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Methodological portal
Methodological portal emerged in the Czech Republic as the main methodological support for teachers and to support the implementation of general education programs in schools. Its purpose is to create an environment in which teachers will be able to inspire and inform each other about their experiences.
eLearning Papers 30 on Creative Classrooms and 21st Century Teachers published!
This issue spotlights new research and classroom practices that illustrate how new learning technologies have affected teachers' professional environments. 21st century learners has become a buzz-word in the field of educational research. This issues applies the term to teachers, seeking practical examples and prospective visions that examine what it means to be a teacher in today’s knowledge society.
The fast-paced evolution of technology is challenging for teachers, who often struggle with the demands of keeping up-to-date with their students’ digital lifestyles. Initiatives for the enhancement of ICT in education often address deployment of devices and tools in the classroom, without fully considering how they may affect and change the way people teach and learn.
This special issue asks: How do educational organisations change? And how does this transformation impact upon the role of teachers? By problematising and giving greater complexity to the issue in hand, the articles serve as a starting point for dialogue and debate.
eLearning Papers 30 that has been guest edited by Hans Laugesen, International Secretary and Senior Educational Policy Officer GL - The National Union of Upper Secondary Teachers, Denmark, Jim Devine, Former President, IADT (Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology), Ireland, and Tapio Koskinen, www.elearningpapers.eu, Director of the Editorial Board, includes the following articles:
In Depth articles
Innovating Teaching and Learning Practices: Key Elements for Developing Creative Classrooms in Europe
Keywords: creative classrooms, innovative pedagogical practices, ICT-enabled innovation for learning, systemic approach, educational change
By Stefania Bocconi, Research fellow at the Institute for Prospective Technological Studies, Panagiotis Kampylis, Research fellow at the Institute for Prospective Technological Studies and Yves Punie, Senior scientist at the Institute for Prospective Technological Studies
Leveraging Trust to Support Online Learning Creativity – A Case Study
Keywords:assessment, new learning environments, learning interactions, e-participation
By Sonia Sousa and David Lamas, Tallinn University, Institute of Informatics
Academic Staff Development in the Area of Technology Enhanced Learning in UK HEIs
Tags
Keywords: staff development, technology enhanced learning, training, higher education
By Timos Almpanis, Learning Technologies, Southampton Solent University
From the Field articles
Training Teachers to Use Web 2.0 Tools
Keywords: professional development, Web 2.0 tools, open educational resources
By Sandra Vuk, August Šenoa Elementary School, Zagreb and Dubravka Petković Fažana Elementary School, Fažana
Enhancing Online Student Engagement
Keywords: distance education, student engagement, arts-based learning activities, higher education, learning technologies
By Beth Perry, Athabasca University, Katherine J. Janzen, Mount Royal University and Margaret Edwards, Athabasca University
Website – A Partnership between Parents, Students and Schools
Keywords: school website, cooperation, school-family relationships, primary school
By Sandra Vuk, August Šenoa Elementary School, Zagreb
To read eLearning Papers 30 on Creative Classrooms and 21st Century Teachers, click here
Udvikling af akademisk personale inden for teknologistøttet læring på videregående uddannelsesinstitutioner i Storbritannien
Denne artikel handler om et studie af personaleudvikling inden for teknologistøttet læring på videregående uddannelsesinstitutioner i Storbritannien, som fandt sted i november 2011. Data til undersøgelsen blev genereret via en online spørgeundersøgelse, som blev mailet ud til Heads of e-Learning Forum (HeLF), et netværk bestående af én overordnet ansat pr. videregående uddannelsesinstitution i Storbritannien, som ønsker at styrke læring og undervisning via teknologianvendelse.
Forud for undersøgelsen indsamlede man, via skrivebordsbaseret forskning på nogle af universiteternes offentligt tilgængelige hjemmesider, lignende informationer om personaleudvikling inden for teknologistøttet læring. Online undersøgelsen modtog 27 besvarelser, hvilket udgør cirka en fjerdedel af alle medlemmerne på HeLF-listen (118 i alt). Både pre-1992 (i alt 16) og post-1992 moderne universiteter (i alt 11) var repræsenteret i undersøgelsen, og resultaterne viser, hvordan dette udpluk af engelske HEI’er griber personaleudvikling inden for teknologistøtte læring an. Hovedspørgsmålet i undersøgelsen var ”Hvilke foranstaltninger gør britiske HEI’er for udvikling af deres personale inden for teknologistøttet læring?”.
Man udarbejdede tolv spørgsmål, både lukkede og åbne, for at indsamle tilstrækkelige informationer om, hvordan personaleudviklingsbehov inden for teknologistøttet læring gribes an af forskellige britiske institutioner. Efter en begrundelse af den anvendte undersøgelsesmetode, analyseres og diskuteres resultaterne af online undersøgelsen, og der drages konklusioner.
Learning and teaching in the 21st century
Theme of the conference is the way in which technology can be used to enrich the pedagogic didactic actions of the teacher and can promote the learning of pupils and students. Best that have proven their value are presented and at an education market participants can experience hands on how technology can succesfully be introduced in education.
To further technology in education professionalisation of teachers is very important. Therefore the conference goes into the setup of professionalisation paths that are in keeping with the learning needs of teachers. Technology can be of use in these paths and help reach the professionalisation goals.
The conference is meant for teachers and management of primary and secondary education, professional and higher education.
MEDEAnet
MEDEAnet aims to promote media-based learning to organisations and practitioners through local training and networking events, online resources and knowledge sharing. MEDEAnet will also exploit best practices of the annual competition MEDEA Awards and extend its existing informal network and support the MEDEA Foundation, a membership organisation that ensures the sustainability of the MEDEA Awards.
The MEDEAnet Consortium aims to extend the reach of the informal network of organisations and practitioners linked to the annual MEDEA Awards, a free-to-enter annual European competition that rewards excellence in the use of media to support learning in all sectors since 2008, by providing opportunities for local events linked to the MEDEA Awards and to involve not only early adopters, but also mainstream practitioners in networking opportunities.
MEDEAnet will also support the MEDEA Foundation, a legally constituted membership organisation that is being established in 2012 by the European Commission-funded MEDEA2020 project, and provide a bridge to this foundation by identifying potential members and supporting the recruitment of European practitioners and stakeholders to take up the services and opportunities for partnership offered by the foundation. Through the MEDEAnet partners this network will reach teachers and trainers who are less skilled and motivated to use media-based learning approaches.
In this way, this 3-year networking project will directly address the priority of promoting digital competence in terms of media familiarity and skill as a key transversal competence for life and employability amongst European-wide stakeholders' communities. MEDEAnet partners will:
- organise workshops in its 7 partner countries sharing best practice with the input of MEDEA Awards’ winners and finalists
- provide a 12-part series of public webinars on related topics
- publish an annual report on media literacy, skills in educational media production and the use of media-based teaching resources
- promote knowledge building and sharing amongst practitioners
- roll-out a large-scale dissemination and exploitation strategy on media and learning
MEDEAnet is a 3-year network project funded under KA3 of the Lifelong Learning Programme, running from January 2012 to December 2014.
Call for Manuscripts
Call for manuscripts.
We seek empirical investigations, literary reviews or interviews within the range of research in language and literature teaching methods. We will accept submissions in Catalan, Spanish, French and English. Submissions to the journal are reviewed by the editorial board and advisory board, using a critical process of blind peer review.
Graduate students who have defended their research projects or are currently writing their MA or doctoral thesis, related to the teaching of language or literature can send a proposal to this email address: bellaterra.journal@gmail.com.
New Perspective in Science Education
The “New Perspective in Science Education” conference has the aim to promote transnational cooperation and share good practice in the field of innovation for Science Education.
The conference is also an excellent opportunity for the presentation of previous and current projects in the science field.
The aim of the “New Perspective in Science Education” conference is to promote transnational cooperation and share good practice and in the field of the application of innovation for Science Education.
The conference focuses on the following topics:
- Enhancing students’ motivation
- New Technologies for Science Teaching
- Science Communication
- Science Education and Disabled People
- Science Education Projects and Initiatives
- Science Education Resources and Activities
- Studies on Science Education
- Science Teaching Methods
- Training of Science Teachers
Please note that this is by no means an exhaustive list and other topics will also be considered.
Education Show
The Education Show is the UK's leading education event for the promotion and development of all learning and teaching.
- Chose from over 70 CPD sessions in Learn Live and learn from fellow practitioners and industry experts
- Purchase the latest resources for your classroom with access to 400 education providers offering exclusive show offers and discounts
- Hear from and speak to leading education bodies and associations who will be speaking in workshops and hosting information points
The Education Show is free to attend.
World Education Forum Stresses Public-Private Collaboration for Quality Learning
System-wide innovations to improve education quality can only take root through broad collaboration across private, public and non-governmental actors, participants affirmed at the World Education Forum in London on 9-10 January.
Addressing the Forum, which gathered some 60 education ministers, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova stressed the importance of “fit to size solutions. Progress is more than a question of money – it is all about matching… matching capacity with needs, matching skills and knowledge to the requirements of markets. ”
During the Forum, she presented the ICT Competency Framework for Teachers, describing it as “an excellent example of how an intergovernmental organizations and private partners can cooperate to deliver concrete results. ” She noted that “public-private partnership is a new form of ‘civilian power’ that will help shape the new spirit of learning in the 21st century.”
Speaking at the opening reception of the Forum, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs William Hague commended the ICT Competency Framework.“Unless we continue to have a global outlook in our education system and constantly refresh our thinking from examples of success around the world, we put that cutting-edge status at risk. (…) UNESCO’s Information and Communication Technology Competency Framework for Teachers demonstrates this forward thinking approach to education.”
The Deputy Secretary-General Commonwealth Secretariat Ransford Smith reiterated that “innovative ideas adapted to vastly diverse circumstances call for sharing and collaboration. ” The ICT Competency Framework, he said, offered a comprehensive and integrated approach, adding that it is expected to have a “long term impact on teachers in Guyana,” where UNESCO has been a partner in the ICT professional development of teachers.
Intel’s Vice President John Davies gave examples of system-wide innovations in Turkey, Argentina and Viet Nam that have led to teacher training in ICTs, improved learning outcomes and increased connectivity through broad partnerships involving governments and private industries.
On the sidelines of the Forum, the Director-General met with a number of partners, including Intel, Microsoft, Pearson, HP, Lego Education, Promethean and GEMS Education to discuss the establishment of a Global Alliance of Corporate Partners for Education. “Unless we show a global mobilization involving private sector, governments and NGOs, we will not be able to seriously put education on the global agenda.”
The Education World Forum is hosted by the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA), with support from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for Education, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and several industry partners.
Related Links
UNESCO chief stresses need for innovation to ensure quality, equitable education (UN News Centre)
Computing in Schools. Shut down or restart?
The Computing in Schools project looked at the current provision of education in Computing in UK schools, informed by evidence gathered from individuals and organisations with an interest in computing.