Which model of e-learning suits you?

Michael ChalkLeave a commentUncategorized

Clint Smith is one amazing e-learning strategist. You may have seen him at the recent Victorian LearnLocal e-learning showcase. According to Clint, these 8 models are the most commonly understood representations of how people engage with e-learning in business and education. We asked our participants which of the models were most likely to interest them. Blended Learning and Live Online Learning (aka web conferencing) were the most interesting. We held a live poll in person at the North-West induction sessions, via sms and also the web. People could vote here Read More …

How to create a "session exit URL" for Blackboard Collaborate

Michael ChalkLeave a commenttechnology

Warning: specialised technical info relating to web conferencing in Blackboard Collaborate: Don’t know how many people will find this useful, but Leo just asked if i knew how to do this, so i made a quick visual help file. Yes, unfortunately you’ll need to do this for every session you set up. Unless someone else knows how to create a default exit URL. Here’s a link to the PDF file hosted at google docs.

Session on voice tools with Coach Carole (Friday 07 Sept, midday)

Michael Chalk1 CommentUncategorized

Carole McCulloch is terrific. She used to work at the very amazing TAFE Frontiers, which was a kind of professional development peak body for e-learning in Victoria. They were hugely supportive of Adult Community Education (ACE) organisations at the time. Coach Carole has been involved in the LearnLocal / ACE e-learning mentor project since the beginning, and when Carole runs a session .. you want to be there. So today, at midday Friday 07 September, make sure you catch her session on “Inspiring and engaging learners with voice tools .. Read More …

New e-learning mentor projects underway

Michael ChalkLeave a commentace, e-learning

Exciting news. The next round of Victorian ACE / LearnLocal e-learning mentor projects (aka “e-mentor”) have begun. Projects are conducted according to adult education regions around Victoria**. And because each regional mentor team has their own online presence such as a blog or wiki, we’re looking for ways to tie all the headline threads together. So i’m conducting an experiment with a Yahoo RSS joiner called “Pipes”. Here’s a scrolling feed of the latest headlines. Now to see if i can display multiple headlines without scrolling… [rss-news-display setting=”1″]   I’ve Read More …

Let’s start at the very beginning – new projects!

Michael Chalk1 CommentUncategorized

Great news everyone. There’s a new round of e-learning projects about to be underway in the North-West LearnLocal region. Some organisations are returning, while others have been participating at the edges, and a few are complete newcomers to our network. Welcome one and all. Here’s the list of starters: Australian Multicultural Community Services Community West Inc Glenroy Neighbourhood Learning Centre Jesuit Social Services trading as Jesuit Community College Lalor Living and Learning Centre Laverton Community Integrated Services Inc. Richmond Community Learning Centre South Kingsville Community Center Yarraville Community Centre It’s Read More …

Blogging for English as a second language (ESL), with “intro to blogger” (visual guide)

Michael ChalkLeave a commentUncategorized

Kate M, one of the brilliant English as a second language (ESL) teachers at PRACE is thinking about using a blog to connect with her students. We talked about a few different ways to approach the idea: (NB: You can find these ideas also in a larger document over here at google docs.) Start with a single blog in broadcast mode. Put the teaching and learning activities up and send students to read or listen there. Dale Pobega’s ESL Club is a great example of this. Embed a video into Read More …

Jane Hart’s top100 technologies for teachers

Michael ChalkLeave a commentresearch, Uncategorized

Jane Hart has been researching teachers’ favourite technologies for teaching and learning for the past 5 years (UK). Here’s a slideshow of the world’s top 100 tools for learning (2011). What are your top 5 tools for learning? You have around 15 days to vote in the 2012 poll, via this link here. What do you think of the list? Please add your comment below. Top 100 Tools for Learning 2011 from Jane Hart

Email with students – Help File!!

Michael Chalk2 CommentsUncategorized

I wrote before how Chris Mooney was trialling some email activities with her English as a second language (ESL) group. And i’d promised to make an easy-to-read visual guide to creating a google / gmail account. So here it is: Link to the PDF document in google docs  (..where you can download and print a copy – i’ve printed it in booklet form on A3 paper). The guide is licensed creative commons (cc-nc-sa) feedback very welcome.  I tried to embed the file directly here: it works, but then the page Read More …

Brad Beach on Online Facilitation (15Aug)

Michael ChalkLeave a commentace, e-learning, professional development

Here’s one that’s too good to miss: via the TDC (Tafe Devt Corp), Brad Beach from GippsTafe talks about Online Facilitation. Brad has been one of the truly significant leaders in this field for some time, and GippsTafe have run great workshops in online facilitation. Online facilitation is one of the major skillsets that i think people often overlook as they get into setting up online communities and networks. Whether it’s real time web-conferencing (synchronous) or round-the-clock discussion forums (asynchronous), there are many strategies you can collect and develop to help Read More …

e-learning conference in Bendigo (join virtually)

Michael Chalk1 CommentUncategorized

You may not be able to attend the Bendigo e-learning LearnLocal conference in person, but you can attend virtually. Happening Tomorrow!!Friday 27 July Via the ACE e-learning network, register for sessions. Whether or not you’ve experienced web conferencing via the connection of “Blackboard Collaborate”, you can always jump in and have a go. Attend a conference from your desk. The main event page here [Link]. (login required, it’s via the ACE e-learning network) Sessions via the network event page. Some great sessions on offer, more information via these links: Panel Session Read More …

Updates and work changes

Michael ChalkLeave a commentace, community, technology

So, it’s clearly been years since i’ve posted in this place. There’s been a whole lot going on in the meantime, including pandemic etc. Since 2017, my teaching has focussed mainly on technology aka “digital literacy” within adult community education (ACE), and i haven’t done much in the way of language and literacy teaching at all. I’ve been working as a “learning facilitator” aka Tour Guide at the Polly Woodside Museum, with the National Trust. For those who didn’t grow up in Melbourne, Polly Woodside is an old sailing ship, Read More …

Writings Reclaimed

Michael ChalkLeave a commenttechnology

I decided to bring posts to this blog from other projects, such as: Digital Learning at PRACE Digital Learning at Lalor Living and Learning ACFE Learn Local Communities of Practice the North-West e-mentor projects from ACFE Learn Local iPad for Seniors at PRACE the 23 Things project from ACFE, CAE and PRACE.   Having written nearly all the text in those places, i wanted gather it all together. It was relatively easy to export from Blogger, and then import into WordPress here. Unfortunately, now i’ve discovered several roadblocks, namely: the Read More …

Mark Hopkins’ story translated into many languages

Michael ChalkLeave a commentadult literacy

You remember Mark Hopkins, the adult learner from PRACE who told his story so well, not only in our publication, but also on the SBS Insight tv program last year? Well, some of the stories from this Resilience collection have been translated into other languages for the EPALE* site, and the first story to be translated was Mark’s. *EPALE: Electronic Platform for Adult Learning in Europe. https://goo.gl/XqROOX

Adult Learners in Conversation – “A Fuller Sense of Self”

Michael ChalkLeave a commentace, adult literacy, community

Last night Tricia Bowen spoke about her experience of reconnecting with the adult learners who have shared their stories in this volume. I talked about how great it was to join with Tricia and Lynne in the whole creative and collaborative process of editing. Then Lynne Matheson invited us to launch the video into the world, so we all made rocket-launching sounds, and the champagne flowed. * It was such a good experience filming and editing these stories with Tricia. I would love to hear any feedback, especially related to Read More …

Reading between the Lines – SBS Insight focus on Adult Literacy

Michael ChalkLeave a commentadult literacy

If you think Australia is a highly literate nation, watch this recent episode of Insight from SBS. This powerful and moving episode features Mark Hopkins one of the students from PRACE. I spoke with Mark as part of the “Stories of Resilience” project, and it’s really heartening to hear his voice in this national forum. All these adult learners show real courage and vulnerability, as they describe their experience for people who have no idea of the extent of this hidden problem. Over 40% of Australians experience some level of difficulty Read More …

Dark Side of the Comment Section

Michael ChalkLeave a commentcommunity, technology

If you’re involved with any kind of online facilitation, you may appreciate this article from The Guardian. They’ve done some research into the comment section, finding that much more abuse is directed at female writers than male. (Also, for web designers, some really good layout effects, especially the way they’ve integrated the graphs and the “how would you moderate this comment” bits.) There’s a whole series around this research, articles interviewing people who have experienced the maelstrom of massive online shaming and bullying.. and articles on ideas for making things Read More …

PageTurners has a new online shop

Michael ChalkLeave a commentace, adult literacy, community

Just sent out the latest PageTurners newsletter, letting people know that the new shopping-cart style website is up and running!! It’s taken me much time this year to get the site all updated and e-commercey, so i’m very happy that we’ve finally launched. Woot. You can read the newsletter here. Take a look at the site, tell us what you think. Oh, we need a feedback form don’t we. If you’re not subscribed to the PageTurners email list, you can join via the website.

iPad apps especially for Seniors??

Michael ChalkLeave a commentace, technology

I wondered if there are any iPad apps that would be especially useful for people over 55, so i searched the web for  “best apps for ipad for seniors“. Sure enough, there are many many lists: “16 helpful apps for seniors”, “27 bet iPad and iPhone apps for senior citizens”. But are any of them useful.. and how many of these apps are FREE..? Well, some of them are designed to help people by improving things like: Visual accessibility: Silver Surf is a web browser with “large navigation buttons, dynamic text Read More …

Some help files for blogger

Michael ChalkLeave a commenthow to

Here’s a basic intro that Michael made – for low level students really (link: pdf stored in google drive). GCF LearnFree don’t have an intro to blogger, but they do have a great section talking about blogs in general, and an intro to Tumblr instead. Tumblr is much more visual than blogger, which can be text-heavy. Google themselves have a fairly decent help section. Grovo has a few videos showing the basics, including this overview. But they’re a commercial mob, and they’ll want you to pay for more. What good Read More …