I believe that using flexible learning technology can have a huge impact on reaching and maintaining communities of youth workers, community health workers, peer educators etc.
As part of the SHineSA SE&X (Sexuality, Exploration and Xpression) course, flexible learning has been used as a way of reaching people from rural and remote areas and those just to busy to come together on a face to face basis.
ShineSA uses blogs, podcasts, moodle classrooms, survey monkey and more to teach and promote sexual health for our communities of interest. As a by-product of using flexible learning technologies in our VET courses, we have also engaged young people to use these technologies to inform and instruct their workers in ways that are just not applicable in face to face situations.
During this session I will guide you through the SE&X online classroom highlighting discussion forums, journals, assessments and teaching/learning materials. You will also explore the youth network blog, see a short youtube video on young girls and body image, a short youtube video on young boys and hip hop culture; and listen to some South Australian youth talk about their ideas around sexual health.
THANKS FOR LISTENING/PARTAKING/BEING FLEXIBLE
Lud Allen
If you want to explore yourself here are some places to go (Thanks to Marlene Manto for this SA E-Learning Newsletter)
PERSONAL WEB PAGES...FOR STUDENTS & TEACHERS'Pageflakes for Students and Teachers' is an educational tool developed with the support of teachers and students around the world. You've heard of MySpace perhaps...where everyone (Gen X-Y's especially) can get their own 'space' to create their own website... and connect with others? Well, Pageflakes is similar, but this version is particularly designed for students and teachers as it contains lots of 'widgits' (nifty little tools) such as a Grade Tracker, Class Schedule, Task Lists, Job Search and more. Its completely customisable, and FREE. Why don't you check it out? Perhaps create one for your class....or encourage your students to create one each and then share them?
ARE YOU A LURKER?Sounds like a very personal question, doesn't it. [laugh] A lurker is a person who reads the messages in a discussion forum, but doesn't participate. Its a valid way of participating and learning, but why not join in the fun 'DE-LURKERS DAY' in the Networks Community Forum on Thursday 21 June? This day is especially for 'newbees' and 'lurkers' and will be held on Thursday 21 June from 8:30am - 8:30pm SA time. This is the time to come out of the closet and give this on-line thing a real go, as the day is especially set up for people who have never participated in any online event before. Lots of help and hand-holding, and you only need to pop in for as much time as you can spare. [grin] A phone help line will be available on (02) 6205 3072.
PODCASTING - ALL YOU NEED TO KNOWI came across this Podcasting Guide, which is online and completely free for anyone who would like to know more about podcasting. Topics include: What's a Podcast?, Podcasting in Education, Finding and Subscribing to Podcasts....not to mention a complete 'How To' for creating them. According to the Introduction..."Using the methods outlined in this guide, you will quickly learn how to record, edit, distribute and promote your podcast to select students and/or a worldwide audience."
DESIGNING e-LEARNING...... FOR REMOTE AUSSIESJust letting you know that a new 'sample design' looking at delivering education and training to regional and remote Australians has just been added to the Designing e-learning resource. Have you ever checked out this resource? If you are looking for simple guidelines to develop e-learning teaching and training programs, then you really need to get along and have a look at it! It includes stories of successful e-learning programs and provides a detailed guide on how to implement online assessment. Under the learning design section there are sample designs of how teachers and trainers are using e-learning in a wide range of learning situations in VET....and this is where the new sample design for Remote Aussies has been added. :-)
PLAYING AROUND WITH PHOTOSWe're all taking digital photos these days. I remember (it feels like yesterday) when this was a topic for LearnScope teams to explore, however its now almost everyday knowledge. But there are still some aspects which confuse people. First one is resizing. Have you ever tried to put a photo into an email or a forum posting but its reeeeeallly big!? Don't know how to make it smaller? Here's a simple little 'How To' which I created which shows how to do this in Microsoft Picture Manager. And then there is sharing them with people. Its OK to send a photo on email...but a dozen? Eeek! You're bound to get complaining replies. [laugh] Why don't you have a look at Flickr. Flickr is a great place to find, store and share photos and its really easy to use. Here are some 'How To' instructions to get you started.
CURIOUS ABOUT THE LEARNSCOPERS?What are the LearnScope teams up to this year? Who are they? What are they doing? This year, all the LearnScopers are creating a public website on Protopage, where they will 'show the world' what they are up to in their projects. Begin here then click on the tabs across the top to see the different projects. Keep an eye on the site throughout the year as they will add more as their project progresses. And if you like the whole idea of Protopage and think you might want to develop a class one...perhaps give each student a 'tab' like we did for the LearnScopers.....then here are some instructions.
CAPTURING YOUR SCREENYou're in the classroom, demonstrating how to do something on a computer. You have your computer screen projected onto the wall with a data-projector and you are explaining what you are doing to your class. A fairly common-place event? BUT...then somebody walks in late. And you notice that at least two of the class didn't turn up. [big sigh] This usually means that you have to demonstrate it all over again....until now. You could go out and buy some expensive software....or you could look at Screencast-O-Matic! Screencast-O-Matic is an easy way to create a video recording of your screen (aka screencast) and upload it for free hosting, all from your own computer. All you have to do is put the web address in an email to your students, or pop it into your Moodle/Janison classroom. You don't have to install anything as it is all on the web....and its FREE! There's even a great demo on the front of the site...which is How to Make a Screencast. Very handy!!
LEARNING IS ALL FUN AND GAMES!Playing computer games has always been fun, and now, with the release of four new interactive e-learning games from the Framework, it can also be educational. The games help learners acquire practical skills in the following areas: Carpentry, Electrical, Roof plumbing and Catering. To preview any of them, click on the link at this web address, then click again on the link at the top of the article (noting that you can also download the game to your own computer from this site). Cool stuff....and of course its all FREE for you to use!
WIKIPEDIA..THE GREAT DEBATEWikipedia is an online encyclopaedia which anyone can edit. So while millions of people continue to find it an incredibly valuable source of information, debate rages amongst educators about whether they should be allowing (encouraging?) students to use it. If you are interested in the topic of students using internet-based reference sources, why not check out this article, Know It All. Here's a snippet: "On March 1st, Wikipedia hit the million-articles mark, with an entry on Jordanhill, a railway station in suburban Glasgow. Its author posted a single sentence ... and over the next twenty-four hours, the entry was edited more than four hundred times, by dozens of people....The Encyclopædia Britannica, which for more than two centuries has been considered the gold standard for reference works, has only a hundred and twenty thousand entries in its most comprehensive edition." Founder, Jimmy Wales says "Wikipedia is to Britannica as rock and roll is to easy listening...It may not be as smooth, but it scares the parents and is a lot smarter in the end." [laugh] I don't know, but a remnant of the 'child of the 70's' in me is inwardly sparring with the professional educator part of me. Somehow the raw nature of Wikipedia appeals.... [runs off to find her tie-dyed skirt]
THE TROUBLE WITH BLOGGING.......is that blogs are like diaries. You begin a blog with the best of intentions to keep it up, but then life gets in the way....and you forget to record it. [laugh] Is this you? I have found this neat little Web 2.0 tool called Inbox Journal, which makes it all easy. "Inbox Journal makes it easier to keep and share a journal (if you choose to make an entry public). Journal reminders are sent regularly to your inbox. The email arrives at the time of day, week, or month you specify, making sure it works with your daily schedule. You can also post entries directly in the reminder email, or through the site." Its all completely FREE so why not sign up today and get started on that blog you keep meaning to write. :-) Or maybe its a good way to encourage those students to keep learning journals up to date?
ARE YOU A NON-PROFIT ORGANISATION?I was pointed to this link by Neil Murray from PIRSA. "Free Software, Handpicked for Nonprofits: Although there are many free and open-source applications out there, the sheer number of options can be overwhelming. Wouldn't it be nice if you could find an edited group of choice software all in one place? Enter NGO-in-a-Box, a bundle of free and open-source tools specifically chosen with nonprofits' interests in mind." Sound like something worth investigating? You will find NGO-in-a-Box right here. Thanks Neil!
EXPLAINING VIRTUAL WORLDS"It is enough to make a learning professional’s head spin. Every day there is a new story about online worlds providing new learning environments. Articles and books are describing how a generation raised on video games is invading the workplace and demanding new online learning environments. Unfortunately, for those not on the bleeding edge of game technologies, all this talk of virtual worlds, avatars, MMORPGs, metaverses, and microworlds seems right out of a science fiction novel and, in some cases, it is." Is all this talk making your head spin? Just want somebody to explain what its all about? Defining and Understanding Virtual Worlds is an article which will hopefully clear up some of the fog around this topic, and keep you up to date with these new terminologies. And if you would like to talk with others about using Second Life for VET, there is a new network happening on EdNA Groups called 'Second Life & Its Use in Education. Why not join in the conversations? You'd be more than welcome!
TEACHING ONLINE - AND TIME MANAGEMENTLets get back to basics now. Because an online course is quite different from a FTF (face to face) class, a new online instructor needs to learn some specific strategies in order to manage the class well. The article 'Time Management Strategies for Online Teaching' provides six proven strategies for time management in teaching an online course.
AND FINALLY...SOMETHING REALLY SIMPLEDo you try to make learning a bit interesting for your students? Of course you do! Well, why not have some fun with this Online Anagram Generator. Or perhaps this online Word Search Puzzle (Hint..just copy/paste it into Word)....or perhaps this Crossword Puzzle Maker? Enjoy!
Phew!! I think that's enough for now. I'm all warmed up after racing around the internet and grabbing that lot for you [grin] so I'll leave you to explore. You might want to go and get another coffee....
Cheers,Marlene
Lud Allen
If you want to explore yourself here are some places to go (Thanks to Marlene Manto for this SA E-Learning Newsletter)
PERSONAL WEB PAGES...FOR STUDENTS & TEACHERS'Pageflakes for Students and Teachers' is an educational tool developed with the support of teachers and students around the world. You've heard of MySpace perhaps...where everyone (Gen X-Y's especially) can get their own 'space' to create their own website... and connect with others? Well, Pageflakes is similar, but this version is particularly designed for students and teachers as it contains lots of 'widgits' (nifty little tools) such as a Grade Tracker, Class Schedule, Task Lists, Job Search and more. Its completely customisable, and FREE. Why don't you check it out? Perhaps create one for your class....or encourage your students to create one each and then share them?
ARE YOU A LURKER?Sounds like a very personal question, doesn't it. [laugh] A lurker is a person who reads the messages in a discussion forum, but doesn't participate. Its a valid way of participating and learning, but why not join in the fun 'DE-LURKERS DAY' in the Networks Community Forum on Thursday 21 June? This day is especially for 'newbees' and 'lurkers' and will be held on Thursday 21 June from 8:30am - 8:30pm SA time. This is the time to come out of the closet and give this on-line thing a real go, as the day is especially set up for people who have never participated in any online event before. Lots of help and hand-holding, and you only need to pop in for as much time as you can spare. [grin] A phone help line will be available on (02) 6205 3072.
PODCASTING - ALL YOU NEED TO KNOWI came across this Podcasting Guide, which is online and completely free for anyone who would like to know more about podcasting. Topics include: What's a Podcast?, Podcasting in Education, Finding and Subscribing to Podcasts....not to mention a complete 'How To' for creating them. According to the Introduction..."Using the methods outlined in this guide, you will quickly learn how to record, edit, distribute and promote your podcast to select students and/or a worldwide audience."
DESIGNING e-LEARNING...... FOR REMOTE AUSSIESJust letting you know that a new 'sample design' looking at delivering education and training to regional and remote Australians has just been added to the Designing e-learning resource. Have you ever checked out this resource? If you are looking for simple guidelines to develop e-learning teaching and training programs, then you really need to get along and have a look at it! It includes stories of successful e-learning programs and provides a detailed guide on how to implement online assessment. Under the learning design section there are sample designs of how teachers and trainers are using e-learning in a wide range of learning situations in VET....and this is where the new sample design for Remote Aussies has been added. :-)
PLAYING AROUND WITH PHOTOSWe're all taking digital photos these days. I remember (it feels like yesterday) when this was a topic for LearnScope teams to explore, however its now almost everyday knowledge. But there are still some aspects which confuse people. First one is resizing. Have you ever tried to put a photo into an email or a forum posting but its reeeeeallly big!? Don't know how to make it smaller? Here's a simple little 'How To' which I created which shows how to do this in Microsoft Picture Manager. And then there is sharing them with people. Its OK to send a photo on email...but a dozen? Eeek! You're bound to get complaining replies. [laugh] Why don't you have a look at Flickr. Flickr is a great place to find, store and share photos and its really easy to use. Here are some 'How To' instructions to get you started.
CURIOUS ABOUT THE LEARNSCOPERS?What are the LearnScope teams up to this year? Who are they? What are they doing? This year, all the LearnScopers are creating a public website on Protopage, where they will 'show the world' what they are up to in their projects. Begin here then click on the tabs across the top to see the different projects. Keep an eye on the site throughout the year as they will add more as their project progresses. And if you like the whole idea of Protopage and think you might want to develop a class one...perhaps give each student a 'tab' like we did for the LearnScopers.....then here are some instructions.
CAPTURING YOUR SCREENYou're in the classroom, demonstrating how to do something on a computer. You have your computer screen projected onto the wall with a data-projector and you are explaining what you are doing to your class. A fairly common-place event? BUT...then somebody walks in late. And you notice that at least two of the class didn't turn up. [big sigh] This usually means that you have to demonstrate it all over again....until now. You could go out and buy some expensive software....or you could look at Screencast-O-Matic! Screencast-O-Matic is an easy way to create a video recording of your screen (aka screencast) and upload it for free hosting, all from your own computer. All you have to do is put the web address in an email to your students, or pop it into your Moodle/Janison classroom. You don't have to install anything as it is all on the web....and its FREE! There's even a great demo on the front of the site...which is How to Make a Screencast. Very handy!!
LEARNING IS ALL FUN AND GAMES!Playing computer games has always been fun, and now, with the release of four new interactive e-learning games from the Framework, it can also be educational. The games help learners acquire practical skills in the following areas: Carpentry, Electrical, Roof plumbing and Catering. To preview any of them, click on the link at this web address, then click again on the link at the top of the article (noting that you can also download the game to your own computer from this site). Cool stuff....and of course its all FREE for you to use!
WIKIPEDIA..THE GREAT DEBATEWikipedia is an online encyclopaedia which anyone can edit. So while millions of people continue to find it an incredibly valuable source of information, debate rages amongst educators about whether they should be allowing (encouraging?) students to use it. If you are interested in the topic of students using internet-based reference sources, why not check out this article, Know It All. Here's a snippet: "On March 1st, Wikipedia hit the million-articles mark, with an entry on Jordanhill, a railway station in suburban Glasgow. Its author posted a single sentence ... and over the next twenty-four hours, the entry was edited more than four hundred times, by dozens of people....The Encyclopædia Britannica, which for more than two centuries has been considered the gold standard for reference works, has only a hundred and twenty thousand entries in its most comprehensive edition." Founder, Jimmy Wales says "Wikipedia is to Britannica as rock and roll is to easy listening...It may not be as smooth, but it scares the parents and is a lot smarter in the end." [laugh] I don't know, but a remnant of the 'child of the 70's' in me is inwardly sparring with the professional educator part of me. Somehow the raw nature of Wikipedia appeals.... [runs off to find her tie-dyed skirt]
THE TROUBLE WITH BLOGGING.......is that blogs are like diaries. You begin a blog with the best of intentions to keep it up, but then life gets in the way....and you forget to record it. [laugh] Is this you? I have found this neat little Web 2.0 tool called Inbox Journal, which makes it all easy. "Inbox Journal makes it easier to keep and share a journal (if you choose to make an entry public). Journal reminders are sent regularly to your inbox. The email arrives at the time of day, week, or month you specify, making sure it works with your daily schedule. You can also post entries directly in the reminder email, or through the site." Its all completely FREE so why not sign up today and get started on that blog you keep meaning to write. :-) Or maybe its a good way to encourage those students to keep learning journals up to date?
ARE YOU A NON-PROFIT ORGANISATION?I was pointed to this link by Neil Murray from PIRSA. "Free Software, Handpicked for Nonprofits: Although there are many free and open-source applications out there, the sheer number of options can be overwhelming. Wouldn't it be nice if you could find an edited group of choice software all in one place? Enter NGO-in-a-Box, a bundle of free and open-source tools specifically chosen with nonprofits' interests in mind." Sound like something worth investigating? You will find NGO-in-a-Box right here. Thanks Neil!
EXPLAINING VIRTUAL WORLDS"It is enough to make a learning professional’s head spin. Every day there is a new story about online worlds providing new learning environments. Articles and books are describing how a generation raised on video games is invading the workplace and demanding new online learning environments. Unfortunately, for those not on the bleeding edge of game technologies, all this talk of virtual worlds, avatars, MMORPGs, metaverses, and microworlds seems right out of a science fiction novel and, in some cases, it is." Is all this talk making your head spin? Just want somebody to explain what its all about? Defining and Understanding Virtual Worlds is an article which will hopefully clear up some of the fog around this topic, and keep you up to date with these new terminologies. And if you would like to talk with others about using Second Life for VET, there is a new network happening on EdNA Groups called 'Second Life & Its Use in Education. Why not join in the conversations? You'd be more than welcome!
TEACHING ONLINE - AND TIME MANAGEMENTLets get back to basics now. Because an online course is quite different from a FTF (face to face) class, a new online instructor needs to learn some specific strategies in order to manage the class well. The article 'Time Management Strategies for Online Teaching' provides six proven strategies for time management in teaching an online course.
AND FINALLY...SOMETHING REALLY SIMPLEDo you try to make learning a bit interesting for your students? Of course you do! Well, why not have some fun with this Online Anagram Generator. Or perhaps this online Word Search Puzzle (Hint..just copy/paste it into Word)....or perhaps this Crossword Puzzle Maker? Enjoy!
Phew!! I think that's enough for now. I'm all warmed up after racing around the internet and grabbing that lot for you [grin] so I'll leave you to explore. You might want to go and get another coffee....
Cheers,Marlene
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