Three Edublogs webinar overviews!

Serendipity – Two topics UDL and information curation (13th/14th October 2011)

Apologies for not posting the last couple of overviews – pressure of work just got too heavy. I hope that doing three posts in one will get me back on track!

Introduction

In this recorded session we had two topics because we had a dead heat betweeen looking at universal design for learning and curating information. The consensus was to discuss both so we split the time between the two beginning with information curation

The Session

We initially used a whiteboard to gather some of the methods we use to manage (curate) information.

The conversation moved on using text and audio as we discussed some of these in a little more depth. There are so many tools that can be used for curating information, we all have our preferences based on the ways we think and learn. No one tools will ever be right for everyone!

We moved on to look at Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Initially we spent time clarifying our various understandings of UDL. The focus on accessiblity underpins UDL but there is some perception that it can be used as a way to make everyone conform.

Both topics are really deserving of full Fine Focus sessions – information curation probably needs as many sessions as there are tools and different ways of using them.

Conclusion

This session reinforced for me something that I already feel very strongly. That is the importance of giving learners and colleagues choice with respect to tools not just for information curation but for all aspects of their e-learning. This was particularly interesting when juxtaposed with the second half of the session on UDL which focuses on accessiblity. This sometimes seem be used as a justification for trying to make a tool or site “all things to all people” and thus removing “difference”.

“Regional Voices Crying Out To Be Heard” (20th/21st October 2011)

Introduction

In this session I told the story of Western Australia’s unique approach to participation in the national consultation for Australia’s new Foundation Skills Strategy. The session was as always recorded.

The Session

The session really was more of a story than a presentation. I shared the slides I had used in my recent workshop/presentation via Elluminate at the 34th Australian Council for Adult Literacy Conference – Literacy on the Map about how Western Australia enabled our regional voices to be heard in the by using Elluminate for their regional focus group in the national consultation for Australia’s new Foundation Skills Strategy. The recording of that session plus the slides and an approximate transcript of content are available on the conference Presentations page under “Tuesday” Session D5 Regional voices crying out to be heard! I also posted on this blog about the consultation when it happened back in April under the title “Elluminate Your Consultation Process”

Those of us who took part in the consultation felt that using Elluminate enabled us to overcome Western Australia’s tyranny of distance and thus play a significant role in that consultation process.

Conclusion

I really enjoyed this session! It was very much a talk through the processes, both of:

  • presenting via Elluminate at a conference that was entirely face-to-face except for my workshop; and
  • the consultation process itself and how we met the consultants’ requirements via Elluminate

It was very satisfying to re-visit the processes in company with several experienced Elluminate users and to discuss some of the rationale behind the choices of tools and strategies.

Serendipity – Parent Education (because they seem so hostile to technology) – (27th/28th October 2011)

Introduction

In this very lively recorded Serendipity session the topic of choice was “parent education – because they seem so hostile to technology”.

The Session

A really great session! This is one of those topics where all e-minded educators seem to feel very strongly and that always gives rise to a good session.

We looked first at some possible reasons why parents give such an impression of hostility about technology in the classroom. These thoughts filled a whiteboard quickly and generated further discussion ranging into the educational “value” of some student use of technology. There were also several links in textchat relating to research in the area of parent education.

Having discussed why parents were negative we moved on to consider how they might be educated in the value of the technology in a learning context.

Again we quickly filled a whiteboard with ideas and more links both on the whiteboard and in textchat. There were some great ideas shared on the whiteboard and chat and then expanded on through audio. As always there was much serendipitous learning in the diversions into e-portfolios, blogging, QRcodes and other fascinating areas.

Conclusion

This was a buzzy session with contributions coming thick and fast. The best thing about Serendipity sessions is the unconference nature because we never know where we will go in our “e-xplorations”.

Our Next Session

Our next Webinar is an Edublogs “Fine Focus” session, “Facebook won’t go away!” I take a look at Facebook – from the premise that if it won’t go away (and it won’t) we need to embrace it as a tool. Join us on Thursday November 3rd at 23:00 GMT/UTC the time for you will vary depending on your timezone (check yours here) Thursday afternoon/evening in the USA, late night Thursday in Europe, and Friday morning October 4th in Australia – in the usual virtual room

 

Edublogs webinar overview – Strategies for SpEd

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Just a Reminder for those of you whose clocks change in Spring/Autumn (Fall). The Session time for you will be different when your clocks change in September/October. Our time remains on 23:00 GMT Thursdays. If you are in the Northern Hemisphere the session time will be ONE HOUR EARLIER after the clock change. In the Southern Hemisphere it will be ONE HOUR LATER.

Introduction

This Fine Focus session was a “spin-off” from last week’s Serendipity where we shared our ideas about strategies we have used when working with SpEd students. We were joined by Jo Whalahan (Jo W) who is a SpEd teacher well known to  one of our regular participants Sandra Stewart (@marndon) from New South Wales. Jo W joined us to talk about how she works with her students.

The Session

The session was very much a conversation using mainly audio and so this overview can only give a taste – catch the recording for the full flavour!

We spent a few minutes discussing what would work best for Jo W as it was her first webinar and it is always really dificult at first to talk into a void. So we settled on an interview style with Sandra asking questions – a strategy that worked very well as Sandra is familar with Jo W’s work and also knows her in “real life” making the questioning a bit less stressful than if it came from someone unknown.

Because the session was mostly oral I tried to capture some of Jo W’s thoughts and ideas and some of the student characteristics on a whiteboard and have used this to create a Wordle.

Although the focus of the session was on the conversation between Sandra and Jo W there were also questions in the text chat which Sandra was able to bring into the conversation enabling us all to join in while maintaining the flow of  the session.

Conclusion

This was a new style for Fine Focus – it worked very well and is something that we will definitely do again! Hearing Jo W’s strategies and insights into her students was fascinating and she coped brilliantly with the new (to her) medium.

Next Webinar

Our next session is an Edublogs “Serendipity” session on Thursday October 13that 23:00 GMT/UTC (Afternoon/Evening USA) or Friday October 14th at 7am West Aus, mid morning Eastern States Aus depending on your timezone (check yours here) – in the usual Elluminate room. This is one of our fortnightly unconference sessions where we invite you to bring along your “hot topics” and “burning issues” for our poll on the topic

Edublogs Serendipity webinar overview – Ideas for Special Ed Strategies

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Just a Reminder for those of you whose clocks change in Spring/Autumn (Fall). The Session time for you will be different when your clocks change in September/October. Our time remains on 23:00 GMT Thursdays. If you are in the Northern Hemisphere the session time will be ONE HOUR EARLIER after the clock change. In the Southern Hemisphere it will be ONE HOUR LATER.

Introduction

In this lively session, recorded as always, we shared ideas on strategies for what is termed in this session as “Special Ed” within a classroom situation with students of widely varying level. We all seemed to interpret this (for the purpose of this session) to mean meeting the needs of students with specifically identified issues that impact on their learning

The Session

The topic chosen was proposed by one of the participants who was seeking ideas for working with large class of very diverse students – over 50% of the students having issues impacting on their learning – with no additional support (teacher’s aide) available.

We headed a whiteboard with the topic and then shared ideas and strategies using not only the whiteboard but text chat and audio – the Wordle is a composite of many of those.


We also had input from a colleague of a participant who was unable to join us but who contributed suggestions that were added to the whiteboard. As usual a variety of thoughts and links were also shared so catching the recording will give you more information.

Conclusion

This session was particularly interesting as we were focussing on a particular classroom situation, so our ideas were perhaps more specific than is the case when we are having a general discussion on a topic.

Our Next Session

Our next Webinar is an Edublogs “Fine Focus” session, Topic not yet finalised. Join us on Thursday October 6th at 23:00 GMT/UTC the time for you will vary depending on your timezone (check yours here) Thursday afternoon/evening in the USA, late night Thursday in Europe, and Friday morning October 7th in Australia – in the usual virtual room