Next delivery of R & C!

Reflect and Connect!

A totally online (e-portfolio approach) course in Moodle/Mahara/Blackboard Collaborate) that is designed to empower you to build your personal learning network, e-portfolio, and digital identity as a responsible digital citizen.

We are pleased to announce that another exciting professional development opportunity is coming your way: 
Reflect and Connect #5 orientation week: 24 October  – 2 November. 

The course will run until first week in December, but participants will continue to have access to course materials and Mahara eportfolio as long as they need it.

Six weeks of intensive professional practice in taking charge of your own e-learning, generating your own personal web presence, building a personal learning network and developing an ongoing e-portfolio.

Details available here: http://www.coachcarole.net/

Discussion » Building e- capability e-Champion Gippsland Region

Discussion » Building e- capability e-Champion Gippsland Region

Talkgroup » EPCoP MOOC

Talkgroup » EPCoP MOOC

Networking and Sharing

The reflect and Connect learners have been researching why networking is so important and how  they can keep current with the ever changing world of technology ,by developing their personal learning networks.

They now understand why Networking  for educators is essential for Professional Development and how they have become just as important to the educator as  their classroom practice. How the  responsibility for our own training and development is essential and our PLN helps us  maintain our professional standing.  The great thing about Personal learning Networks is that we are able to learn by doing, learn with others and learn by sharing..
We discussed what would happen if we didn't have a PLN how teaching was an isolated profession for many . How in the past network central was generally the staff room and how educators were stifled in their growth.

Joining and Exploring

Participants are learning that support networks take many shapes and form the most valuable connections they will make on their e-learning journeys.Their networking and connections have already been  enhanced by participating in this online course

We are discussing the range of support networks that are available to them both within and outside their organizations and how to access advice and keep up with current trends in their fields.

Reflecting and Connecting

Reflection can be used in any work or educational sector , it is important in our professions  to find answers to our daily professional practice and lives. We are constantly adapting and building on our experience.

Schön speaks of reflective practitioners who are not just skilful or competent but “thoughtful, wise and contemplative”, whose work involves “intuition, insight and artistry” this is so true.

As professionals we must work within a code of ethics and practice this ensures we are in tune with the needs of others and run our professional lives under a sensible set of rules .

Students have been discussing  how to give and receive feedback, how to reflect on a critical incident and understand codes of ethics. The forums are buzzing with evaluation research and new ideas.

Views in the students  e-portfolios are starting to grow and all are getting a grasp on the e-portfolios concept.

 The students have been evaluating web 2.0 tools as a collaborative team. We look forward to hearing their findings.

There's a whole lot of reflecting goin' on ...

Now that we're approaching the middle week of the R&C course, the conversations are ramping up and all participants are finding their feet in the forums.

We have a designated leader for the Using Tools and Resources and the team are busily selecting a tool to review for their own purposes. Learning Goals are being established and participants are trying out the Moodle Assignments dropbox tool. Some issues with that this week that we will need to address - however, as this course is all about reflecting and connecting there always alternative ways of providing access to assessment tools.

Mahara tools feature more prominently over the next two weeks (Victorian School Term break will help) and participants will be collecting their artefacts and setting up their folders in their MyPortfolio area. Good think that Mahara is joined at the hip with Moodle, no need for another login, its there right beside it ready for use at any time.

Blogs postings, tweets and forum replies are building as the group begin to bond and create their own small community of practice. Webinar no 4 is coming up for July 4th - Independence Day - we might need to wave our own flag that day for our own independence in taking charge of our own elearning in this course.

The next two weeks will be a critical element of the course and the two sections have been revealed for all to explore. Its always a fine line between information overload and resource rich - so we've pruned some activities and added a couple of videos to watch on the art of reflecting.