Category: e-learning

Australian ACE e-learning network

Michael ChalkLeave a commentace, e-learning, professional development

Great to be involved in a national e-learning network for Adult Community Education (ACE). Mary Hannan from Adult Learning Australia (ALA) has taken on the role of bringing together some e-learning people in the community sector. Just got together with some people around the continent, in a meeting where Josie Rose told us all about the Victorian ACE e-mentor project, a regional approach that’s emerged from the ’07 Access ACE research trials; Georgina Nou (of Deadly Mob fame) showed us around Second Life, and inspired me to have another go Read More …

elluminated innovations (reporting season)

Michael ChalkLeave a commente-learning

Last Tuesday was the mid-year reporting session for Victorian e-learning innovations. Some terrific work going on, especially Coonara community learning centre, and AMES who are both using wiki for students and classrooms. Howard gave us all a three minute timer, and because PRACE was close to the end of the day, i finished 5 seconds inside my 3 minutes. Woot. i enjoy talking to a 3 minute timer .. means you just focus on the essential points. Elluminated? We met in the elluminate live conference room. Always fun to meet Read More …

mashed-up e-Gems from Jokaydia

Michael ChalkLeave a commente-learning

Mashups have been the most flavoursome technological approach for the last couple of years, in and out of the e-learning world. i have relished the opportunity to splash music, video, slides and photostories all over the web – just by copy-and-pasting some “embed code”. Will wordpress allow me to mash in my voice-based thoughts? (no, have to use odeo instead) powered by ODEO According to wikipedia, there are four main kinds of mashup: digital, musical, video and “web application hybrid”. Aha, that’s why i was getting so confused about the Read More …

death of education .. dawn of learning (?)

Michael Chalk2 Commentse-learning, technology

Some very good “video bites” in this short piece about how schools need to change. i like the way the video is put together – short, snappy and sharp; with plenty of good ideas about how young people are learning more outside of school these days, via the social networking sites – which are all blocked inside schools. But 21st century learning will need to dig deep into wider educational networking possibilities, say these talking heads. i spoke recently with someone from one of the bigger TAFE colleges .. who Read More …

Issues for '08

Michael ChalkLeave a commentace, adult literacy, classroom, e-learning, innovation

Over in the AFLF Networks Forum, Coach Carole has suggested discussion around our “top Ten list of issues and technologies would you like to explore in 08 (and why)” Link to the Forum here (login req’d .. but i was too slow to respond.) These are the ideas that fascinate me at the moment: Issues: Digital literacies and participatory digital culture, Development of professional expertise within the ACE sector, Shared writing spaces for adult literacy learners, Audio books on the web, Sharing resources across adult community education (ACE), Professional development Read More …

Hopes and fears for flexible ACE

Michael ChalkLeave a commentace, e-learning, innovation, research

Looking back over 2007, it was an extraordinary year, but i rarely had the energy to write here at all. I’d intended to use this place for reflecting on my research readings. i ended up just writing the thesis instead. One of the best projects in years was “Access ACE“, an investigation into flexible learning in Adult Community Education (ACE). Josie Rose managed somehow to negotiate with all of the regional and central managers at ACFE (the Adult Community Further Education board), and win them over to see the potential Read More …

Flex e-news (second life + interactive ochre)

Michael ChalkLeave a commente-learning, innovation

The latest flex e-news is out, from the AFLF (australian flexible learning framework), and this month one of the feature articles focusses on Second Life, the virtual world that’s been on TV and in the ordinary news. In 2006, Gipps Tafe used Second Life to explore work-based learning for VCAL students. Other articles cover the very inspiring “Interactive Ochre”, which is a CD-based resource on Indigenous Culture. Past articles include one study which shows Australia is leading the world. Links: Lead article on Second Life Article on Interactive Ochre Australia Read More …

infinite thinking mac .. goog .. machine

Michael ChalkLeave a commentadult literacy, e-learning

Infinite Thinking Machine .. i’ve just stumbled on this one somehow. Very snappy and engaging ideas for teachers. This crowd loves Google in a big way: they’re sponsored by google, but they talk about plenty of other things (social software, mashups, classroom ideas). This episode taken from chapter five of their blog, Calculate This, which has plenty of ideas for using spreadsheets in class. Watch out for the Grade 5 kids sharing their formulas, and getting totally social about feedback on their work. Anyway, their videos are good! Tight and Read More …

Student Blogging, (efl/esl)

Michael ChalkLeave a commentcommunity, e-learning, innovation

Adult learners are starting to get into Self-Publishing (aka blogging). and Barbara Dieu, a Brazilian educator, has set up an Exchange for ESL students around the world. With two colleagues, she has found a way to gather and re-publish the writings of students who have blog journals in their ESL classes. (This re-publishing is known as ‘aggregation’.) The site is called Dakita (i don’t know why), and the collection of student writings you’ll find in The Orchard (or The Exchange). Worth a look, especially if you’re thinking of using blogs Read More …