|
 |
Sixty Seconds of network news from
education.au |
|
Volume:7
Issue:11
July
2008
|
![]() |
|
|
| |
|
| |
Latest from education.au
This draft recommendations report is the result of a national e-portfolio symposium held in Adelaide on 11 June 2008. Leading thinkers, and policy and decision makers interested in e-portfolio development were invited to discuss key strategic issues and directions. The aims of the symposium were to identity and discuss issues associated with the development, implementation, interoperability and use of e-portfolios across the school sector and vocational education and training (VET) sector in Australia.
The report provides a summary and recommendations under the focus areas of ownership and purpose, interoperability, shared understandings, training and user/teacher support and resourcing. |
|
|
| |
The latest education.au seminar offers a unique opportunity to explore how technology is impacting on attention, motivation, multitasking, learning and work with Professor Martin Westwell. The seminar offers participants the option to register for a morning, afternoon or a discounted all day session.
- Morning Session - How Technology changes the way we think
- Afternoon Session - Lifelong learning in the workplace
Where: Leighton Hall, University of New South Wales, Randwick, Sydney.
When: Tuesday August 26 2008
For further information and registration details visit: www.educationau.edu.au.
|
|
|
| |
Our latest blog posts include:
- On iPhones, iTouch and lousy business models
- ICTs - losing our history before it’s made
- Should July 9 be Australia Day?
- Are you ready to join a Trust Federation?
- World Youth Day, 15 July
- On buying with confidence
- The case for Trust Federations in Education
- World Population Day, 11 July 2008
Subscribe to our
blog RSS Feeds and receive the updates as soon as they are
published! See our RSS Feeds page on how to
subscribe. |
|
|
| |
The InspirED digital story competition closed on June 20. The entries were exciting to watch, demonstrating innovative and fascinating uses of technology in the classroom. They showed students learning with technologies including podcasting, blogging, web conferencing, interactive white boards and more. It is clear that many teachers are doing wonderful things with technology, and passionate student teachers can't wait to take their understanding of technology in the curriculum into the classroom.
First prize is awarded to Neroli Gilmour of Yarrilee State School in Queensland. Neroli's entry showcases her use of podcasting and gives an excellent outline to help interested teachers implement it in their own classrooms.
Second prize goes to Mark Sparrell of Victor Harbour Primary School in South Australia. Mark's entry demonstrated his use of the Centra collaborative web environment to connect and engage students across SA, WA and NT with the National Values Education Framework. |
|
|
| |
 Staffing changes at education.au
We congratulate the following staff who have been successful at gaining new positions at education.au. Sam Fowler has moved from Executive Officer to Assistant Manager in myfuture.
Kerrie Smith, formerly Assistant Manager of edna Professional Learning and Online Communities, is now the Executive Officer and Lynley Clark, formerly Schools Information Officer, is now Assistant Manager of edna in Professional Learning and Online Communities.
|
|
|
| |
A new Indigenous Education page has been created on edna, with a link from the home page. The focus of the page is cross-sectoral, but users may still browse by sector if they wish. It is a dynamically generated page, supplying recently added resources in Indigenous policy, information and education resources, all available as RSS feeds. A news headline service on Indigenous education news has been added – this is also an RSS feed that may be added to an RSS reader to be continually updated on the latest news about Indigenous education.
|
|
|
| |
In this second of four series of episodes from edna's online workshops, edna Education Officer Cecily Wright leads a cross-sectoral discussion on the importance of global education.
In her session "Learning Without Borders", she challenges educators from all sectors to move beyond the wall of their institutions and immediate community to engage in the global education community. Discover what resources can help you to enhance learning across suggect areas and find out what the trends are in your sector. |
|
|
| |
The 2008 career market for students and parents will be held on Wednesday and Thursday, 6th and 7th August.
Specialising in the provision of career opportunities to secondary students throughout the ACT and the surrounding NSW schools network, the market provides local and national career information. Over 80 exhibitors include universities, colleges, and career placement organisations.
The market opens from 9:00am to 2:30pm. An evening session runs on Wednesday from 5:30pm to 8:30pm. Entry is free.
The event is a Community Vocational Project of the Rotary Club of Canberra City in partnership with the ACT Department of Education and Training.
You can visit Canberra Careers Market site for more information.
Find this and other events on the myfuture calendar. |
|
|
| |
Policy and Research
Australians will soon see new and improved services in online environments, with the launch of the Smart Services Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) in Sydney. The centre, which will be based at Australian Technology Park, is the result of a $120 million collaboration between governments, universities and industry partners.
|
|
|
| |
JISC and SCONUL recently commissioned a study to survey the Library Management Systems (LMS) landscape in the UK with particular reference to higher education (HE).
The study recommends libraries invest in systems with caution but not complacency, emphasizing that, whilst the library function has continuing and potentially growing value, the role of ‘conventional’ library may appear increasingly unclear.
|
|
|
| |
Industry sectors across Australia are taking a long term view of building the skills of their people by embedding e-learning into workforce development. Preliminary funding of approximately $600,000 has been allocated to Australian industry groups and businesses to integrate e-learning into their workforce training plans and practices.
|
|
|
| |
The Content Services Code, a new industry code of practice for providers of online and mobile phone content was released today. The new code was approved by the Australian Communications and Media Authority on 10 July 2008. The legislation establishes a framework for the regulation of new content services, such as content delivered through Internet streaming and 3G services to mobile phones.
|
|
|
| |
The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy announced the publication of submissions on initiatives to provide enhanced broadband to rural and remote areas.
Copies of the submissions can be found at: www.dbcde.gov.au/remotebroadband.
|
|
|
| |
The Australian vocational education and training (VET) sector is set to benefit from new trials into emerging e-learning technologies. Four registered training organisations (RTOs) have received a total of $74,000 in funding for the trials from the national training system's e-learning strategy, the Australian Flexible Learning Framework (Framework).
|
|
|
| |
All eligible schools in Australia are encouraged to be part of the second round of the Rudd Government’s National Secondary School Computer Fund. The National Secondary School Computer Fund is part of the Rudd Government’s $1.2 billion commitment to help bring our classrooms into the 21st century.
Almost 1900 secondary schools across Australia will be able to apply in the second round. Round Two will provide funding of around $180 million and enable all remaining schools across Australia to achieve a computer to student ratio of 1:2.
Further information about the National Secondary School Computer Fund and a copy of The Guide is available at: www.digitaleducationrevolution.gov.au.
|
|
|
| |
Harnessing Technology was published by the UK Government in 2005 and set out a system-wide strategy for technology in education and skills. Becta has revised the strategy, Harnessing Technology: Next Generation Learning, for the next six years.
The revised strategy sets out a commitment to ensuring every school, college, university or training provider is 'technology confident', placing particular emphasis on achieving this through engagement with learners and parents and the professional development of teachers and trainers. |
|
|
| |
This publication provides a snapshot of Australia's publicly funded vocational education and training (VET) sector for 2007. It includes information about students and participation, courses and qualifications, module/unit of competency enrolments, and hours of delivery for each state and territory.
|
|
|
| |
This report examines changes in employment modes for various groups of workers and its effect on the level and extent of skills development. The report finds that there is reduced support for training by employers as a result of the changing employment patterns, and this means that skills development will increasingly need to be funded by workers themselves and the taxpayer through the public vocational education and training system.
|
|
|
| |
Businesses are missing out on the potential that social networks present, a leading information technology company has warned. Researchers for Gartner have found that huge opportunities for improving the management of large firms exist . "Businesses which harness how employees use these sites stand to increase savings, productivity and profits," said Gartner researcher Jeffrey Mann. The challenge is how to apply this to the corporate world.
|
|
|
| |
Researchers from Australian technology think tank NICTA will tour Europe over the next three years to demonstrate its work on advanced communications, architecture and distributed services. Researchers have been invited to demonstrate findings at the European Commission’s 7th Framework Program for research and technological Development which began this year and continues until August 2011. |
|
|
| |
In the latest article from Futurelab, Mind the gap – open source is a player, Merlin John explores how open source is bringing major savings and quality support for teaching and learning at Cottenham Village College.
|
|
|
| |
What might fairer assessment look like and how might technology be used to create fairer assessment tools? This interdisciplinary workshop organised by Futurelab, explored issues about the role of assessment in educational and social justice and the potential for technology to support fairer assessments.
A workshop report is available to download, summarising key questions, issues and discussions from this event.
|
|
|
| |
This paper analyses the university as an Internet intermediary in the current climate of online distance education, classifies the stakeholders associated with the university in Web course management, and explores the need for an “Instructional Design Copyright Law”.
|
|
|
| |
The Le@rning Federation (TLF) has released exciting new online curriculum content for the June 2008 quarter. There is more to offer for the senior secondary students with learning objects available in English and literacy, Mathematics and numeracy, and Science. TLF has licensed 31 gizmos from the US-based ExploreLearning. Learning objects for assessment purposes are being developed and an increased number are now available for years (P-9). The first 54 recorded interviews for Australian Voices project that include first hand accounts from people in the creative arts; medicine, sport; and politics; experiences of war and natural disasters etc are now available. New partners for digital resources include Australian War memorial, Australian Museum and State Library of Queensland.
Another highlight of the latest content release is the new series of learning objects designed specifically for the Early Years. These include Letter planet, Dragon jumble and Words and pictures series.
The content release notes are available under the What’s new section of TLF website. |
|
|
|
|
