Tag: classroom

Yummy Web2 Session

Michael ChalkLeave a commentace, classroom, e-learning, innovation, professional development

At the recent ACE e-showcase, Michael Gwyther from YUM productions gave a great account of how they have used web2 technologies in one of their multimedia courses. Here’s the list of tools they’ve used: Blog Social Bookmarks (delicious) RSS Feeds Podomatic Slideshare Flickr Video RSS Feed reader! (Bloglines) The key for Michael is RSS feeds. As multiple students post their course reflections and assignments to their blog, he is able to read the updates from a single place .. his RSS feed reader. For a feed reader, i like google Read More …

Wendell on Guided Reading with Adult Learners

Michael ChalkLeave a commentadult literacy, classroom

Interesting to read stories from an adult literacy worker in Canada. Wendell Dryden is “a poet, painter, literacy worker .. writing in Saint John, New Brunswick.” He’s written a few times now about using the Page Turners easy reader series in his adult literacy classroom. Just now he’s posted an interesting piece about “guided reading” .. or finding the right book for the adult learner at the right time. A good overview of which texts he uses for each level, eg: Grass Roots (canada) and Page Turners for the real Read More …

a literacy class goes well

Michael ChalkLeave a commentace, adult literacy, classroom

We’ve been studying the local shops and businesses. The other day, students used (digital) cameras to photograph some of the shops. We brainstormed a huge list of all the shops in the area. Then people wrote short descriptive pieces about some of the shops. They could work in ms publisher, powerpoint or on paper. As a group, we created texts on the big screen in powerpoint, and then added audio to the powerpoint slides. Most of the learners were not game to put their voice on record, so i recorded Read More …

"ease" of Screencasting part ii

Michael ChalkLeave a commentclassroom, e-learning, professional development, technology

Well .. Lisa continued her brave and valiant exploration of screencasting in the MYOB classroom, as part of the Can You Hear Us? project. And it’s still not as straightforward as we’d like it to be. We discovered a few more things about this program known as Jing. We already knew that the application would not run without a login. Now we know it’s a challenge to log yourself off the system .. for example when you’re on a public computer. Lisa’s had a go at recording the in-class on-screen Read More …

Fill in forms .. on CD

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

Chris couldn’t do the whole research project, but i still wanted her to be involved; so we talked about how to use audio technologies with her very beginner, low literacy ESL learners. Filling in forms is a crucial survival skill, but the language is reasonably advanced. Chris’ students find it hard to remember written text or even recognise words on the page.. so we decided to prepare an audio CD allowing the text to be both on the page and on the CD player. She would have them do the Read More …

keyboard lights up .. video in class

Michael ChalkLeave a commentclassroom, technology

Here’s a gadget that looks like fun .. and is completely useless. i just want to know if it comes in Dvorak flavour. Speaking of gadgets, today we had the adult literacy classroom on their laptops for the whole session. i wanted to get students used to searching for images and videos, so a couple of activities focussed on these skills. For example, find a video that interests you on how stuff works. Watch it, take some notes and then write a response (a description, an opinion or a set Read More …

Ceres, goddess of excursions ..

Michael Chalk2 Commentsace, adult literacy, classroom, community

Way back in February, Leigh Blackall wrote about his journey to Melbourne, and to Ceres Environmental Park. He raved about the luxury of having such a wonderful site so close to the city – and recorded a couple of interviews with the locals there. Yes Leigh, we’re lucky here in Melbourne. i’m really lucky, i can go visit Ceres any time i like, and often buy my organic vegies there. They also have a second-hand market on a Saturday morning, and let me tell you i’ve found some real bargains. Read More …

games for learning change .. ethical?

Michael Chalk2 Commentsclassroom

Recently, David was looking for networked games, to reward the students for doing their work effectively. He couldn’t install software directly, so we went looking for web-based “learning games”, and found this list from “mission to learn”. The hit of the day was the McDonalds Videogame. It’s challenging in its literacy and numeracy demands, as well as the ethical / critical literacy considerations. The goal is to boost company profits by razing rainforest, exploiting workers and corrupting officials. David came back in saying, “They’re all taking it seriously, i’m worried 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 …

Bad Luck can Lead to Low Literacy

Michael ChalkLeave a commentace, adult literacy, classroom

Great article in this month’s Literacy Link from ACAL. Steve Goldberg writes about his work running the national Reading Writing Hotline over the last seven years. He’s always inundated with requests for radio interviews, occasionally from shock-jocks who try to make him say that the education system is cracking up, and urge him to name the blameworthy. i love the way Steve tells his story .. these interviews are his favourite, because he gets to challenge all the “loaded assumptions about adult literacy”. And then he’ll tell some real life Read More …