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11 January 2011
January 2011 Newsletter
MirandaNet January 2011 Newsletter
- Introduction
- Two invitations to MirandaNetters
- BETT11 Events
- Be a partner in our EU proposal
- Becta Research Publications
- Becta’s ICTRN Network
- MirandaNetters in conference 2011
- MirandaMod programme 2011
- MirandaMods at BETT January 2011, London
- Achievement for All National Workshops 17-19 March MirandaMods, Education Show, Birmingham 2011
- Mobile learning: Crossing boundaries in convergent environments 21-22 March 2011 Bremen (Germany).
- Learning Futures: Education, Technology & Sustainability April 13-15 2011, Manchester, UK
- British Education Research Conference (BERA) Annual Conference 2011, September 6-8, Institute of Education, London
- Recommending conferences
Introduction
Looking back on 2010 in this newsletter there are several items about the arrangements that are being made for the UK professional organisations to take over the Becta assets. The Becta website will be archived on 31st January and this UK government agency will close finally in March 2011. This transfer process is not complete yet. The MirandaNet view about what should be saved from the Becta services can be found in the article "The Axing of Becta". Please use this to influence policy makers where you can. The repercussions will be felt throughout this coming decade as the professional organisations fight to be heard by the politicians. ITTE, Naace and MirandaNet wrote jointly to Michael Gove in June - but neither he nor his representatives have shown any enthusiasm to meet us yet.
Looking ahead to 2011 there is an even greater need than usual to club together. I have listed the conferences where MirandaNetters will be represented either running MirandaMods or presenting papers. You can engage in this kind of Continuing Professional Development about the issues that impact on the use of digital technologies in learning in London, Birmingham, Manchester in the UK and Bremen in Germany either by attending the event or by engaging from home online. In summarising these 2011 conferences about digital technologies and education I notice how mature the conference topics seem to be. Delegates are asked to consider the disruptive role of technologies in today’s society; their impact on pedagogy and on the status of teachers; the effect of mobile technologies in crossing boundaries in convergent environments; and, the sustainability of technological development in education in a European and US recession. Some of our members will also be interested in debating how research can influence stakeholder in this field and balancing the need for accountability against the tendency to create too much red tape and stifle intuition. There must be a conference that appeals to you in this list. I look forward to seeing you there.
I wish you all a happy New Year
Two invitations to MirandaNetters
BETT11 Events
The MirandaNet Fellowship, often called the Facebook of international ICT professionals, is now invited to debate the changing status of teachers in the digital world. Join us on stand, S97 in the Grand Hall, to or join us online. This year, in partnership with DfE advisers and the University of Bedfordshire, our topics are: establishing communities of practice for teachers (Wednesday: 15:30); independent learning strategies for students (Thursday: 15:30); and using formative and summative assessment wisely (Friday: 15:30). On Saturday 15th January we have an Open House @ BETT World Ecitizens workshop where MirandaNetters and their guests can meet other colleagues from Australia, The Netherlands, India and the Czech Republic to plan international projects. See our full programme on: www.mirandanet.ac.uk/bett
New Fellows should let me know if they can attend as we can award your certificates at BETT11.
Be a partner in our EU proposal
If your university or school would like to be a partner in our sixth framework EU project proposal please get in touch with John Cuthell who is masterminding our bid. This has to be in by mid-February. Our World Ecitizens workshop on 15th January at BETT11 (details on the website) is an opportunity to meet potential partners - but even if you cannot attend face to face or online send your details to John and he will explain what you need to do to join in.
Becta Research Publications
MirandaNet members who were involved as co-researchers in three Becta research reports in 2010 might want to know when they will be published. These publications are finished but have been held up because of the demise of Becta. The main authors are still negotiating ownership, but we hope they will soon be published on the MirandaNet, WLE centre and Outstream websites. These are the draft titles:
- Pachler N, Preston C, Cuthell J and Allen A (2010 in press) The ICT CPD Landscape in England. Becta, Coventry
- Allen A, Preston C, Payton M. and Pickering (2010 in press) E-safety guidance for the FE & Skills Sector. Becta, Coventry
- Leask M. and Preston C b(2010 in press) ICT Tools for Future Teachers. Becta, Coventry.
Becta’s ICTRN Network
The ICT Research Network has always been a free, independent and accessible resource set up to stimulate the exchange of information, debate and sharing of best practice. If you are a member of Becta’s ICT Research Network you will have received notice that The Association for Learning Technology (ALT) in partnership with Naace will be hosting ICT Research Network (ICTRN) on the ALT server. There is no funding to help in this transfer. This arrangement is supported by the eLearning Network (ELN), the MirandaNet Fellowship and the Association for Information Technology in Teacher Education (ITTE). The aim is that this partnership will ensure that the ICT in education research community continues to be supported beyond Becta's closure.
Becta is confident that this legacy will continue under the new hosting arrangements.
In the recent ICTRN survey, the retention of ICTRN archive was one of the main key issues raised for consideration and highlighted by ICTRN members. So the partnership is pleased to confirm that the ICTRN archives will now be moved to the new ICT Research Network location (and not the National Archives as previously advised). The archives will only be accessible to the ICT Research members who register with the new host. To continue to take advantage of the network you need to sign up to the new ICTRN mailing list.
MirandaNetters in Conference 2011
MirandaMod Programme 2011
So far MirandaMods will be held at four conferences in 2011:
1. MirandaMods at BETT January 2011, London
Full details of these have already been sent: go to the MirandaNet BETT pages to find out more.
www.mirandanet.ac.uk/bett
Join The MirandaNet wiki: http://mirandamod.wikispaces.com/Bett2011
Wednesday 12th January 1530 - 1700
"Which Web 2.0 Tools develop teaching and learning effectively?"
Assessment & Learning Strand
Attending online? Here's the Flashmeeting link:
http://flashmeeting.e2bn.net/fm/9e0f5c-12038
Contribute interactively through the online mindmap:
http://www.mindmeister.com/72720027/which-web-2-0-tools-develop-teaching-and-learning-effectively
The event will be streamed live at the following Link:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/mm2011
"How can teachers get the most in today's classrooms from ICT Tools?"
Pedagogy Strand
Attending online? Here's the Flashmeeting link:
http://flashmeeting.e2bn.net/fm/3555b7-12039
Contribute interactively through the online mindmap:
http://www.mindmeister.com/72720817/how-can-teachers-get-the-most-in-the-classroom-from-today-s-ict-tools
The event will be streamed live at the following Link:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/mm2011
"How can digital technologies be implemented to ... increase achievement for all?"
Assessment Strand
Attending online? Here's the Flashmeeting link:
http://flashmeeting.e2bn.net/fm/7c083c-12040
Contribute interactively through the online mindmap:
http://www.mindmeister.com/72720877/how-can-digital-technologies-be-implemented-to-increase-achievement-for-all
The event will be streamed live at the following Link:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/mm2011
iCatalyst for World eCitizens
International Exchange Planning
Attending online? Here's the Flashmeeting link:
http://flashmeeting.e2bn.net/fm/88172f-11929
Contribute interactively through the online mindmap:
http://www.mindmeister.com/72844275/world-ecitizen-action-research-projects
The event will be streamed live at the following Link:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/mm2011
Programme
1000 - 1015
Achievement for All - Professor Sonia Blandford
Sharing professional knowledge across countries using Web 2.0 - Professor Marilyn Leask, University of Bedfordshire
1015 - 1045
Shift Happened: what now? - Shift Happens co-author- Chris Yapp
1045 - 1130
World eCitizens projects now. Led by Lawrence Williams, with teachers from England, Czech Republic, Greece and India
1130 - 1300
Designing World eCitizen action research projects in international groups.
Use this collaborative online concept map to plan your projects and exchange ideas:
http://www.mindmeister.com/72844275/world-ecitizen-action-research-projects
2. Achievement for All National Workshops 17-19 March MirandaMods, Education Show, Birmingham 2011
National Exhibition Centre Birmingham B40 1NT
Details: www.education-show.com
MirandaMod programme: free entry
Thursday 17th March
10am: Using Digital Technologies & Data for Assessment, Tracking & Intervention
2pm: Web 2.0: Tools for Teaching and Learning
Friday 18th March
10am: Getting the Most from ICT Tools in Today’s Classroom
2pm: Using Digital Technologies in Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND)
Saturday 19th March
10am: Teach First: Goal Setting for Achievement, Access and Aspiration
2pm: Parent Networks: Using Digital Technologies for Engaging Parents in Learning
3. Mobile learning: Crossing boundaries in convergent environments 21-22 March 2011 Bremen, Germany
The conference is hosted by the University of Bremen, run by the Department for Media Education and Design of Multimodal Learning Environments and by the Institute Technology and Education (ITB) in association with the London Mobile Learning Group (LMLG), Pontydysgu and MirandaNet.
The registration for the Mobile Learning Conference in Bremen is now open. The online form can be accessed via
Submit your proposals for presentations, workshops etc. via the conference tool EasyChair at http://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=mlcb2011. Deadline is January 7th, 2011. Information about the conference is available at: www.londonmobilelearning.net/bremen
4. The CAL Conference 2011 - Learning Futures: Education, Technology & Sustainability April 13-15 2011, Manchester, UK
In 2011, the conference will lead a challenging international debate about the future of research and practice in educational technology. CAL 11 aims to:
- Explore the role of educational technology research in addressing questions of global and social justice, widening participation and digital democracy
- Assess what role educational technology might play in the context of low carbon, energy constrained futures
- Explore how emerging technologies from diverse fields (e.g. gaming, AI, biotech, ubiquitous computing) might offer new environments for learning
- Examine the informal learning practices emerging in children, youth and adults’ digital cultures and their implications for education
- Reflect on what lessons have been learned over the last thirty years of education technology research, and what these might mean for the future of research in the field.
5. British Education Research Conference (BERA) Annual Conference 2011, September 6-8, Institute of Education, London
Some members will also be attending this BERA conference that focuses on research issues which are particularly relevant as research funds are cut in the UK recession. We are applying to do a MirandaMod.
The two main speakers are:
1. Professor Mary James from the Institute of Education, University of London
How can we Speak Truth to Power, and be heard? A case for principled pragmatism
BERA has done a great deal to establish mechanisms and infrastructures for its collective wisdom to be co-ordinated, mined and further developed. A task in the coming years will be to increase its efforts to put this work to good use for the benefit of education. Central will be communication and dialogue with key stakeholders about the relevance of research evidence to policy. But how should we go about this? Drawing particularly on the experience of TLRP, this address will explore the diversity of direct and indirect ways in which research can have impact without compromising fundamental values.
2. Professor Onora O’Neill Principal of Newnham College, Cambridge from 1992-2006 and now Professor Emeritus in the Faculty of Philosophy in Cambridge
Intelligent Accountability in Education
Systems of accountability are second order ways of assessing the standard to which first order tasks are carried out, for a great variety of purposes. However, more accountability is not always better, and processes of holding to account can impose high costs without securing substantial benefits. This can happen in education, for example if the assessment tail starts to wag the education dog, or if beautiful lesson plans produce little learning. Teachers and learners, like others, need to be held to account by intelligent systems of accountability that do not distort the primary activity, while providing enough – but not excessive--evidence of standards achieved to specific audiences for specific purposes. Intelligent accountability in education, as elsewhere, needs to communicate, not merely to disseminate, relevant evidence that can be assessed by those to whom professionals and institutions are accountable in real time.
- Abstracts due by January 10th
- http://beraconference.co.uk
Recommending conferences
Do you have any conferences to recommend? Please send a paragraph to Christina@mirandanet.ac.uk for inclusion in our next newsletter.
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