Dear eLearning Engingeers,
Firstly, thankyou for attending that workshop back in December!
Secondly, I’m sorry I’ve been so slow in getting all these links out to you all! I was busy blogging and using Christmas as an excuse to drink red wine! 😉
However, I’d like you to accept this blog entry as an apology for my slackness and a happy new year wish all wrapped into one!
Below is the long ago promised list of links to all the resources we talked about in the workshop. I decided to turn the list I’ve prepared into a blog entry – hoping that it might help us to start discussing how you and your staff can use some of these tools in the classroom/ workshop/ workplace in 2006.
Please feel free to pass the link on to colleagues, staff members and others if you wish.
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1. What is eLearning?
There are a range of interesting websites, blogs and discussion papers that look at what elearning is, what it should be, and the outcomes we should all be aiming for.
Check out the following blogs for some interesting ongoing discussions about elearning, online technologies and education.
- Bott’s Place by Craig Bottomley
- ENGAGEME: Motivating learners from all age groups using new, emergent and mobile communication technologies
- Infocult: Information, Culture, Policy, Education
- Stephen’s Web by Stephen Downes
- Teach and Learn Online by Leigh Blackall
- Weblogg-ed by Will Richardson
2. teacherSmart
The TLRU will be releasing further information on teacherSmart training sessions and other professional development opportunities. However, in the meantime you can check out the teacherSmart website, the teacherSmart Flickr Group and teacherSmart del.icio.us links for an update.
3. Learning Object Repository
A Learning Object Repository is a searchable database that houses digital resources and/or metadata that can be reused to mediate learning.
During the workshop we looked at a number of Learning Object Repositories:
- Teaching and Learning Exchange (TaLE)
TaLE provides access to teaching resources developed by the NSW Department of Education and Training. - Education Network Australia (EdNA)
EdNA Online provides a range of services including a directory of useful info about education and training in Australia; and a database of web-based resources useful for teaching and learning. - MERLOT: (Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching)
MERLOT is a free and open learning object repository designed primarily for faculty and students of higher education. - AEShareNet
AEShareNet is an online catalogue of learning materials owned by organisations
across Australia. - TAFE Connect Online Showcase
Provides TAFENSW staff with access to TOL Learningware (online courseware) to see if it is suitable for their teaching.
4. Flexible Learning Toolboxes
Flexible Learning Toolboxes (formally known as ANTA Toolboxes) provide electronic resources, suggested learning strategies and supporting materials in a range of subject areas on CD-rom. TAFE NSW buys licenses for the Flexible Learning Toolboxes so that teachers can integrate them into their delivery.
To find out more about the Flexible Learning Toolboxes you can:
- Visit the Australian Flexible Learning Framework Website
- Read my previous post about attending a Flexible Learning Toolbox Workshop
- Contact the TLRU for further info.
5. Creative Commons
The Creative Commons website provides copyright holders with the ability to grant some of their rights to the public while retaining others when publishing works online. The aim is to make it easier for authors to freely share their work with others if they want to.
For further info:
- Watch ‘Get Creative‘ the Creative Commons Animation we watched during the workshop
- Check out ‘Reticulum Rex‘ – another Creative Commons Animation, which provides information on how Creative Commons has developed.
That second animation is especially exciting….”Free culture in real-time.” How inspiring for online educators who want to share resources and network more effectively!
6. New Online Tools/ Technologies/ Developments
Here’s the bit that I get all excited about. Below I’ve listed the new tools and technologies that we explored during the workshop, plus a few extras tacked on for your info.
Answers.com is a free, ad-supported, reference search service, created to provide you with instant answers on over a million topics.
del.icio.us is a social bookmarking, social software web service for storing and sharing web bookmarks. You can check out the teacherSmart del.icio.us links here; and my del.icio.us links here.
Wikipedia is a free content, multilingual encyclopedia written collaboratively by contributors from around the world.
Podcasting is a method of method of publishing audio and video programs via the Internet, allowing users to subscribe to a feed of new files (usually MP3s). Check out:
- Podcast.net to search for Podcasts
- Chinespod.com for a great example of Podcasting being used to create elearning resources.
Flickr is a digital photo sharing website and web services suite. It is free and allows users to upload and share their digital pictures with the world. Check out:
- Flickr Homepage
- My Flickr Pages – especially the Coffee Photoset as demonstrated @ the workshop
- The Flickr Blog
Writely is an online word-processing tool which allows users to share and collaborate on documents. You can use it for all sorts of things (Meeting notes, Reports, technical specs · Sign-up sheets, proposals etc.).
HipCal is an online calendar and to-do list which allows you to keep track of your life. Includes alert tools which can be used to send reminder emails, and has a group calendar tool that looks kind of groovy.
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So there you go! I hope you all find something interesting to explore in the list above. I’m looking forward to hearing what your thoughts are. I’ll be posting a bonus episode in the next few days – the “great online search for PW-50 info” coming soon!
Regards, Jo
PS. I’m working on getting a copy of the truly FAAABULOUS video Les shot @ our workshop for posting online. Don’t worry – if I manage to get it up, it will embarass me much more than it will embarass any of you! 😉
Nice tweaking of the blog Jo! And its great to find some one from the TLRU who is active with the open network stuff! I know Steven is keen and interested, but he seems to have slipped off my radar… And you have done a good job merging the old school with the new here 😉
Have you seen the wiki BlendedLearning?
I’m pretty keen to change the name from BlendedLearning to NetworkedLearning, and have each catagory being fed by RSS… let me know if you’d like to collaborate with your tagging so that your resources feed into the new look BL/NL
leighblackall[AT]gmail[DOT]com