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26 December 2009

MirandaNet Newsletter December 2009

Dear MirandaNetters,

There is life after Christmas, although just now this may not seem to be the case!

After the festivities we hope you will call into our stand at BETT10 to meet other members and engage in discussions.

In the mean time, I hope you all had a very Happy Christmas and may I wish you a Prosperous New Year!

Christina Preston

MirandaNet News

MirandaNet at BETT10

BETT10 13th – 16th January at Olympia, London,
http://www.mirandanet.ac.uk/bett/index.htm

MirandaNet are again sharing stand (S96/97) with the support of the WLE Centre, The Institute of Education, London University, Hull University, Outstream, Oracle and Steljes.

Two MirandaMods on the stand

You are warmly invited to contribute to the two MirandaMods we are holding on our stand followed by refreshments.
Wednesday 13th January 15:30 – 17:00 ICT CPD: Personal and Professional Perspectives
Thursday 14th January 15:30 – 17:00 Digital Content and Resources for Teaching and Learning: the Issues

Five minute talks, without slides, are invited to stimulate round table debate followed by refreshments. You are welcome to stay for the full session or just pop in. Let me know if you plan to be there.

The other MirandaNet event in partnership with the WLE Centre, Institute of Education

Saturday 16th 11:30 -12:15
Which models of ICT CPD are most effective?
Location: Gallery 1 - Policy Theatre
Date/Time: 16 Jan 2010
SEMINAR BOOKING CODE: PO42

We also look forward to awarding two scholars with their Fellowship certificates.
Congratulations to David Smith (Havering) and David Townsend (Greensward Academy, Essex).

We also hope to see many of you at the Teachmeets that will be held each evening starting at 18:00.

Two New Fellows

Congratulations to David Townsend and David Smith who have both contributed resources to our e-journals and gained a Fellowship. David has written an absorbing journal of a digital day in the life of an Essex school, and David has developed the Visualiser Magazine (published on the Elmo site) as a result of the Visualiser Forum meetings.

Mobile Learning or Handheld Learning: What do we mean?

Warm thanks to all the contributors to the December MirandaMod: Norbert Pachler, John Traxler, Graham Brown Martin, and especially Elisabeth Hartnell Young who was backpacking in New Zealand but still managed to log in.

Not only was the WLE Centre room full, but there were also more than 20 participants coming in on Flash meeting. You can find a brief report with links to the video, the map and other resources on the MirandaMod section of the MirandaNet Web Site.

Win a new Apple iPod Video Nano (8GB)

Take part in an on-line survey for EdutubePlus and you might win an iPod!

EdutubePlus, is a European project to design a bespoke curriculum related video clips library for educators (www.edutubeplus.info). As part of this we are hoping you may be able to help us in researching how educators (e.g. teachers, lecturers) select and use digital video clips in their teaching.

Educators around the world are using video resources more often to support and enhance their teaching, but little is known or understood about how they search and select video resources. This survey is designed to explore how educators search and select video resources and how they subsequently use them to support learning.

We are looking for contributions from all sectors and phases of education who use video clips in their teaching. The results will be published and will help to inform policy and practice in this area. Thank you, in advance, for taking the time to complete the survey. It should take you no more than 15 minutes.

The survey is available at: www.survey.hull.ac.uk/videosurvey

In recognition of your contribution to this research we are offering a new Apple iPod Video Nano (8GB) as a prize.

Many thanks

Kevin Burden (The University of Hull)
Theo Kuechel (research consultant for The University of Hull)

Learning in the Age of Web 2.0

Leverhulme Lecture Series on the theme of Learning Networks

Professor Caroline Haythornthwaite, who spoke at our last MirandaMod on mobile Learning, is the new Leverhulme Trust Visiting Professor, 2009-10, Institute of Education, University of London and who is presenting a series of lectures at the London Knowledge Lab next term.

The increased availability and use of the Internet for resource discovery and learning is changing teacher and learner expectations about where, when and from whom they will learn. The ubiquitous connection – on laptops, mobile phones, and PDAs – brings information nearly anywhere, anytime. It also brings with it questions about how to use the Internet to promote and sustain learning, how to balance benefits of face-to-face communication such as immediacy, authenticity and attention, with the reach of online communication and its potential to engage learners through the use of new, dynamic platforms from online chat to games and online worlds. Questions also arise around the social dynamics of these new learning configurations: what roles are now appropriate for teachers and learners? And, what theoretical perspectives best characterize the new dynamic and new responsibilities associated with Web 2.0 information production?

  1. Feb. 04, 2010: Learning and scholarly communication in the age of the Internet
  2. Feb. 23, 2010: New theories and perspectives on learning in the digital age
  3. Mar. 11, 2010: Social networks and learning
  4. Mar. 30, 2010: Social informatics: E-learning as a socio-technical intervention

Further details for these next four seminars can be found on the Institute Web Site (www.ioe.ac.uk)

Caroline edited a First Monday paper about online learning models that includes a section on Braided Learning by Christina Preston that investigates MirandaNet online practices:

Haythornthwaite, C. (2007). New International Theories and Models Of and For Online Learning Chicago IL, USA, First Monday (www.firstmonday.org.../article/view/1976/1851)

Computers in Classrooms

The latest issue of Computers in Classrooms from MirandaNetter Terry Freedman looks at, amongst other things, the recent general Ofsted report and the Children, Schools and Families Bill from an ICT leader's perspective. It is a good read:

2009 e-learning debate at the Oxford Union?

September 30th saw the first ever e-learning debate at the Oxford Union, where over 300 guests witnessed arguments for and against the motion, led by Professor Diana Laurillard and Dr Marc Rosenberg. Follow www.epic.co.uk/news/press-releases/press-release-19.html to find out more.
Allison Allen

Call for Papers: Immersive Education 2010 Summit

The iimersive Education Initiative has issued a call for papers and presentations at the conference due to be held in Boston MA in April 2010. More information on immersiveeducation.org

Blogspot: Doug Belshaw

Featuring an interesting video about the glorious weirdness of connecting with people online
“Well worth devoting 15 minutes to this” says John Cuthell

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