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7 October 2006
October MirandaNet Newsletter
EditorialSurfers have told us that the website is not clear about what the MirandaNet Fellowship is so we have now explained on the front page that the MirandaNet Fellowship, which was founded in 1992, is an e-community of practice for international ICT policy makers, teachers, teacher educators, researchers and commercial developers who are passionate about digital technology in teaching and learning and about using technologies to promote cultural understanding and democratic participation.
Currently there are over 850 members in 43 countries worldwide. The website, online forums, seminars, workshops and projects run by members are funded by international partner companies and government agencies. Currently projects are running with 2Simple, Fronter, Inspiration, LogicaCMG, Promethean and Oracle. MirandaNet gratefully acknowledges the support of its sponsors.
250 members have become Fellows by contributing articles to the Braided Learning e-journal. We have had an increasing enrolment from Africa, China and countries which are in the Middle East and the Far East. See a list of all the member countries at the end of the newsletter.
You are very welcome. We would like all members to send us news so that the newsletter better reflects our international membership of educators who are passionate about digital technologies in teaching and learning.
The MirandaNet Mission Statement
The MirandaNet Fellowship is a flexible professional organisation which reflects the changes in teaching and learning which have been influenced by digital technologies. For the last fourteen years it has been the custom for members to alter the mission statement to reflect our current views of how we work.
This year I have been writing a paper about MirandaNet practice which I will be publishing soon. In the meantime I have made some changes to last years’ mission statement myself to reflect the evidence of our work. Please send me your suggestions for the 2008 mission so that the statement reflects your views.
This is the mission statement so far:
The MirandaNet Fellowship, an international community of practice established in 1992, strives to span national, cultural, commercial and political divides to provide an innovative and inclusive forum for professional educators and to influence worldwide agenda on the use of digital tools in transformational learning.
Fellows who share their experience and expertise continue to build a professional interactive knowledge base. Individual learning patterns are celebrated through practice-based research strategies, peer e-mentoring and e-facilitation. Self-assessment, peer review, dissemination and publication are central to the Fellowship process.
Partnership with universities, industry, government and other professional organisations is at the heart of the research, development and evaluation processes that underpin and support evidence-based theory, practice and ethical policy.
Our tagline is share your experience and expertise. Any new ideas for a tagliine for 2008?
Christina Preston
MirandaNet seminars on visual literacy
Saturday 14th October 2006, London
Colleagues are warmly welcomed to the MirandaNet workshop series
Fascinating cultural objects: multimodal mapping in teaching and learning
11:00am to 4:00pm
Tasking Visual Learning to the Next Level
Chaired by Michael Smith
Institute of Education, University of London, 20 Bedford Way, WC1H 2AL
(nearest tube- Russell Square. See www.streetmap.co.uk)
Room 642
11:00 – 12:00
Taking visual learning to the next level
Introducing InspireData
Mark Oronzio will be presenting the latest data handling tool which promote visual approaches to data presentation. This package will be useful for practice based research and for educators engaged in post graduate studies.
12:00 – 1:00
Practical Inspiration mapping
Jane Finch will be presenting lessons learned from working with teachers and learners using Inspiration concept mapping software. This session will look at some examples of interesting practice and some models of use ranging from critical thinking to planning and organisation.
1:00 - 1:45 Lunch funded by Inspiration
1:45 – 3:00 presentations by participants about their multimodal mapping research in teaching and learning in progress to be published in the special mapping issue of the Reflecting Education ejournal which will be published in February 2007.
http://reflectingeducation.net
Please let me know if you are planning to come as soon as possible, for catering reasons.
Christina Preston
The next MirandaNet workshops
Multimodal Mapping research
Saturday 18th December 2006 11 am – 4 pm
Web-communities for Children
Public social software and formal education
1st December 2006 twilight 5 – 7 pm.
We will be meeting for a meal afterwards.
Etopia Project
Please support the Etopia project by attending the Getting Better Together Dinner ;
Institute of Directors, Pall Mall, London
November 3rd. Booking information
ICT CPD workshop in Prague where you can develop school project links
Prague workshop 15th -17th February 2007
Booking information
Please let me know if you are considering coming to either of these. We need to have estimated numbers soon. I can also give you more information about funding.
Christina Preston
Information about BETT07 10-13 January 2007
BETT 2007, Olympia, London
10 - 13 January 2007
BETT is the world's leading event placing technology at the centre of learning. Constantly innovating, consistently thought-provoking, BETT provides solutions enabling educators to touch and test resources and debate ideas. For more information click on the EMPA logo at the bottom of the front page of mirandanet or visit www.bettshow.com
Anyone can book an appointment at BETT07 with Christina Preston or John Cuthell online, by visiting www.bettshow.com and then selecting ‘book an appointment’ with an exhibitor and choose MirandaNet from the listing.
You can use our stand as a place to meet members as well. We will take messages and arrange meetings for you as it is so difficult to make contact with colleagues at BETT07. However, we will not have room for coats and bags this year.
A Major pre-BETT International ICT Conference
Information and Communication Technology: Global Learning Communities
8 January 2007
Keynote : Christina Preston : World Ecitizens
This exciting international conference will explore key issues of global learning communities in relationship to ICT access, the effectiveness of interactive technologies and the creation and educational use of digital media.
www.besa.org.uk/intconf07
Peace Room
Have you had a look at the Peace Room? It really is amazing.
UK-Japan Science Workshop : New Area on MirandaNet
Look at the new area that has been developed for Lawrence as a result of his involvement in the UK-Japan Science Workshop at Surrey University. Some nice stuff coming out of it, and a great credit to us to have this published here. Leads to a further six pages so far.
Video Games: School Practicalities
Mechelle De Craene
Just wanted to send you another brief article I wrote regarding video games. I thought it may be helpful for teachers who may want to try video games.
http://terry-freedman.org.uk/artman/publish/printer_853.php
Teachers Resources for KS1 and KS2
Francis Howlett
Whilst tidying up my Inbox I came across a note from Charles Murray about eWorkshop, a rather nice Canadian site with teaching materials suitable for KS1&2 level, and much else besides.
‘Our site is extensive, covering literacy and numeracy teaching in Grades 1-6. It is an excellent resource for teachers and is used in school boards and faculty programs throughout the province of Ontario here in Canada. A variety of video and audio clips demonstrate teaching points described using real teachers and students. In addition, we are developing the site into a portal for other initiatives such as allergy response.’
http://www.eworkshop.on.ca
Recommended conferences
Mathematical Association of New South Wales
Douglas Butler, a Mirandanet Fellow, was privileged to be invited to give the opening keynote to the 2006 MANSW Conference (Mathematical Association of New South Wales) in Sydney on 8th September.
New South Wales has had a very conservative view of its curriculum, and is in the process of redesigning its secondary mathematics syllabuses for the first time in 25 years. This contrasts with all the other Australian States which have been on a steady revision cycle every 5 years or so.
Douglas used this opportunity to look at some of the ways technology can enhance the teaching and learning of mathematics. He showed some topics, such as vectors in 2D and 3D, and probability and statistics, none of which appear in their courses at the moment, and which technology can bring to life spectacularly.
His presentation included an innovative use of Google Earth and a new on-screen protractor. With these tools he explored the angles of famous buildings, eg the Pentagon in Washington, and the link between the direction of prevailing winds and the siting of airport runways.
The PowerPoint and other related files can be downloaded.
2nd International Conference Art in Early Childhood
our people, our place, our time
2nd International Conference Art in Early Childhood
University of New England, N.S.W. Australia
5-8 February 2007
This conference celebrates art in early childhood in and across international social, cultural and historical contexts. The goal of this conference is to bring together art and early childhood/ primary educators, researchers, and practitioners into an expanding and increasingly interdisciplinary discussion about early childhood and art. We will identify emerging directions in understanding how young children experience art and how they create and communicate their ideas and experiences visually and through the arts.
The University of New England and the conference committee extends a very warm welcome to all who are interested in young children and art. Early childhood educators, primary teachers, tertiary teachers, researchers, parents, artists, students, administrators, are all invited to take part in the 2nd International Art in Early Childhood Conference.
Conference Features
Presentations by well-known researchers in art and early years
A special socio/cultural/ historical focus
A focus on drawing
Presenting recent initiatives of galleries in Australia
Exhibition demonstrating how young children engage with art in the wider community
Opportunities for conversations that challenge assumptions about art and young children
Recent initiatives in arts based research and visual methods
A special focus on the narrative and experience of art for young children
A special focus on the concepts of creativity as they relate to young children's art experiences.
Margaret Brooks
New Scholars Qasim Akinreti
Qasim Akinreti is an Online Journalist with Voice of Nigeria and Chairman Education Committee, Lagos Council, Nigeria Union of Journalists. He has a Master's Degree in Online Journalism from the Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK in 2003.
On his return, he has been involved in advocacy programmes for capacity building in ICT and Online Journalists for students of Mass Communication, Journalism Institute, Polytechnics and Journalist ICT Center in Lagos. Nigeria.
Mr Akinreti has delivered lectures on ICT to Nigerian Editors and other stakeholders in the ICT industry. As a result his interest in ICT, he is presently Public Secretary, Nigeria Internet Group, NIG. His publications and lectures are on his web site. Mr Akinreti saw to the design and development of a web site for the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Lagos Council.
Voice of Nigeria has equally saddled him with the responsibility of working with a team to start the operations of Voice of Nigeria Online Unit.
Kevin Burden
As with most of us working in education today I am involved in a wide variety of different areas which include CPD for teachers, staff support within Higher Education, teaching and learning, research and evaluation and various consultancies and enterprise based activity.
I am the Director of Cascade, a multimedia training and evaluation unit based within the University of Hull. We undertake activity on a local, national and international basis and have established a network of colleagues and contacts across the globe. We focus on the application of new and emerging technologies within the workplace. This typically involves schools and colleges although we are also working with people in the commercial and public sectors.
I am the programme director for a number of higher education programmes including a Foundation Degree in Applied Digital Media (Learning) and a Masters degree in Leadership and Learning. I also teach modules on social software and Web 2.0 technologies on our MEd in e-learning programme.
My research and evaluation work is centred around the concept of digital literacies and the role of technology in the development of these new literacies. I am currently working with a number of colleagues in the UK and in Australia to explore this area and would welcome wider involvement. I am particularly interested in visual literacies and have worked with a wide variety of students to develop a broader understanding of how media and video can be used to deepen our understandings and ideas.
Martin Dixon
I work at Chelsea Children’s Hospital School as ICT Manager. This year I have been very busy connecting our 4 hospital sites together on a single domain. We are nearly there! This is one of the many ways we work using ICT to improve the quality of education received by children during their stay in Hospital. We also have a project to bring wireless internet access and video conferencing to children who spend their time in hospital in isolation.
Richard Hawkins
ICT and Education? I think at first it was about using ICT to teach and learn old things in new ways. Now I'm much more interested in using ICT to teach and learn new things in new ways.
Damian Maher
I have been a primary school teacher for about 16 years. I have seen computers grow in complexity and number in schools in that time. I am keen to understand how to use computers in the classroom to assist students learn. I am particularly interested in the Internet as a communication tool. I think this aspect of computer use is very limited in schools and that the research is also limited. I have just completed a Doctorate on the Internet as a communication tool in the upper primary school classroom. I am continuing to provide access for my students online and am interested in discussing relevant issues with other interested people.
Chris Merrick
Having worked at all levels in Early Childhood Education from class teacher to LEA advisory level I left the UK to join Zurich International School just over four years ago. As Assistant Principal with responsibility for Early Childhood, I worked with an enthusiastic group of teachers and a very supportive IT department to integrate the use of IT throughout the Early Childhood grades. We developed our use of digital technology to produce documentation on children's learning for their portfolios, displays and booklets, the use of still and video material and the incorporation of IT based projects with the 3, 4 and 5 year olds. Working and learning together with the children, projects have included animated stories with pictures and narration by the children, creative photographic work and the use of digital photography to enhance other creative work, many pieces relating to their literacy work and using digital photography to aid children's participation in decision making processes. We have also developed a great commitment to the use of digital technology as a means of reviewing our own practice and professional development. The need to return home to the UK has meant that I have reduced my involvement with them to 50% but I remain interested in finding different ways of tapping into very young children's naturally multimodal ways of learning and expressing themselves and using digital technology as a medium for them to do this.
Please send any items you would like in the newsletter for members to Editor : Anne Dobson
A list of all the member countries
Of a current active membership of 433, we can identify members from the following countries. If you would like to be put in touch with other members from your country let us know
Australia 10
Bahrain 2
Bangladesh 2
Barbados 1
Belgium 1
Brazil 2
Bulgaria 6
Canada 3
Chile 1
China 13 (includes Hong Kong 2)
Czech Republic 7
Egypt 1
India 4
Ireland 9
Israel 1
Italy 2
Japan 3
Lithuania 1
Mexico 5
New Zealand 2
Nigeria 3
Oman 1
Peru 1
Philippines 1
Poland 3
Portugal 1
Romania 1
Russia 1
Seychelles 1
Singapore 2
South Africa 8
Spain 1
Sweden 1
Switzerland 1
The Gambia 2
The Netherlands 5
Turkey 3
Uganda 1
UK 349 (includes Northern Ireland 2 and Scotland 1)
USA 22
The mix of members from non-English-speaking countries has increased over the past few years.
The Members' Profiles are the most requested items, and information to do with Interactive Whiteboards the most commonly requested.
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