E for e-Learning

“E-learning is often talked about as a ‘trojan mouse,’ which teachers let into their practice without realizing that it will require them to rethink not just how they use particular hardware or software, but all of what they do” (Sharpe and Oliver, 2007a, p. 49).

What Sharpe and Oliver are proposing is that e-Learning has the potential to revolutionise teaching and learning; however this can only occur if we practitioners are prepared to engage e-learning in our practice - but allow more creativity to creep in. I have in the past been conscious of the propensity technology to guide learning. BUT, perhaps the most important lesson I have learned is that through reflection, creativity and development....learning can guide the technology!

"Facilitating an online environment has its own set of characteristics and challenges. When designing online learning, it's more important to drive it from the learning challenge rather than the technology perspective. You also need to design for student activity rather than delivery of content. Unlike a classroom setting, all the materials need to be prepared and structured in advance".

The following is a video of Gilly Salmon - one of the leading thinkers on e-Learning.

Its here [well its been here a while] a game based VLE!! Second Life......thus the sprinkle of creativity and imagination we have all been lloking for! There is a version for young people called Teenlife.

E is for Education

So, what's all this about? Any of you that have read my main blog, will know that I and a few others came up with some ideas for education. Maybe not revolutionary, maybe repackaging what we already have, but certainly shifting the focus away from targets and results. The idea being that students can be motivated to achieve by having an understanding of what they're aiming for and their role in the world. They need to learn and be able to express what it means to be a responsible citizen.

In the course of developing these ideas, they rather handily fit down into five words that begin with the letter E (everyone loves it when things are easy to remember)! Here are the five words together with some indication of where the thinking has started.

Here are the five Es: (I can sense the excitement)

Emotion – encouraging students to address and acknowledge how they behave, and how the way they behave affects and rubs off on others. In addition, students will also grow an understanding of how others may react to them. This will deal with areas of behaviour management and creating responsible citizens with respect for one another’s cultures. As mentioned in an earlier section, this needs to encompass areas like awareness of other ethnic groups, an awareness of other people in the world. Students should try and develop the skill of empathy as well as simply sympathising with what they see.

Experience – the whole school experience is important for students. What happens to them when they come through the door first thing in the morning? What extra options are there for students? How will they engage throughout the day? What’s the lunch like? This will deal with curriculum design, extra-curricular activities etc.

Employability – making sure that students are aware of the skills, qualifications etc. they need to get to their future careers. This means that students should be aware of what skills they are developing and why employers need them. Employers also need to be engaged and encouraged to get involved with education.

Entrepreneurship – helping students get that independent, can-do attitude that seems so prevalent amongst entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs succeed because they don’t let things get in their way. They have a commitment to achieving and often have ambitious goals. Students should be encouraged to develop that spirit of entrepreneurship in the work that they undertake. They will then be able to overcome obstacles and achieve beyond what they thought possible.

E-Learning – Something of a buzzword, but still important. How can we use e-learning to support student progress. Use of new technologies should be encouraged. Students use technology every day. Schools should be embracing and using it too. Too often schools are challenged by the idea of technology and teachers see it as a threat. This is as much about opening teacher’s eyes as it is about opening pupil’s eyes!