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22 March 2006
March Newsletter
Multimodal Literacy
Multimodal Literacy is a term first coined by Carey Jewitt and Gunther Kress to encompass all the different ways in which meaning can be created and communicated in the world today (Jewitt and Kress 2003). Computers provide interactive tools that support learners in creating meaning in classroom rather than just absorbing information. This is a new way of making constructive and transformational learning a reality in schools and providing authentic audiences. The concept also presents a major challenge to the ways in which we are currently examining learners, both students and teachers.
Since the MirandaNet Fellowship aims to be a leading-edge professional organisation for educators in ICT it is not surprising that currently there is great enthusiasm for the tools and programs that progress this learning agenda.
As a result we are running two action research (practice based research) ICT CPD workshop/ seminars – the first one focuses on practical uses in classrooms and the second one gives us all a chance to try out some of the new media ourselves to see how they impact on communication. We do hope you will be able to come to one or both. We have arranged one on a Saturday for those who cannot easily get support cover for ICT CPD.
These sessions are free to MirandaNet members. Steven Coombs will be sending out a detailed programme in the next week or two. The MirandaNet Academy can also offer TDA bursaries for UK teachers who want to do accredited practice based research studies from Diploma to Phd Level. Let Steve know if you are interested.
We have also opened a forum on the MN front page on non-linear and multimodal communication. We encourage those who cannot attend the meetings to get involved that way. Please join a thread or start your own. Christina Preston
Reference
Jewitt, C. and G. Kress (2003). Multimodal Literacy. New York, Peter Lang Publishing.
These are the two ICT CPD workshops
Thursday 27th April – Seminar
Visual Literacy and Learning in Schools
Miranda Net Academy@CEIT
Bath Spa University, Bath
This will be a practical seminar with some hands-on experience of programs and digital tools that increase teachers’ range in supporting multimodal literacy in classrooms.
In this wider context are planning to take the teacher practitioners’ view of the use of interactive whiteboards, 2Simple's award winning software and 2Create a Story for primary schools and the latest in educational computer games. Any scholars or Fellows who want to present on this topic should let us know.
Saturday 29th April – Working party
Non-linear and Multimodal Literacy - Developing a non-linear collaborative e-journal volume
Rm x412
Institute of Education, University of London
Members are welcome to join this working party which is aiming to contribute a volume of the Institute of Education ejournal for teachers, Reflecting Education, February 2007. MirandaNet Fellows have already provided the first volume on elearning. The draft title is A call for papers will be out soon.
We aim to present individual thoughts and practices from the group, identify key themes and write a collaborative text. Members can be interested in this subject from any angle eg. Wikis, concept mapping. Blogging. It’s a chance to try these things out.
I will be publishing a detailed programme in about a fortnight. Let me know if you want to contribute to the programme. We are planning more in this series. Draft dates Saturdays 17th June, 18th November in London and 19th – 23rd February 2007 in Prague. We will be publishing the programmes next month.
Workshop in Prague
Make a space in your diary for the MirandaNet Teacher Practitioners’ conference in Prague – February 19th – 24th.
There will be a working party on non-linear and multimodal literacy and one on Visual Literacy and Learning in Schools as above. What are the other burning interests of members?
Please let me know what you would like to contribute or hear about.
Interactive Mapping
Mapping is a key area of interest for MirandaNet Fellows. We have been collaborating with Inspiration on an article about how they can be used in schools and for staff self assessment.
Christina Preston (go to full article)
Members of the Miranda Net Fellowship agree that ownership of learning processes is an important factor both in raising standards and in making learning more constructive and learner-driven. Drawing maps for individual and group analysis is important in this approach to learning. In this context the members welcome the addition of mind-mapping in Inspiration version 8. In fact, mapping has been such a successful strategy for promoting learning in classroom pilots that this professional organisation is exploring the same techniques in developing teachers’ capacity to evaluate their own learning about ICT. The maps are being piloted as a key tool in action research projects both in classrooms and as a self-assessment tool for teachers. In particular this group has explored non-linear writing and multimodal literacy. By talking about the maps in groups teachers begin to understand their own concepts about ICT in comparison with the views of colleagues. Teachers’ ideas about ICT change and expand in these discussions face to face and online. They also become more articulate about their ICT knowledge and understanding.
Digital communication is changing the way society communicates. Using Inspiration is a real opportunity for teachers to experience the impact of the transformation in communication tools which is central to the experience of their young students. Erin Antonius
You can read a longer article about what Miranda Net Fellows have been doing.
We are also building up case studies in the Miranda Net Inspiration e-journal
2006 Inspired Teacher Scholarship for Visual Learning
Two Fellows have won scholarships for 2006. A 2007 scholarship could pay for your workshop in Prague – half term Feb 2007. Let me know if you are interested.
Meanwhile congratulations Jane Finch and Aldo Anzures Tapia
Miranda Net Fellows, Jane Finch and Aldo Anzures Tapia, received 2006 Inspired Teacher Scholarships for Visual Learning from Inspiration Software. In its eighth year, this scholarship programme supports professional development activities for educators in primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities who champion the integration of visual learning and technology into the curriculum.
They join 29 other award recipients worldwide who will use the 750 USDollars scholarships for a wide range of professional development activities, including attendance at a conference, training event or professional education course where visual learning is a key topic.
“Each year, we look forward to reviewing the scholarship applications because it is a chance to explore the amazing ways that educators around the world are using visual learning across the curriculum,” said Mona Westhaver, president and co-founder, Inspiration Software. “Once again this year, the scholarship recipients demonstrated the innovative ways that they are using the power of visual learning to help students of all ages and abilities build critical thinking, writing and comprehension skills, and understand difficult concepts.”
Educators from primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities are eligible to apply for the Inspired Teacher Scholarships for Visual Learning. A minimum of one year of service is required and applicants must demonstrate that they have direct contact with students. Go to www.inspiration.com/ie
InspirationR 8 Now Available for MirandaNet Fellows
If any of the Fellows purchased licences, either via the special BETT offer or otherwise, after the 1st January 2006, then they will be sent their free upgrade licences automatically, and do not need to contact us. Only those Fellows who received FREE Inspiration 7.6 licences for specific projects need to contact us in the way mentioned below.
We will basically be providing a full replacement set of media to each customer (as they'll need a new CD-ROM and manuals), so unfortunately this will not simply be a download and will need to be sent by post.
Fellows need to quote the following code when sending through their order for these free licences - 'FreeMNetUpgrades06'
Any Fellows that wish to take us up on this offer need to send an official request for these licences (either a zero rated purchase order, or letter on official letterhead) to the following address/fax:
Jan Lock
Sales Admin Manager
TAG Learning Ltd
25 Pelham Road
Gravesend, Kent
DA11 0HU
Fax: 01474-537887
Members who submit an idea for a case study to be published in the MN ejlournal and join our ICT CPD face to face or online can have a free copy of version 8. Get in touch with me if you want to do this.
Off Sick But In School
John Sosna is a long standing Fellow from Great Ormond Street Hospital School, where education is delivered on the wards and in dedicated classrooms. He has sent us details a The Teachers’ TV programme which features Great Ormond Street, Off Sick but School which highlights the benefits of technology for the medically disenfranchised students. This programme follows a typical day for two of the school’s teachers and shows their commitment to young girls like Miriam. Although she has to lie on her back and then her front for two hours at a time for weeks on end, she can still manage to get to grips with Shakespeare.
Link to Teachers’ TV programme about GOS.
Thought colleagues might be interested.
John Sosna
ICT Research Network – Practitioner Research
Jane Finch, Education Services, Finstall brings this to our notice
Becta’s Ask an Expert service aims to offer specialist advice on using ICT in learning and teaching. The user is able to put questions to a panel on a specific theme, which changes each month. This month, the Ask an Expert theme is practitioner research and improving practice through reflection
http://schools.becta.org.uk/index.php?section=ae&page=about&theme=100
We’d be grateful if you could let your contacts, lists and interested parties know about the service we’re offering this month, and encourage them to make use of the facility! Unfortunately the Ask an Expert site is a little slow at the moment, so you/they may need to have a bit of tenacity!
The ICT Research Network seeks to encourage the exchange of information in order to inform the national agenda and professional practice.
To unsubscribe, get a password reminder, or change your subscription options go to: http://lists.becta.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/research
To post a message to all the list members, send to: research at lists.becta.org.uk
To look through the archive of messages, visit: http://lists.becta.org.uk/pipermail/research/
You can find out more about the Network on the Becta Research website.
Psychological Insights into the Use of New Technologies in Education
Nottingham Trent University, 7- 8 June 2006
A group of MirandaNetters will be at this conference. See you there. CP
Dear Colleagues
Every year the British Journal of Educational Psychology holds a Current Issues Conference designed as bridge between Psychology and Education. This year the conference focus is on new technologies. The conference is heavily subsidised by BJEP and offers an opportunity for colleagues to discuss current research in teaching and learning.
You are cordially invited to attend the above conference details of which can be found at http://www.ntu.ac.uk/soc/school_news/Events/36698.html
Note there are a small number of free places for research students.
Jean Underwood
Peace and intercultural exchange in Italy
Mara Chrystie went on an EU Arion funded course in Italy last year which related closely to our aims in World Ecitizens
She sent a brief report, below and a photo. Note that her presentation slide is in Russian! "I had friends translate my presentation into French, Italian and Russian before I went" Mara told us - she's really internationally minded. After the report are details of how you can apply to do this kind of course as a MirandaNet member.
Brief Report of Arion Project By Mara Chrystie
Comparison of educational systems with regard to the planning of didactic itineraries of education for peace and interculture.
Taranto, Italy December 2005
Our stimulating and enjoyable visit examined issues around education for peace, tolerance, multiculturalism, equality and justice. It was hosted with great warmth by Gennaro Esposito, Headteacher (Il Dirigente Scolastico) of the Instituto Comprensivo Galilei-Consiglo in Taranto, with strong involvement from Headteachers and staff at several neighbouring schools. It was sited in the historic and picturesque town of Martina Franca in Southern Italy. Our group was comprised of nine representatives from eight European countries. It was particularly interesting to have a Turkish representative in the group to learn about the development of a non-EU country seeking EU membership.
We had a varied program of school visits which included the opportunity to observe classes, masterclasses and computer labs, tour schools, meet staff and enjoy children’s concerts.
We are committed as a group to keep in touch, share resources and work together to learn and educate for a more peaceful and just world. So far we are exploring how to:
- Communicate through email
- Publish ideas and practice on the internet
- Attend cultural festivals in Italy and Russia
- Find out more about “A classroom of Difference”
- Attend a conference on “Inclusive Cities” in Gothenburg, Sweden
- Use the multi-lingual Peace poem created by a class at the C. Battisti primary school
- Make wide use of an excellent DVD on Peace Education made by A.Righi secondary school.
Our host Gennaro spoke for everyone when he said that we have a commitment to hope and peace, not just in schools but in society.
BC would welcome applications.
The Arion 2006-7 catalogue flyer along with the application form and nomination form. The catalogue can be accessed from the BC web site.
Congratulations to Miles Berry on his TES article
Following his Becta ICT in Practice Award, MirandaNet Fellow , Miles Berry's work with open source web-based applications at St Ives School, Haslemere, has received some very positive coverage in the national press. The 10th March edition of TES Online covered some of the issues around the rollout of 'Learning Platforms', and featured a full page article on Miles' use of Moodle at St Ives. Jack Kenny wrote "Although Miles is technically accomplished, he is able to see above the technology. He is insistent that his work is driven by how he teaches, not by technology, with student autonomy at the heart of what he does."
The full text can be found online.
Alongside this Miles' work was also mentioned in Leon Cych's webextra for the TES: "His school is using Moodle and a social networking tool called Elgg... to forge whole new ways of working appropriate for the 21st century" – see http://www.tes.co.uk/2202023. A number of other MirandaNet fellows and scholars have started experimenting with Elgg (see elgg.net) as a blogging platform. Earlier in March, the Guardian gave a good overview of this software, and also mentioned Miles' work with this: "he is keen to stress that the real strength of the software compared with more traditional VLEs is that 'much of the control is handed to the pupils themselves', as they get to choose what they write about and whether to share their work" - see http://education.guardian.co.uk/elearning/story/0,,1724614,00.html.
New Scholars
Michael Lightfoot
I am currently working for Enterprise MPC having spent the past 15 years or so working with computers in education as a teacher, adviser, inspector and consultant. We are engaged, at the moment, in developing a hosted VLE solution based upon a Microsoft Learning Gateway platform with particular reference to its implementation as part of a Managed Service provision in the Building Schools for the Future programme.
I am particularly interested in the training and CPD which needs to surround ICT and VLE implementation - both here and overseas. Over the past five years I have been an international consultant on a number of ICT in basic education and vocational education and training reform programmes in Europe and Central Asia. The assignments have taken me to Uzbekistan, Ukraine and Armenia. I'd like to think that some of the lessons we have learnt regarding ICT implementation across the curriculum can be conveyed to colleagues working in the countries in Asia and Africa with Transitional Economies.
Andre Mostert
Andre Mostert is a freelance education and project development consultant; he runs a small agency Cogito Development Projects out of the United Kingdom with offices in Italy and South Africa. The main focus areas are teacher training, physical education and health education, workforce development and e-learning.
Andre was trained at Rhodes University in Economics and moved into academic development first at the University of Fort Hare and then LEAF College in South Africa, he also taught as an adjunct lecturer at University of Cape Town and, the then Cape Peninsula Technikon. Andre has worked on various workforce development projects and presently is actively involved in the establishment of a number of web based solutions to support training and development.
Through a number of networks linkages for partners interested in all areas of e-learning, teacher training, etc are built with the view to creating effective resources that are accessible and user friendly, and cost effective.
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