January 2012

Hi everyone,

A brand new year…. and a brand new look for this Newsletter. Something about new beginnings seems to demand a fresh approach, so while the new look is merely cosmetic, I would ask you to complete my Poll so that I can ensure that the content of this Newsletter is also fresh, and in line with what is useful for you. Anyway, for now I’ll just guess what you want [grin]…so here we go!

WHAT WILL YOU LEARN TODAY?

Let’s begin this new year with this question…and some inspiration.   Listen carefully to the lyrics as the power is in the words…..

DO YOUR LEARNERS NEED EXTRA HELP?

Whether it is learners who have a disability, or where a lack of numeracy poses difficulties, trainers often find themselves in the position of needing to teach more than their ‘area of expertise’!  There are a heap of ‘apps’ and resources though, and you’ll find various lists such as Apps for Literacy Support, or for those with low vision.  You can’t beat the Khan Academy for help with numeracy, there’re some interesting WELL Resources… and it’s probably worth a browse through this spreadsheet of links which has all sorts of bits’n'pieces.

PERHAPS YOU’RE A BUSINESS OWNER…

The article Will the NBN mean Boom or Bust for your Small Business provides some interesting insight into how things are changing. There are some hints, tips and ways to get started at Touch of Technology …….. and apparently Google have learned heaps while helping Aussie businesses get online.

A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE ‘MOODLERS’

I recently came across this Moodle site from the University of Sussex.  You can log in as a Guest (under the main log in box) and many of the courses allow access. Quite nice! You might also find this useful: 12 Moodle tools to interact with your students online..but maybe the simplicity of Mediabird Study Notes is all you need. If you’re still right at the beginning of coming to terms with Moodle, then maybe this Moodle Cheat Sheet is for you!

DIGITAL LITERACY – GETTING YOUR LEARNERS UNDERWAY

It’s that time of year again!  The time when many new courses begin, and when many shaky hands reach for the mouse…perhaps for the very first time.  Plenty of resources around to help though including Forward IT which is a (locally produced) online learning tool designed to teach people what the internet can offer safely and securely, at their own pace. The ABC’s Technology Explained may be useful…albeit it in a slightly different way, as well as BBC Connect (which I’ve mentioned previously but add here for the benefit of new subscribers).

THE SERIOUS SIDE OF GAMING

When you think of gaming, do you think of a group of teenagers locked in a bedroom engrossed in World of Warcraft? [chuckles]  But does ‘World of Warcraft’ make you smarter? Apparently yes! We are heading towards new capabilities with gaming, and the NBN will make game-based learning even more ‘reachable’.  There are some examples around right now though such as Virtual Battlespace II which is a game-based operational simulation environment, developed with the Australian Defence Forces…or Edheads Virtual Knee Surgery where you can learn how to operate! Perhaps Climate Challenge …. or Trading Around the World. I think the best is yet to come! [grin]

GET MOVING!

“Sitting in a classroom for an hour listening to someone speak is not an effectively brain-enriching experience.” This is a quote from Is Mobile Learning “Smarter” Learning?…what are your thoughts? You might have heard the term Flipped Learning which essentially puts the learning outside the classroom and the homework inside…and mobile learning is pushing this direction. Want to know more?  Try A guide to implementing mobile E-learning in your organisation…or browse through Top 50 Mobile Learning Resources.  Or have a look at Math 4 Mobile as an example.

THE SOCIAL SIDE OF WORK

We can laugh at this Dilbert strip, but what is it like in your workplace?  “With a 10-year delay, the social media revolution is finally entering the workplace and its influence is going to be comparable to the consumer social media revolution.” Read more at 2012: The Year of Learning in a Social Business.  If you agree and are constantly on the look-out for something to back your argument [grin] then try The next 15 trends in Social Networking. If you’re more inclined to be the one blocking Facebook [winks], then maybe read Is Facebook good for the workplace?   And if the whole thing confuses you, then the  Social Media and the Workplace video explanation will shed some light.

STAYING PRODUCTIVE

Yes…I’ve put this paragraph next on purpose!  [chuckles]  If you can access Facebook or Twitter at work…then that’s great.  But I’m sure you don’t spend tooooo much time on it, for personal communication…do you? [raises her eyebrows].  I know, I know…it’s easy to get distracted so why not try a little tool like RescueTime which is “…a web-based time management and analytics tool for knowledge workers who want to be more efficient and productive.” Here’s the  tour to learn more (video or screenshots). I particularly like the ‘Get Focused’ feature…might be good when I have a report to write!

MAKING YOUR ONLINE COURSE MORE…UMMM…INTERESTING!

The reason I like Cathy Moore’s blog is because it’s called Let’s Save the World from Boring E-learning.  A person after my own heart! Heh, heh  Here are her suggestions for action mapping:

Design Lively Elearning with Action Mapping

Need more ideas?  How about How to design thought-provoking interactions…or even Here’s a Way to Make Your E-Learning Course Objectives Interesting.

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I think that’s enough for the first edition for 2012! Don’t forget that I’m here to help your organisation with e-learning, so drop me a line…even if you don’t know what kind of help to ask for! [grin] We can work it out together.
Cheers,
Marlene
PS: Click the ‘More’ button below to share with colleagues.

December 2011

Hi everyone,

And a one…and a two….and a….”Weeee wish you a Merry Christmas, we wish you a Merry Christmas, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Yeeeeear…..”  OK, I’ll stop now.  [laughs]  This is my very last SA E-learning Newsletter for 2011 and I can’t believe another year has somehow zipped by! The other thing that continues to amaze me is the incredible rate of change…

TECHNO-STRESS, FUTURE SHOCK..EEEK!

Do you realise that the iPad has been around for less than 6 months, and yet they are already common at conferences, meetings and on the bus! Do you sometimes feel exhausted with the rate of change? If you do, take comfort from the fact that you most definitely aren’t alone – there are days I could drop every piece of technology from the top of a high building! [grin] I found this podcast interesting   Staying Sane in the Fast Lane (MP3) …or you might like to read Technology Stress and How to Overcome it or maybe How to Prevent Technology From Increasing Your Stress Level.  Please let me know if you come up with a magic fix!

CREATE VIDEOS FOR YOUR CLASSROOM

Have you heard of Animoto?  In their words, “Educators can apply for a free Animoto Plus account for use in the classroom. It’s powerful features can be used to create stunning presentations incorporating images, video clips, music and text.”  It reminds me very much of Microsoft’s PhotoStory3 but Animoto seems to have some advantages in that it works ‘in the cloud’ and there is nothing to download, making it easy to share your videos via email, on a blog/website, or export straight to YouTube.  (Yes, good for education…but I’m also thinking, perhaps a family video to send to friends for Christmas?? [winks])

VIDEO IS GOING TO BE A STAR

Speaking of video, with the National Broadband Network (NBN) about to be rolled out seriously and quickly over the next year or so, the word on the ground is that video will be coming into it’s own as an e-learning tool.  If you’re getting into video, you might find these tips useful.

PUBLISH YOUR OWN MAGAZINE

For something a little different,  have you come across Scoop.it yet?  Now, Scoop.it is a free, publishing-by-curation platform and it creates online magazines out of readily available content. Here’s a Guided Tour  but they go on about using it to start your own magazine to get famous [grin]… and I don’t think the creators have considered how useful this might be for education!  Think…if you are teaching in Agriculture, you could start a magazine all about the latest trends happening in Agriculture, for your students!  Better still, get them to create the magazine and share it!

YOUR DIGITAL FOOTPRINT

How aware are you of ‘the tracks you leave behind’? Click the Play button on the video below…it will make you think!

Right, I can see you’re getting completely paranoid now, and vowing to stay away from the internet! [laughs] Hang on a minute though, as it is it is possible to track at least some of your footprints.  I would start with Google Alerts which is an incredibly simple tool and a good place to start….just write in your name. A similar tool is SocialMention which monitors social networking sites. In Footprints in the Digital Age the writer makes us consider our responsibilities as educators, and check out My Footprint ….a useful resource for students.

DO YOU WANT TO LOCK AWAY YOUR CONTENT?

If you do, you are flying in the face of the increasing move toward ‘Open Content’.  As stated in the 2010 Horizon Report, “The movement toward open content reflects a growing shift in the way academics…are conceptualizing education to a view that is more about the process of learning than the information conveyed in their courses.” In a nutshell, this means that content is no longer king, and that educators are recognising that it is the teaching and support that is the key factor in successful learning.  Not convinced? [grin] Then check out MIT Open Courseware or Stanford University or Open-of-Course or WikiEducator.  Another example…if you know of somebody who has a fear of flying, suggest they enrol in the free Fear of Flying online course!  Something new I’ve come across is P2PU which is peer to peer learning…where people work together to learn a particular topic.

GOOGLE EARTH – AN UNEXPECTED RESOURCE FOR EDUCATORS

Read in the Official Google Australia Blog that Aussies are starting to get quite innovative in how they are using Google Earth.  Oh, and I’ve also discovered that there is actually a Google Earth for Educators site…cool!   I think I might have shared these resources before, but as my brain is getting old and confused, maybe other’s are too [laugh] so how about – How to Teach With Google Earth and Google Earth Lessons.  And it’s not all about Science…one I loved was Where Are You From…great for those working with new arrivals or others from non-English speaking backgrounds.

100 BEST MANAGEMENT LEARNING WEBSITES

It takes a while to browse through this e-book (created as a SlideShare presentation), but there are some gems… so maybe with a sandwich in your hand?  Or a glass of wine? [cheeky grin]

HOW TO CREATE AUDIO – WITH AUDACITY

Audacity is recording and audio editing software…quite free, and relatively easy to use.  It’s been around for a while but this just shows that it’s popular.   A resource I’ve been recommending of late is How To Use Audacity…pretty much says it all! [laughs] Audacity does need to be downloaded and there is just one teeny little extra step, but please don’t be put off.. follow these instructions and you’ll be up and running in no time. (If you need extra help, try this video tutorial).  When you’re up and rolling, get some inspiration from 10 Great ways to use Audacity with your Students  or try Recording a Podcast.

FACEBOOK FOR YOUR BUSINESS

I’ve talked a lot in the past about Facebook for education, but have you thought about it from a business perspective? OK, maybe your business is training, but is that really so different…especially as we’re about to go into the era of Skills for All and Facebook might be the ideal place to start marketing your course offerings to potential students!  Let’s start with 32 Ways to Use Facebook for Business, and there are some great ideas on Designing A Facebook Fan Page. But beware of the 10 common social media mistakes.  If you’re just needing a giggle, try Facebook – Social Media Marketing or Massacring.

SPECIAL CHRISTMAS MOMENTS

Just imagine…you are walking through a large, educational institution when you hear the sound of a saxaphone…..

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After seeing the above video you should be really feeling the Christmas spirit [grin], so I’ll take this opportunity to wish you all a wonderful Christmas and the best of all gifts….a relaxing holiday break.  Thanks for reading my ramblings during 2011 and I’ll see you all back here in 2012!

Cheers,
Marlene

November 2011

Hi everyone,

Apologies to those of you who disapprove of my penchant for silly images and animations, [cheeky grin] but this picture so aptly portrays the aftermath of the last couple of weeks in our office! LOL One of the categories of the new National VET E-learning Strategy funding round is being managed by SA and with applications for funding pouring in, it’s been soooo busy in the run up to closing day!  Exciting though!

ANY MORE FUNDING COMING?

Aaah…that question has one of those annoying answers – “maybe”, “something like that”, “it depends”, etc  [chuckles] At this stage there are some very targeted programs coming up soon, and while they won’t necessarily suit everyone’s needs, it is worth keeping an eye on www.flexiblelearning.net.au for news (or ask me to add you to the SA E-learning mailing list).  I know, for example that there will soon be a call for applications for the Higher Qualification Pathways Project, and if you are interested in this one, email Allison Miller for details or to be advised when Guidelines are out.  We are also crossing all our fingers and toes (always necessary when it comes to Government funding, heh, heh) that more will be happening towards the middle of next year….so let me know if you would like some suggestions on how you might move yourself into the right spot for a successful application!

MAKING VIDEOS….IS EASY!

Why?  Well, apart from the fact that video-creation isn’t too difficult anyway, I’m suggesting that you turn the whole thing over to your students.  How easy is that!  [grin] You might have heard of the Commoncraft Videos which are very simple ‘Plain English’ style videos.  (Their latest one focuses on Plagiarism and might be useful as a resource).  Anyway, my suggestion is to get your students to create a video to demonstrate their knowledge, instead of a boring assignment.  Here are some ready-made instructions to get them going…

THE TOP 100 TOOLS FOR LEARNING 2011 -  AND THE WINNER IS…

Twitter! [sounds of wild applause]   This extensive list is compiled each year by Jane Hart, and the list is now finalised for 2011. She has some interesting observations such as “The list is dominated once again by free, online social tools, and proprietary content development tools continue to decline“.  The top 3 tools for learning this year have been Twitter, YouTube and Google Docs.  Check out the Best of Breed list too, where the tools are categorised neatly under headings such as Blogging, Photo-Sharing, Audio Tools etc.

MOODLE TRAINING VIDEOS – ALWAYS USEFUL

Came across this list of 17 awesome sites for Moodle training videos, so thought I would pass it on.  Here is an example of one called View the Frequency of a Student’s Access to Resources – but there are heaps!

INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN…SO MANY DECISIONS!

Should you have instructions at the front of your online course? Yes? No? It’s an oft-heard argument amongst developers and trainers, so I quite like the article More Than a Dozen Ways to Navigate an E-Learning Course as it provides examples and alternatives.  But then again..is that flashing Next button such a good idea?  Avoiding the Trap of Clicky-Clicky Bling-Bling argues that maybe simple is best.  What do you think?  Click on the Comment link below and let us know.

HELPING YOU TO REMEMBER STUFF

This little tool might help to save your marriage!  How many times have you forgotten to pick up milk on the way home. [grin]   Stickies puts a little yellow post-it note on your screen where it stays until you tell it to go.  You can even set them to pop up as a reminder at a particular time.  (This little tool is just one I found on the Snapfiles website, shared by Stuart Vaughan-Williams from TAFESA).

WHAT DO YOUR FORUM DISCUSSIONS LOOK LIKE?

“Look like…?” I can hear you say? I guess you might be thinking that they just look like lists of messages [smiles], and that’s true…but wouldn’t it be good if you could visualise the network of interactions, and identify patterns of user behaviour and actually see what was happening.  And you can…with SNAPP.  I actually love this tool and use it myself when facilitating online courses. It just sits quietly in your Bookmarks but when you are looking at a forum, click on it and the visualisations just appear!  Fabulous tool for e-facilitators.

PERHAPS WE NEED TO MOVE ON FROM FORUMS

I’ve heard that discussion forums are soooo 2004! Well, students probably think so and I’ve been following a series of blog posts by Andrew Douche starting with Why the Facebook Group My Students Created for Themselves is Better than the Discussion Forum I Created for Them.  This has made me wonder whether the formal, mostly text-based forum message board is starting to reach the end of it’s life.  The latest blog posting is More Reasons Our Class Facebook Group Is Better Than My School Discussion Board.  If you have a cohort of students who seem to spend more time on Facebook than in your online course, why not meet them halfway and set up a Group for discussion…instructions below.

THE POSITIVES OF RENT-A-CROWD

I believe there used to be agencies where you could literally ‘rent-a-crowd’, however in these days of social networking, I guess they no longer exist. [thoughtful look]  These days it’s called ‘crowdsourcing‘ which is a term used when work is outsourced to a large community via an open call.  Wikipedia is probably a great example of how to get a crowd of people to do something useful [cheeky grin], but did you know that Foot Locker used a wiki to galvanize “sneakerheads” worldwide to document the history of sneakers? Or that Facebook was used as a tool to help identify 5,000 fish species in a hurry? Australian Historic Newspapers encourages members of the public to correct/fix up/improve the text of old newspapers, and in less than 2 years over 12 million lines of text have been improved by thousands of public users. Not useful to you? [theatrical sigh]  Then how about if a group of educators all contributed to a page called Interesting Ways, adding suggestions for engaging students eg 35 Interesting Ways to use Google Docs in the Classroom.  Now THAT would be interesting…right?

DISCOVER MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY

Well, that’s what the BBC Connect site promises!  Julie Goodburn from TAFESA pointed me to this link and I spent far too long wandering around checking out all the little videos and resources! Seems quite good, especially for beginners.

FACEBOOK AND PRIVACY SETTINGS

This is something I get asked about a lot, and I’m often surprised that people put up all sorts of stuff into Facebook and don’t ever make themselves familiar with the privacy settings!  Are you mad!!??  [smile]  To make it easy, here are 5 Facebook Privacy Settings You Must Review Now, all done with step by step instructions.  You might also be interested in 7 Best Practices For Educators Using Facebook.

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I’m sure that’s enough for now, as you are probably as busy as me and don’t have much spare time either! I think we all need a nice relaxing break…roll on summer public holidays! [grin]

Cheers,
Marlene

October 2011

Hi everyone,

Well that’s it…the Framework is officially finished. Boo hoo… But it’s like that old saying “when a door closes a window opens”….so I’m not feeling sad at all! The windows have just been thrown open on a brand new National VET E-learning Strategy which is far broader than the ‘old’ Framework, reaching out to businesses, industry groups and community groups. We can invite more people to the party! [grin] But it’s still all about technology and learning…so let’s get on with it…

THE ART OF STORYTELLING …WITH STORYBIRDS

Storybirds are short, art-inspired stories you make to share, read, and print.  When I came across this my first thought was that it might be something only suitable for school teachers…but then I wondered if perhaps I had dismissed it too quickly.  The stories are very visual (here’s an example) and may work extremely well for those learners who don’t cope well with lots of text. Or where you need to teach an otherwise boring set of facts.  Worth a look?

HARNESSING THE POWER OF THE BACKCHANNEL

Have you ever considered that your learners walk into your training room with the ultimate engagement tool right in their pocket? Do you take advantage of this? The article Speaking Up in Class, Silently, Using Social Media is a story from one teacher. And what about the backchannel of an organisation, often considered by managers as something to be firmly controlled. [grin] Have a read of Backchannel Learning in an Organisation for some thoughts and ideas…and maybe even a light-bulb moment!

TURNING ‘WATER COOLER CONVERSATION’ INTO VALUED TRAINING

The article in the paragraph above refers to Yammer, so I thought it was timely to explain this free communication tool for those who haven’t come across it before.  Basically, Yammer is  like Twitter (brief messages) except that it is internal and private amongst employees within an organisation.  For example, TAFE SA uses Yammer to connect staff across the whole state allowing employees in rural campuses to talk with their metro colleagues.  But can this random conversation have purpose?  Hold those initial opinions and read Turn Up Engagement With A Yammer Treasure Hunt! Ready to head into Yammer? [laugh]  Perhaps check out Yammer Best Practices — Increase Adoption & Engagement as a first port-of-call.  Then go for it!

GET INTO READING

The long summer break is starting to come up over the horizon, with the promise of lazy summer days spent engrossed in a good book. [stares off into space with a dreamy look] Jo from DECS sent me the link to e-Books@Adelaide which is a long list of totally free and downloadable books.  You can read them online…or print them…or better still, download them as an e-pub file so you can read them on your iPad, Kindle or other e-book reader.  Apparently, people who own an e-reader read more, according to A look at the reading habits of e-reader owners, and Readers turn the page on technology.  As someone who owns one, I’m inclined to agree.

WHAT ON EARTH IS A QR CODE?

I seem to be seeing more and more QR codes these days…in magazines and even on the sides of supermarket items!  What’s a QR code? QR stands for ‘Quick Reference’ and QR Codes explained by Common Craft is a nice little video which explains it very simply. Essentially, they are like a barcode which takes you off to…well, wherever the creator wants you to go! Ambra from DECS sent me this great list of links which includes 50 Creative Uses of QR Codes and QR Codes in Education. I was thinking…if you’re having to teach using a boring textbook with diagrams (or text) explaining how to do something, why not add in a QR code which leads your learners to a YouTube video demonstration?!  Just an idea… [grin]

ANYONE OVER 25 DOESN’T REALLY ‘GET’ TECHNOLOGY

Are you over 25?  Does this sort of comment make you as irritated as it does me? Grrr…. [stamps her foot] Well we aren’t alone as John from the TAFE library passed on this link The Fallacy of Digital Natives which states the opinion that “Learning and technology has nothing to do with generational divides.” But that is just one person’s opinion….what do YOU think?  Complete this little poll to see what everyone thinks…

IF YOU CAN TYPE, YOU CAN MAKE A MOVIE

Xtranormal is a fabulous little tool which lets you make simple movies.  Teachers can use it, businesses can use it, learners can use it…and according to the Xtranormal people, “Movie-making, short and long, online and on-screen, private and public, will be the most important communications process of the 21st century.”  With what is happening around the National Broadband Network, I’m inclined to agree with them!  Below is a video explanation (and it’s also an example of an Xtranormal movie):

PS:  If you want to get your Xtranormal movie into Moodle or onto a business website, just put it onto YouTube first then embed it…instructions here.

USING SOCIAL MEDIA FOR MARKETING

You might be a small business owner, or  a TAFE lecturer, or you run a private training company….but in this day ‘n age, it is crucially important to promote your ‘brand’ and draw in new customers (students, clients, talented employees…whatever).  With this in mind, I thought I would share a resource I created recently called Marketing your Small Business with Social Media.  It was something I did to support a presentation for small businesses, but I got to thinking that marketing is really important, even for training organisations.  Check out the video below

TO TRAIN…OR NOT TO TRAIN…THAT IS THE QUESTION

This is about workforce development.  I’ve been reading a lot of stuff lately that seems to say we jump into training as an auto-response to fix apparent issues, without considering other possibilities.   When Training is Not the Answer is one of these, but I particularly like Jane Hart’s comment in The changing state of workplace learning when she says “...only around 20% of the learning that takes place in the workplace is “visible” in the form of FORMAL learning (i.e. courses, classes, workshops etc).  The other 80% of learning takes place informally...” So why do we always think formal training is the answer?  [scratches her head]

ABOUT E-PORTFOLIOS, MOODLE AND GOOGLE SITES

Really didn’t know what to call this paragraph! Creating Student e-Portfolios with Google Sites is a nice example of a (completely free) Moodle course, however it is actually a ‘How To’ resource to assist teachers to set up individual e-portfolios on Google Sites, for their students.  Bit of everything really! For those of you who look after a Moodle, you can download a copy of the course for your own server.  Or you could simply do the course yourself, online.

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Anyway, I must dash off now as the launch of the new National VET E-learning Strategy has caused my In Box to over-floweth…big time! [giggles somewhat hysterically] I may have to do the Time Management course currently running through e-Skills…I could do with some extra time in my day! 

Cheers,
Marlene