
We hope that you will take time to join us through various book conversations! We will focus on non-fiction books with Educational Technology, Educational Leadership, and Educational Practices as their foundation. Our ultimate goal is to create lifelong learners in the field of education and help serve as the catalyst to change!
Thanks to Krista Scott and Marti Sides for developing and maintaining the ning.
This is an interesting take on what we are all trying to address. Rather than think of what we are teaching as information literacy, this project applies the term 21st Century fluency.
The site explains its aims:
This resource is the collaborative effort of a group of experienced educators and entrepreneurs who have united to share their experience and ideas, and create a project geared toward making learning relevant to life in our new digital age. Our purpose is to develop exceptional resources to assist in transforming learning to be relevant to life in the 21st Century. At the core of this project are our Curriculum Integration Kits – engaging, challenge based learning modules designed to cultivate the essential 21st Century Fluencies within the context of the required curriculum.
In today’s world, it’s easy to see just how vital the internalization of these fluencies really is. They are the essential methodology by which the students of today will transform into the architects and leaders of tomorrow. Working together, we will make the future great.
In addition to the various resources we have crafted, we have strived to make our site just as engaging and informative. We hope you enjoy your time with us as you move forward in to C.H.A.N.G.E. in your classroom.
The site has a lot of useful resources such as:
Anyone can join the project as long as they commit to:
Another great resource that gives us ways to start and continue to transform our classrooms.