Authentic Encounters Online (AEO) Ltd

The Trial of a Parent Lounge

2011-07-15T01:27:00.001-07:00

Communicating With Parents

Communication is an essential part of the home and school relationship and it's long been known that parent involvement relates positively to student achievement - including interest and motivation. Learn-Now now has the means to finally bring parents alongside the journey their children are on. We're trialing with one school team of parents to start with - where a team of 28 students are enrolled in Learn-Now.

Launching the Parent Lounge

This week launched the online community built especially for parents with children enrolled Learn-Now. The Parent Lounge is exclusively for parents to connect and share information and thoughts around their child's experience in Learn-Now. The lounge is designed to be as much a source of information as it is interaction... It's new though, and it's a case of make-it-up as we go, but hopefully the invited team's a forgiving bunch. It's a trial and much will be determined by how well we can engineer Elgg's functionality, as to how long it may continue, or at what point we invite a second team of parents in.

Communication Beyond The Projects...

Understandably, project life will be shared, but it's more than that... It's sharing the energy behind the beauty of what teaching and learning online now involves. It's involving them in the fun of it - actively so if they're open to it. It's taking the distance out of what can often exist between home and school. It's inviting them to also take part in what the students are doing, perhaps for most not directly, but in ways that'll enable them to at least get a taste. Above all, it's about building that community of practice (CoP) - their children aren't just 'a class', but members of another whole community...but just who? The lounge will share...

...and then there's Twitter and Facebook

Online Parent Lounges should have a place in all schools and beyond, on a platform such as this, via Twitter and Facebook, or combination of all - it's great way to reach plugged-in parents. Newsletters sent home in backpacks are so old school. We ourselves need to be more active with our Twitter and Facebook account (and will)...but neither give us much scope to really chat out the Q/As, insights and shared content matter. Tis a shame the students can't drive them though - being under 13 years old and legal about it, has its downsides...

Meanwhile though, bring on the Parent Lounge!

Learn-Now parents can now enjoy the journey with us as well.

Socialising the learning - young.

2011-06-28T18:11:00.000-07:00

Meet Anthony - he's 13.

Socialised learning is alive and well for him. He just doesn't know it - yet. But in tuning into the socialised learning that a team of NZ 8-10 year old students are into, he's about to become the recipient of some wonderfully socially enabled interaction.

28 students at Solway Primary School in Masterton are virtual tourists in a Cyber Field Trip to Uganda - now in its second year. Led by Lucy Ward, a 19 year old NZer in Uganda, the students jump from focus to focus. Recently they were introduced to Anthony, but he's since lost the smile in this photo and his Dad's adopted a worried look... The cost of school fees are almost out of Anthony's reach. Our journey into Uganda takes a new direction and we're travelling on a new vehicle into its midst.

Thanks Elgg!

We've adopted a new tool for Learn-Now students in Lucy's field trip and Elgg has become that bees knees tool/learning platform. It's the vehicle we're travelling on, into Uganda. The latest vehicle, was Ning. But it wouldn't let students under 13 years old aboard. So, that cut the whole primary, elementary and intermediate sector out of getting aboard some serious socialised learning online. (Though in fairness to Ning - it's a great vehicle for staff groups to socialise their operations - especially when working remotely from each other...). Elgg however, is a great vehicle to foster community based learning for all ages.

Socialising the learning online
Hosted by the Ministry of Education in our case, Elgg gets it. The eLearning department at the MOE gets it. Social learning is now possible, beyond a blog and a wiki for under 13 year olds.

What do the kids love about Elgg? The 28 students at Solway Primary are one example. It's very facebook'ish (but with teacher-student access controls if desired); they take the lead in personalising their space and lo and behold, they can create their own groups and run their own interactive, learning based communities. They drop their jaw at the amount of widgets they have available to them and manipulating pods around a dashboard, is as simple as drag and drop.

Life's finally not all about blogging. Nor do they need to jump sites to wiki'fy co-construction of knowledge into eg: Wikispaces; run polls in Surveymonkey; or be banned from Flickr etc for photos, as is common in many schools. They can now have their own photo albums and shared ones... Elgg has become quite a cosy one-stop shop. Yet, like a teenager learning to drive a car, these young students have to be taught how to drive their online space; learn how to be passengers; learn and personalise the 'Cyber Road Rules' and so on. It's a work in progress.

Anthony - behind the scenes
With Elgg as a vehicle/tool for learning, it is up to us to design the learning theme and content, then manipulate its functionality as a team of facilitators and students. Naturally the Cyber Field Trip 'Uganda in Action' led the way. Lucy socialises their learning as she

blogs aspects of her life in Uganda;
involves students in authentic learning experiences with real people, real buzz factors and real plights;
poses questions in her blog to further develop the thinking skills of her students;
links questions in her blog to forums enticing 24/7 access to discussion, or the processing of information;
tunes into student responses and further facilitates their thinking;
becomes a substitute for 'Googling' for information - she's real, on the ground and very relatable;
models the making of an impact;
shows how skills learnt in NZ can be transferred more globally;
is a wonderful example of a global citizen...

Meanwhile, the teacher who facilitates the students through Lucy's programme

seeds discovery eg: navigates them to new material from Lucy;
scaffolds the skills they'll need to interact with Lucy;
introduces the 'Pages' functionality for wiki-like co-construction of depth;
asks 'how can you make an impact'. Take Anthony for example... where to with him?
hypes them up almost mercilessly, but rarely pushes her own agenda - opening up the means by which students might come around to decisions themselves, with facilitation;
is about to open up a parent lounge online for parental involvement;
has allowed students to set up and run their own 'student lounge' to experiment with site functionality (knowing that it'll be viewed as 'just playing' - but is secure with her agenda - it follows an edge that's enabling, cognitively challenging, multi-tasking in nature and so on - the playing now, will be applied learning in Uganda in Action, their upcoming Bagz4Tagz enterprise and so on... It's making learning fun and when the going gets tough (or boring as students might say) they've plenty to draw on to up the anti, further personalise their learning and be responsible for making things happen - not spoon fed - but to take the lead.

Chaos reigns upfront...
Maturity seeps below...
Face2face, the students are talking over each other and can't really be heard when tuned into Uganda in Action, but online, there's a maturity in their voice as they form an impact, consider the challenges, use knowledge gained and in time, apply a social impact outcome. They even have the notions of scalability and sustainability in their impact, in mind. Not bad when remembering that these students are 8-10 years old. Already, they've become enterprising, are forming teams to divvy up the work ahead, are evaluating, reflecting and calculating. They're already on the road to success after 5 weeks of a single 2 hour slot per week. The security of Anthony's life at school is about to change for the better - the chat, the banter and even the 'dancing around' behind the scenes is social learning.

Owning the learning

The students' quest for knowledge now isn't just Google or YouTube. It's Lucy. It's www.xe.com (eg: how much are Anthony's school fees?). It's learning is powered by Elgg and an emotional urge to help, work together, own a project and exercise their own thinking skills. It's socialising the learning. It's social inquiry - not just 'inquiry learning'. As facilitators we're busy - immersing them in concepts, background info, tools of the trades, authentic scenarios and what if's eg: what if we were to Skype Lucy in from Uganda?

So, how about ISCT now?
Should ICT really be ISCT?

I believe that we should be adding S for Social into the now age-old reference of ICT. Once, the hype was IT, before evolving into ICT. Now, as learning as become more social this factor should form the notion of Information, Social Communication and Technology. We could in fact drop the T - technology is a no-brainer these days.

Much is made of digital classrooms, pods of laptops and mobile learning in education. The 'T' of technology is alive and well in 'ICT' amongst the contacts I have here in NZ and across to the US, UK, Australia and many parts of Europe.

The 'I' of information is almost at wow-factor levels in some schools too, but when it comes to 'communication', aside from perhaps a blog or student-teacher responses, today's hell-bent socialising factor is less obvious. How many classrooms have to 'be quiet' when learning? How much of the blended learning is discussion based, where the teacher talks less?

Digital Classrooms: Leaders? Models?
Are the likes of Digital Classrooms in particular - leaders of socialised, community based learning? Or are they full on with the technology, still very teacher directed? Are they working outside the 4 walls of their classroom, with students in other schools, or guests in other communities? Are they creating partnerships with other communities online? Do they have 24/7 access to their learning? Can they contribute after school, during the weekends and holidays...? Are they having a say in what they learn, who with (outside those 4 walls) and with which tool?

What is a cutting edge Digital Classroom? We'd like to think we are one ie: Learn-Now, but truth be known, we're trying our best. We're lucky too - the customers/schools who have adopted us make it easy. They've got the technology in place and let us manipulate it to the extreme as we know it too. As we too learn more, we'll stretch it further...and further. But, we need more partners. More schools, more students beaming in from homes and more projects to adopt.

We're tackling Elgg week by week - there's not that much of a life in there yet, but that's how it is when the participants are in training - they're just warming up to being so public with their presence. Being socially 'out there' is just as nerve wracking as it is in new environments face to face.

And where are we at the moment? Here in Frontup4Impact

...having fun,
really trying to socialise the learning!

Make an impact...

2010-11-04T04:13:00.001-07:00

Learning Intention: Make an Impact

It's the Learn-Now catch phrase...no matter what educational changes or standards occur. AEO Ltd and Learn-Now live and breathe all things digital and educational that we can... But with much discussion around Digital Generations, I can't help but tune into our very newest generation and 'keep up with them'. With 4 year old daughter Katelyn, I'm becoming increasingly stunned by the entrepreneurial spirit she's showing, alongside a resounding spirited passion to make an impact... Where's the digital in that - up front?

Lighten Up The Emphasis On 'Digital'... I think such emphasis on the 'digital' references with youth aged generations needs to lighten up. Granted, Katelyn's future is a huge unknown and we know that many of her potential jobs aren't even thought of yet...but let's not forget the timeless passion of some potential roles - to help others, to run ones' own business, make the world a better place no matter how small the engagement... In a timeless fashion, Katelyn, is exhibiting the same entrepreneurial spirit stemming from one of her great-grandfathers (died aged 98 in 2008)... She likens herself to Youth Enterprise teams aged 8-10 that she hears in action in Learn-Now and affiliated projects.

She's set herself on a mission to 'get money', not just for herself, but to also help others. Getting a job has become a self possessed interest - starting with collecting the eggs - her first paid job. She knows her dollars, is working out that several silver coins can bring the same benefits as the gold coins and size is relative to value...with NZ 's coin dimensions at least. But digitally? Mostly just a wealth of DVDs, home movies, photos, Skype and YouTube galore...

Skills Beyond The Digital
It's just under 10 years before Katelyn can tweet, blog or communicate her entrepreneurial missions and marketing... or in whatever tool's far more effective than blogs, tweets and IMs. What's timeless and needs far more emphasis is the context of what's she's doing. Learning other skills for life is giving her a huge head start. The beauty of it, is that she's leading her learning now - she's strategising, setting goals and monitoring progress. She's already a reflective practitioner, has end results in mind and multi-media (despite not having a TV) is as much part of her learning as Learn-Now students aged 8-16 years old are tuned into.

Immersion and Motivation
Little as she is, Little House on the Prairie is Katelyn's most sought after DVD/TV series to watch (thanks FATSO). Chance has it, that the lastest episode seen, sees 'Mary Ingalls' assessing the financial plight of her family, when father Charles finds himself out of work. Katelyn wants the debt explained, that's turning to custard at the Ingalls' local store. Mary chooses no longer to attend school,, but to work for what will be $1 a week full time, sewing with a local seamstress. Mary's rewarded with a bonus 75c for extra effort and commitment. This was the mid '70's...

Katelyn's soaked the working ethic storyline up and within a stunned few moments has engineered herself a job (with conditions!) and come the following Monday, a bank account and online access to her account. She's already tuned into earning interest... Immersion was accidental, but milked to the hilt, and she led it all, amidst a steady stream of questions. She wants to fill another Operation Christmas Child (shoe) box - with her own money 'for a baby who won't get a Christmas present from her Mum, because she can't work and has no money'. Sadly, the shoe box collection was weeks ago, but she's brainstorming an alternative.

Making An Impact or Making A Difference
It comes in so many forms. Today, the education sector drives this home in terms of learning, with digital references. It's so much more... Katelyn's nailing it. If this is her at 4, how will schools tap this when she's 5? 10? Digital or not... No doubting about it though, we'll be digital and be sure it'll be that that'll take her global. "5 year old exports goods and services to Australia and Uganda..." Perhaps she'll lead a Learn-Now team in FBFKids? Perhaps she'll go to Uganda and look after abandoned babies, when she too is 18, like Lucy (left), beaming her experience as a cybertrip back to others?

Immerse, motivate and enable kids to make an impact...
It'll go some way to creating a great sense of worth and global empathy.
Right now - life around us needs that, sadly...more than ever.
Social technologies will make it possible.
Understanding life's potentials and pitfalls first, is worth pursuing.

PS: ...thanks to Larry Bock (Sept 2010) and a sleepless night, I pursued this interest a little more after writing this. Who else presents a similar case? Says Larry " The chance to make a difference -- the opportunity to leave things just a little better than the way we found them -- when you think about it, that's what really drives most of us throughout life. Our kids are no different". Read more from Larry... I rest my case ;)

What The Kids Love...

2010-10-04T00:45:00.000-07:00

The Teacher I Never Had

I went teaching to be the teacher I never had. I was all of 11 when I daydreamed what my classroom should really look like, as Mr Principal of good intent made 'middle evil' studies (as I thought it was...a la 'medieval') exciting as best he could. Years later I turned classrooms into castles, caves, jungles, oceans, pirate ships, goldmine sites, tribal villages and profitable business centres. I became the teacher I never had... My idol as such, was the teacher in the Magic School Bus series... I maintained the child-like vision and the kids loved it. Many in their 20's on FB now reminisce with a great sense of humour and assure me they're not taking the mickey out of it all :). Yet, it was all within the days of the now 'don't-go-there' industrialised teaching even so...at least my paper work reflected it, despite the defiance when with kids affront.

Industralised Teaching - Still Here...Sadly So.

Today, teachers still have the beauty of designing that pirate ship, goldmine or business centre as their classroom, combining it with Web 2.0 tools - the likes of what Learn-Now's also using. Put the Web 2.0 tools into the mix on their own or via other providers and how enviable their teaching situation is now! Yet, over the weekend, I sadly heard of one NZ school in a town I'd taught in, teaching a very industrialised model, despite their Mimo, data projectors and DVDs. This school, I had understood, was a cutting edge school... The town would put a plum a mouth in their mouth as they'd claim "Ah yes... Xyz School - that's a good school". Alas, it's more about power games, preferential staff treatment and paper work than about what the kids love. Hoping to pull a colleague of mine who works there on board with the Learn-Now teams - it was quickly established as impossible. The kids simply didn't have computer access - and were 'last in line/on the roster (if at all)' for anything remotely IT orientated - a scary thought considering we're talking about Y7-8's here. The teacher herself, simply wouldn't be allowed. Asked if the terms elearning, blended learning, co-construction or even collaborative learning were apparent around the school - the answer was 'no'. This teacher has been through the ICT PD programme, so does know in even general terms what this represents.

So What Do The Kids Love?

I can't fix the impossible, but am very into being available, with a team behind me, for who ever would like learning to be fun, to be kid-centred - if not even engineered, daring and different! Having just seen tonight's TV2's Extreme Makeover - Home Edition with the McCully family, 10 year old 'Job' (as in the biblical 'Job') gets what he loves - everything from a camp site, to pirate room and a starry role in his own video game. Joe Public gets it - they go out of their way to project what kids love. I'm not f2f anymore, but as a teacher online, I still focus on what's at the heart of today's kids. Magic, creativity, reality, friends, money, adventure, helping out or 'being the boss' - taking control, how things work, the world and 'a point to it all'. They're into colour, sound, invitations, movement, mapping out their own pathways...

As A Teacher, What Do I Do?

I experiment, I listen and I merge what I can - even if at my financial expense, and help other teachers along the same route, through the students (known largely as reverse mentoring). I desperately want to get into video game work, but that desperately needs a 48 hour day! Instead, other kid projects get due justice and in the fine print at all times, is the skill building/key competency component. Kids are taught how to take charge, source services, maintain drive and create the wow-factor impact - not just for themselves, but others as much as possible. Strangely enough, this appeals to the under-achieving student through to the happy camper and gifted and talented student. Particularly the under achiever, who very soon give the G&T kids a run for their 'money'!

You're Kidding!?

The funny thing is - my skill building agenda is as much mine as the kids. The first student wow-factor is 'You're kidding!? We can do that? You'll let us?' One student once asked 'How come you can do that and none of my other teachers do that'? Tackling that required another act of diplomacy! Much of it is being allowed to...for the students as much as for the teacher. I was lucky in all bar 1 of my 15 years 'under a principal' - I had the freedom to do what I liked with the kids, how and almost when - to even buying anything from wire mesh by the rolls instead of homework books. I had teacher autonomy. I'm even luckier now as an online teacher and elearning service provider - I have a wealth more tools to use!

The Tools That Foster What Kids Love...

For me (the kids and AEO staff I work with in particular), much boils down to just a few, once the core mission as been designed. The last thing we do, is choose the tool, then figure out the rest (as we see happens so very often elsewhere). In no particular order, we'll ensure that there's:

A project (it too is a tool) with an impacting mission
A team (another tool - a means to do something)
Individualised and peer-tutoring components
A central online hub (eg: moodle) to satellite spaces/tools
Ability to create their own online environment
Spaces to discuss, announce and debate - esp forums
A space to 'waffle' (as one group called it) - a blog
Support services e.g: websites, news clips, cyberpals
The ability to create a community and invite others
The ability to post pics and video
Freedom to 'YouTube' and 'Flickr' it
Scope to invite experts and guests
Scope to be social, think, inquire, do, re-do and be.

A Contented Bunny Am I...

As a teacher today, I have the best of several worlds. The love of building life into projects; the world to loop in more easily than the class next door; kids who jump into elearning like ducks to water; the ability to reach more kids in a year than ever possible f2f: and dare I say...one very special MOE 'elearning' department who single handedly encourages, edifies, supports and dreams 'for the kids' with gob-smacking passion. I get to share with this dept, the buzz of winners who adopt the cool edge to learning and help path the way for next step potential. Ahead now, is the dream that every teacher and school desires to be on the same page. For years now, Learn-Now would hear the 'come back in 5 years time when we're ready for you' line...and still many wouldn't be ready 'in 5 years time'. I read dozens of teacher blogs a week now and thankfully though, it's heartening to see the positive, anti-industralised journey some are on... Way2Go to the winners - or at least to those who are allowed to be - many thanks to their leadership team who in turn allow it.

At the heart of the matter - is what kids love.
If they love it, they'll do well...

* Don't underestimate the kid
* Don't stifle their future
* Ask them what they'd like to incorporate
* Ask them how they'd like to adopt a focus
* Ask them who they'd like to involve
* Ask them why and where it should happen
* Help them with their learners' 'drivers license' to apply independence in time.
xx

Ulearn - Upcoming Taster Workshops

2010-09-27T13:42:00.000-07:00

The heat is on!
With a week to go, the heat is on at Authentic Encounters Online Ltd. Staff are preparing teacher-parent spaces within their project sites in anticipation of Ulearn visits, while RfP's for Ministry of Education contracts dominate alongside.

The heat is on the Learn-Now project with ePals now gracing their presence from Turkey, Singapore, India, Russia, Spain and Peru. To top it all off, the team at Kidspot.co.nz have recognised Learn-Now for some high profile status, beaming out to 900,000 parents nationwide.

Presenting 'Taster' workshops at next weeks' Ulearn
conference, couldn't come at a better time.
We're delighted to step out and share the following...

Breakout 4A: CCC Meeting Room

Learn-Now: an online learning centre you

can enrol your class or individual students in.

Beaming out of the Wairarapa is an online programme, that is becoming an increasingly popular service for schools. Learn-Now, an award winning online learning centre established in 2002, is now run by a team of 8 globally minded, digitally passionate staff. Learn-Now offers programmes for students, and support for schools developing their own online learning centre. Delegates will get a taste of the tools used, partnerships adopted and Learn-Now’s point of difference in design, concept and student involvement. See how it can integrate into class programmes, be a homework service, make money for your school, take your students on international cyber-trips and more?

Breakout 4B: CCC Meeting Room

A Gifted & Talented programme online4u
– one that’s daring, different and dynamic

Meet (virtually) teams of students from Solway Primary, Masterton, for a taste of an online programme available to Gifted and Talented students at school and at home. Since 2007, Solway Primary has adopted Learn-Now, as one of its providers for extension and enrichment. Delegates will gain an insight into a progressive learning model with Lead Team and Dream Teams. Enjoy perspectives shared from the principal, parents and students. Savour a slice of student life with Peru, Uganda, Pakistan, financial literacy, and international community service and enterprise work etc. There is even their Teach English programme to students learning English as another language.

Breakout 6B: Crowne Plaza, Gallery D

Developing an online learning centre for students – what’s cool, what’s not and what’s crucial?

No matter what platform is used, Moodle, Ning, Shutterfly etc, it is the design and autonomy students have, that will make or break the success of online learning environments. What is a captivating experience? What is smart facilitation? What is typical of a groaning student or a ball and chain experience? Delegates will see how different platforms are used, as various tutors and teachers creatively present individual needs. See an example of a social studies, science, enterprise and language learning environment. See too, examples of learning pathways and how web conferencing is possible, and free, for homework or even interschool connectivity.

It's busy, but the excitement reigns high. One could say, we're achieving all dreams! Demand is tops, work comes knocking at the door, sharing what's learned enabling others to further reach their own goals is stunning. We're definitely growing in all terms possible.

UFB, RBI, Ulearn, Learn-now and more...

2010-08-23T17:06:00.000-07:00

Dog Training Online?!
Students can now learn to train their own dog, with the expert instruction and assistance of a highly experienced dog trainer and ex-dog trialist online, with Learn-Now.

As Learn-Now continues to recruit new staff, Masterton's Tony Gibson steps up as one of its newest facilitators, leading the way forward for students to learn dog handling techniques, online.

After decades working within the rural sector and chasing dog trials from one end of New Zealand to the other, he's now developing a cutting edge dog training programme to provide personalised, student centred support. Tony will merge information based websites, with discussion forums, online meetings and movie clips. Mid-late October 2010, will see the launch of the new dog training programme. We welcome enrolments now with admittance on a first in, first served basis. This course is limited to 6 new students per month. Once enrolled, students are recommended to undertake a 6 month programme. For further discussion contact Jo...

Ultra Fast Broadband (UFB)
Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI)

As our core business expands further into Ministry of Education and rural sectors we're thoroughly enjoying a more direct ear to ground with information streams and networks. Of huge appeal is the latest, now more publicly profiled next step in NZ's UFB and RBI as alerted to today, on WikiEducator...

Ulearn - A Conference MUST for Educators!

October 5-8, Christchurch, New Zealand... This is the best conference in my mind, for keeping abreast of just how it is in the educator sector, from the toddlers to the university age. This year, we're stepping out from behind the web, to present 3 'Taster Sessions' and high on our agenda is the design and development of online learning centres. We'll be presenting an insight into:

1) Learn-Now's online learning centre, life abroad and its offers
2) A snapshot of the Learn-Now's Gifted & Talented sector and
3) A guide into how one can create their own online learning centre.
If attending Ulearn, these are tagged as Breakouts 4A, 4B and 6B.

While AEO's got a 14 year history of eLearning, the last 10 years have been wholeheartedly involved in designing online learning centres. We've had wonderful support along the way, scoring an innovations award, becaming a MOE research project and most recently, an ICTELT Consultant for the MOE.

It's been a thrill to design the National Plan for Primary on the (MOE's) Virtual Learning Network NZ for the MOE's eLearning Department and help design and build what is perhaps becoming one of NZ's most comprehensive, specialised online learning centres - for the Ministry of Education's ESOL sector. We can't but help think we need to give a little back in return! So, hence the tasters on offer... The kids love online learning centres, they're easier to create than imagined and we'd love to see and support more of them... They are the way of effective, efficient, student centred, student-networked education.

ImageCodr.org

by aussiegall

Best find this week? The site that takes the pain out of sourcing the most user friendly images to use as we're in full flight redesigning all our web spaces! More on those spaces next time, but for now, see ImageCodr.org - a wonderful tool in association with Creative Commons.

In just 90mins per week...

2010-08-12T04:26:00.000-07:00

It's snapshot time
It's time to record an insight into the Learn-Now 'online learning centre' as it is for just one group. In brief, it's a taste of what 90min sessions per week have encompassed. The mechanics of elearning, global connectivity, international community service work, financial literacy, responsibility for personal impact, strategic planning, design, productivity and social inquiry reign high on their agenda...

It's Thursday
...and as is the case every Thursday there's a team of 13 students who give up half their lunch hour to take a quick flight to Uganda, Peru and wherever else is on their itinerary. It's a 90min flight, more easily recognised by the students as a 90min Learn-Now session. They're classified as Gifted and Talented 9-10 year olds, and have the luxury of a computer each, to use during this flight. They require little in the way of encouragement to turn up on time, to think twice about what they could be doing, or which tool, site or technique to be using.

General Operations

The sessions are a combination of teacher and student driven components with a range of activities to deal with as per choice, mandate and routine. There can be 13 very different activities on the go at times and aside from 2-3, most can also be found chatting through all that's being learnt, considered, designed and developed. In that Learn-Now's a collaborative programme, silence rarely prevails unless we're Skyping, composing complex text or presenting for team input and due consideration.

Managing Impact
The team may only be 9-10 year olds, but they're engrossed in 'life as it is out there'. Curriculum management of Learn-Now sees the staff team source or design opportunities to match, designed to enable students to drill down into life around them and consider making an impact. What impact does 'life out there' have on their life and how best might they consider managing that impact? What impact in turn, could they have on these environments, now or in time? It's amazing how much can be covered in just one 90min session per week.

Life as it is 'out there'...
Over the past many week, these students have gone live with Learn-Now Project Architects Lucy and Cushla, in Uganda and Peru respectively. One moment, they're tuning into the NZ Heifer Project with 18 year old Lucy, and coming to terms with the plight of the abandoned babies she's also looking after. Next, they're learning Spanish, ensuring their English is a perfect model for a 10 year old in Peru, before tuning into the incas or Peruvian culture with Cushla.

There's Operation Christmas Child to fall in love with and of the greatest hype of all, is their financial literacy programme... There's a wow factor developing around what tax, interest and GST are. So too credit cards, online banking, loans and mortgages. They earn virtual Learn-Now dollars as they work and cover the ground of entrepreneurial thinking, employment and sales pitching... They're creating business websites, employing one another, selling goods and services to each other and in all, doing an amazing job of developing a community spirit (give 'n take a little competition which threatens some).

They want more?
As of this week, 90mins may well be a thing of the past for many of them. For some, it has been for a long time. Independent time at home has been instigated by some, in pursuit of further depth to a focus. Now, student-organised sessions for additional facilitation steps up the anti... I couldn't have asked for more! Did they have a little encouragement? Of course...they're still learning to speak up and see support as more than something that is put upon them. The beauty, lay in their enthusiasm and desire.

Young tycoons help beat the odds!

2010-06-21T15:49:00.000-07:00

Back, again!
It's been a busy few months - new staff, new styles, new programmes, initiatives and potential and new focal points - galore! One team even scored themselves little media coverage...

Authentic Encounters Online
We're now a team of 6 staff - all specialist, part-timers, merging eTeacher, Tutor, Facilitator, Sub-contractor and Project Architect roles every which way. Four of us (staff-wise) are North Island based, New Zealand but two of us are as far away as Uganda and Peru.

AEO Ltd's wearing consultative and advisory hats for three Ministry of Education contracts, and consultative support to two other independent groups of schools and teachers. All revolves around virtual learning issues in NZ, from the development of a national plan for Primary schools on the VLN (Virtual Learning Network), to demonstrating models depicting learning pathways of young eLearners. The greatest of all contracts lies with the development of the Online Intervention Model for ESOL students - Foundation to Stage 1. A successful trial for the proof of concept saw the end of Term 1 out and follow-up design and development's been all go since.

Managing demand, perceptions and scoped visions is our greatest challenge though - a prayer goes out seeking miracles often! Our own Learn-Now online learning centre had been on hold to some degree, but with an amazing team on deck now, we're ready to roll again, with marketing and promotional ventures underway accordingly.

Meet the 'Sugar Squad'.
Matt Stewart, journalist for the Wairarapa Times Age, caught up with our ex'09 Solway Lead Team (Masterton), last week, as they handed over their $520 portion of chocolate production profits, to a Ronald McDonald House rep, Wellington. Our Learn-Now project was the driver... See pic above. The mission? To help 'all-sorts' of sick kids and their families when living away from home, while undergoing long-term medical care. The newspaper article tells the rest - enjoy all...read more!

Learn-Now - the opportunities just got a whole lot bigger!
There's maths tuition beaming out of Carterton via web conferencing using Adobe Acrobat Connect; student website and wiki development; Cyber Field Trips to join with (NZers) Cushla in Peru and Lucy in Uganda; CyberPal exchanges with Spain, Peru and Pakistan pending and Spanish lessons which are about to beam in from Peru...to name but a few programmes. Amongst all, is a financial literacy programme where students can collaborate together learning everything from tax issues to just how banks can afford to provide loans - but the students are creating the programme - stategising, gaming, virtually operating, designing and developing at every step of the way.

For now though, it's just great to share an update! This isn't really official 'blogging' (since we've been told that there's a very right and very wrong way of 'blogging' and duly suspect we don't cut the mustard...), instead consider this as just a news board.

We're looking forward now to diving into all that's been in set-up mode, ready now to enjoy interactive time with new enrolments, existing enrolments and those we'll be inviting in. Come and join us! Or at least, chat about options :)

Cheers!
Jo
Director, AEO Ltd
eTeacher & ICTELT Consultant

National Action in Y7-8 Languages

2009-12-04T02:54:00.001-08:00

Learning Languages in NZ

When at a UK curriculum leaders conference, in Warwick (Shakespeare's theatrical turf), England, 1999, I found myself caught in a situation that NZ students today, should never experience. ESOL was the topic and in an auditorium of over 1200 people, I raised the only hand at this question: 'Who knows no other language, other than English?'. While I was working in Brunei at the time, learning snippets of Malay, this didn't count. All bore reference to what was learnt at school.

Matapu School, Taranaki, NZ

To the south east of Mt Taranaki, lies a school who's leading the way in its adoption of the new Y7-8 curriculum mandate, re: the learning of languages. While there may be schools dotted across the country who've ventured thus far, Matapu School has a very 21st century, inter-school, online learning, collaborative approach. As partners in action, Cambridge East school in the Waikato are also hot on the case. Spanish lessons by teacher Jarad, beam out of Matapu School to two other interested schools and Cambridge East. French lessons beam in from Cambridge East School, under the fluent facilitation of French speaker Sandra.

This team has become the latest case study for a contract AEO Ltd has with NZ's Ministry of Education's eLearning Department. In production mode, is a Virtual Learning Network (VLN) Primary/Intermediate development plan. Matapu School presents a wonderful model, with doors open to enrol more students. The development plan is a work in progress and while languages is but one focus, there's also music and Te Reo...

National Action in the field of online learning continues to thrive, but just as remarkably so...so too is the learning of languages for students in NZ - thankfully not something a student can only do at secondary level, but now also primary. The beauty of it all, a school need not have the specialist factor to teach a language. Beaming out for it, is in action! It's hugely encouraging...!

Care Packages Gone Global.

2009-12-03T16:08:00.001-08:00

Operation Christmas Child

Several members of Solway School online G&T team delightfully set out to add a 'wow factor' to Christmas, for a group of Pacific Island students.

Enrolled in a Learn-Now International Community Service programme, one could wonder 'where were the online elements to this very hands on project'? While their virtual office housed forums to contribute to and study sites to soak up requested details, videos, skype and email created the additional authentic touch. While this team was in Masterton, they had online peers working from Canterbury, Otago, Hawkes Bay and Bay of Plenty join the project as well. In total, Learn-Now members contributed 34 boxes to Operation Christmas Child, with an alternative meaning to Christmas, not so far from their own reality.

Team Tapu, NZ to Team California...
Meanwhile, further north and east, Tapu School in the Coromandel and Valley Preparatory School in Redford, California, went global together. Videos fly in from California on a regular basis and the introduction to email for students at Tapu School has them buzzing with the communication potential it promises. Forums and a wiki will follow and thanks to http://www.onetruemedia.com, videos will fly back to California.

The Highlight?
The exchange of care packages! Amidst the gifts, clocks in California time sit proud on a Tapu classroom room, and as for marmite? This definitely didn't go down well in California! From a NZ angle, the programme integrated Te Reo, cultural inclusion, profile descriptions, photography and also maths with regards to timezones, parcel travel and cost comparisons. Learn-Now brokered the exchange, facilitated the online connectivity and will foster further exchange within wikis next year.

Masterton Kids explore Global Citizenship

2009-10-18T03:03:00.000-07:00

Dedicated To Our Enrolled Kids...
This blog site's a shocker at taking forever to feature new posts and just as much a shocker for marathon ones. Core business (Learn-Now) is often overlooked and it's taken a student to pluck up the courage and ask why they're very rarely featured here. Fair call.

I have to confess that I've underestimated them again - I'd never even assumed they'd even be an audience! In light of that, marathon blogs had better become a thing of the past! Welcome, from this moment on, to Bite Size Blog Posts!

Uganda: The WOW Factor
The beauty of Learn-Now, is its freedom to (eg) enrich, motivate, and generate. With scope to seed concepts and enable students to create a focus, be entrepreneurial and go global, we find ourselves off to Uganda! At Solway School, Masterton, there's a fired-up team of G&T kids with us, aged 8-9, who are adopting the issue of global citizenship.

This young team's hooked into the life & times of 16 year old NZer, Lucy (a Learn-Now student from 2001-3). When Lucy's not rescuing abandoned babies, she's (eg) teaching local Ugandans and working alongside her Dad, Kiwi farmer John Ward from Raetihi, teaching locals the basics of farming, be that tick spraying, or washing hands before milking etc!

The intrigued young Masterton kids have decided to adopt an entrepreneurial spirit, that aims to generate funds for a little hand-up support. Funds aim to buy a milking goat (NZ$180) and supply Lucy with activities to use with the Ugandan kids around her. For more, check out 'Wards Under African Skies'. Consider too, joining us! We're launching an official Global Citizenship Programme encompassing Uganda and much more...

Ulearn - collaborate, innovate, educate

2009-10-07T04:06:00.001-07:00

Way2Go Core Education!

There's a stunning face2face & online buzz at Core's Ulearn conference (Christchurch, NZ) 2009. The tools used alone, prove how in tune they are with cutting edge ICT. It's possible to be at one breakout, while at the same time, attend several others located blocks way from each other. Or for that matter, when most presenters are in the land of nod!

CoveritLive / Backchannel & more.
Ulearn's on twitter, coveritlive, facebook, a wiki, flickr and now probably 100s of blogs. There's video, photography, TV, student reporters and website support that's not only accessible for delegates, but globally. Curious kids who are checking in on eTeacher 'yours truly' are here too. They're virtual delegates - digging in to even the latest on tweets through to even Netsafe voting campaigns, while behind the scenes, they're sharing views on what they hear (from the horrific, to the amused and exciteable).

Key Snippets Accumulated So Far...

Change the system, not the child.
Do things with children, not to them.
Testing content is dead as it is freely available to all
Don't write a strategy for something you haven't used
Teacher has to talk less, so that the kids can learn more.
A goal for schooling: "its the best 6 hours of a students day".
Goggle Apps = ownership of learning, feedback & feedforward;
You can lead kids to the internet but you can’t make them think
All curriculum planning documents MUST incorporate ICT in tchg.
Imagine if the goal for 'education' was not to kill curiosity & creativity.
Kids will have access but yearn for structure – that's the role of educators.

..and when browsing around...
(thanks to tweets leading us productively astray), here go my favourite ones (and after 11 years as a face to face teacher & 9 years as an eTeacher, I agree!):

Online education is more effective than face-to-face learning;
Online learning combined with some face-to-face learning (blended learning) is the most effective;
Face-to-face learning alone is the least effective method among the three types studied. (notes to self for 2moro nite: must blog a personal take on this...)
...for more around this, see Derek Wenmoth's latest presentation notes

A Multitude of Projects

2009-10-03T03:44:00.000-07:00

Not one project, but a multitude...

We're holding true to our key focus - taking kids global is now happening on a weekly basis. There's also a global focus in terms of developing an online learning centre for learners from afar, upon entry into NZ schools, at an ESOL level. On the national NZ stage, there's even a focus ahead that's wonderfully exciting for the Primary & Intermediate sector within NZ's Virtual Learning Network.

Taking Kids Global

Learn-Now is currently responsible (both directly and shared) for the online learning life of 284 students. The largest contingent live in the US, with neighbouring Australia, Fiji and the Soloman Islands amidst the fun. Indonesia, Italy, Canada and New Zealand are interconnected, with Holland, Uganda and Pakistan in the throws of adding a considerable level of interest and activity. The extent of it all is not without its gremlins though. Timetables, internet speeds, school buy-in and student ambition has its trials! The greatest of which, sits with schools who won't allow students on idle classroom computers due to supervision issues, view YouTube, use email, blog, or get anything more than their scheduled hour per week in a programme. Thankfully, the successes far outweigh the gremlins, so productivity & skill acquisition remains high.

Global Projects

Between the life alongside Operation Christmas Child, CyberPals and ePals, Learn-Now's joined a Virtual World Tour project with an Australia school, and is cranking up a life that'll involve (enjoy this...) cows, orphans, seeds and medical supplies in our own International Hands Up programme. Care packages, learning support packages and Christmas packages meander through programmes, alongside youth enterprise work, cultural awareness programmes and heated global issue discussions. Curriculum & key competency coverage is wonderful. Wiki's, blogs, tweets, wix sites, forums, snail mail, live chat, interactive online whiteboards and personal project architecture is very much alive and well...

eLearning IT Consultancy

The most thrilling nature of all so far though, has been the recently stunning levels of consultancy work gained within both the eLearning Department & Foundation for Learning Departments at the Ministry of Education (NZ). Learn-Now has not just been about what it can provide by way of enrolment and direct programming. The experience and student-centred nature of Learn-Now's online learning centre has been 'hopefully developing' as an online learning centre model. A model by virtue of structure, design, intent, story and journey. Of perfection? LOL! It would be unwise to think that such an attribute is possible with any kind of learning centre - desired of course! Will keep the blog posted with developments as they take root...

Ulearn - Christchurch, NZ & more...

Ahead for now though, is the Ulearn conference in Christchurch, New Zealand, just 3 days away. Time to catch up on the latest around the eLearning world and meet with colleagues and potential new (Learn-Now & sub-contractor) recruits. It's also a chance to connect with those who are about to make a mark in upcoming contract work. The latter being those who in turn have wonderful online learning models of interest for the wider online learning communities.

All's well on this front - like never before!
How great it is, to be saying this despite recessions, public (and often colleague) skepticism and a tiny rural office space. Thanks goes to those who share a passion for learning that's on the same page as students with the 21st century buzz.

An Incredible Response

2009-07-18T02:29:00.000-07:00

Auckland's Kids Fair 2009 was well worth the investment. Our 'eLearning @ Home and School' approach attracted parents with students as young as 3-4 years old, with the majority of the market involving parents of the 10-14 year old age group.

Of greatest interest to us, was the nature of interest by parents. Maths tuition was tops and general extension an incredibly close second. Demand for extension honed in our more outside-the-square areas, with a particular focus on small business programming, to virtual field trips and international community service work by students.

Direct enrolments were delightful and we're wading through an astonishing pile of names expressing interest, from subscribing to updates, to continued dialogue and discussion via email. It'll all be a work in progress for the next week at least. Unlike any marketing done to date, this was the most fulfilling style. We're usually made to feel as though we're a little 'too outside the square', but the majority of those we connected with during the Kids Fair/Family Expo were hugely in tune with our mission. So many took handfuls of fliers to distribute to local schools or friends.

But exhibiting at the Kids Fair wasn't the only highlight of this particular weekend. Connecting with other educators with like minds and missions left us with much to talk about and consider on the way home - both at the Kids Fair and 'after hours'. Especially One People One Planet where we caught up with Vivienne Wright & Dai Bindoff (watch this space on that one - next week!). All up, we'd otherwise like to pay tribute to:

Polkadots: Programmes & materials for preschoolers & parents
KindyRock: Preschool music - movement and dance on CD...
World Buddies: World Vision's connection of students with students

However, ahead now is a new term, returning clients, new teams, programmes, schools and individuals (by way of both staff and students). It's exciting!

Kids Fair - Auckland, NZ: 11-12th August

2009-07-07T02:39:00.000-07:00

The annual Kids Fair in Auckland kicks off this coming weekend with huge media coverage and just on 100 exhibitors, of which we are one of them. We're looking forward to it! 10am-5pm Saturday 11th & Sunday 12th July.

This time last year, when first learning of this event, we took it on in Wellington with its 3 day event and loved it! The hype of families and many teachers created a huge buzz, alongside such presenters as dance teams, Ronald McDonald, Cookie Bear, gigantic bouncy castles and everything from learning stations to face painting. While a handful of 10,000 or so visitors came through those doors, the Auckland expo brought in just on 25,000 people last year. We can only assume there'll be more this year - word of mouth and marketing does wonders and the timing is perfect...right in the midst of the school holidays.

Learn-Now will take position in Stand 74 and while we had a treasure island theme last year, we're all the more hands on this year, within the Learn-Now online learning centre itself. Students can experience life within the programme, with connections with Scotland, Astronomy, Chocolate in particular. We were to promote another partner we admire greatly, but at the 11th hour, have been thwarted by legalities. A shame - but as complimentary as it was, the show goes on, opening up more scope for our programmes.

There'll be chocolates on hand, in association with our ChocLot Paradise Chocolate Factory programme, fridge magnets give-aways (see image on right), and a running slideshow featuring life with Learn-Now. eLearning@home and eLearning@school will feature as our tag lines and we're of course looking forward to it.

(We pray that on our home front all will be well though - when last at the Kids Fair, the 5am call on Day 3 to say that Jo's house had been completely destroyed by fire most certainly dampened a little of the buzz. Be that not so this time, even if only at the interim rental, pending even a peg in the ground for the new place! :).

Kids Fair Auckland - this weekend, 10am-5pm, Saturday and Sunday @ The Trusts Stadium, Waitakere. Or follow us on twitter... http://twitter.com/learnnownz

A Slice of Learn-Now

2009-07-02T04:11:00.001-07:00

While Authentic Encounters Online itself scored a wealth of contract work, its core project Learn-Now found itself further embedded in Canterbury, Southland, Tauranga, the Wairarapa, Kapiti - Wellington, Auckland and Scotland!

It's been a stunning couple of months/term! ERO's been involved again and we keenly await any updated reference of it within their report to the school under review. In August, feedback on Learn-Now was acknowledged in this context: "School-wide assessments are appropriately used to identify students who require additional learning support and those requiring gifted and talented education (GATE). A part-time teacher provides high quality withdrawal programmes for both groups. Students in learning support groups receive targeted assistance and their progress is well monitored. Those who participate in the GATE programme are taught and encouraged to use a range of thinking, inquiry and computer skills to assist in self‑selected investigations and practical projects."

Maths Tuition, Science, Youth Enterprise, Literacy programmes, Team work and Virtual Field Trips currently dominate the life of Learn-Now. Scotland is at the top of list, with dozens of students following two NZ students in ancestral homeland Scotland, while also creating their own travel centre and partaking in challenges, case studies and collaborative activities. A new chocolate product's all go again with its associated survey still seeking participants (please be one). 84 students are actively enrolled and thrown into the mix is homeschool support, learning support tuition, gifted and talented programming, after school activities and a wealth of tools.

Student programming has involved Skype, Adobe Connect, VoiceThread, YouTube, Twitter, Wix.com, SurveyMonkey, Google Docs, Flickr, Online chat & forums, Jabbster, various widgets, wikis and LAMS - through to even PowerPoint (still) and the MOE's Digital Learning Objects (c/- Learning Federation). Many are age-old tools to some of us, but ALL those above are brand new to 85% of the students who've adopted them with us this term. They're but tools applied to the learning intentions and are just a taste of those commonly used, rather than the life of the programming. Even Bebo's been a requested connection for one student's Astronomy work with us...integrating her associated community as interactive participants for her work :).

Learn-Now Updated

2009-06-30T15:56:00.000-07:00

Something of a Catholic confession is brewing in my mind... 'Bless me Father for I have...no, not sinned - just have been remiss of keeping up this blog'! We'll aspire to be amazing bloggers... pray for us that it'll happen. LOL!

Life behind the scenes has reached wonderful new heights - and finally, Learn-Now / Authentic Encounters Online Ltd, isn't just seen as a Gifted & Talented Programme - but where intent and experience is now the desired nature sought of us, for support and insight, by others - beyond G&T education at that too.

Up opened the world of official IT consultancy work - and within one amazingly bizarre week end of April, three completely independent approaches were made, and varying 'titles' were employed. One labelled their request in need of an IT Consultant for an MOE (ESOL) contract, another an eLearning Consultant and the third, a Practitioner Consultant. All in the field of practical eLearning, providing support at grass-roots level. For one contract, that meant an ideas development phase; another, that 'right-now-for-the-student-tomorrow' approach and the third, an 'up-and-running-for-next-term please', deal. Even fees offered were stunningly relative in today's consultancy/commercial market.

In the process, Learn-Now itself grew tenfold+, much attributing to the swine flu and the wish for so many more parents to homeschool, but also with a great deal more interest from schools, in outsourcing G&T and from parents - remedial tuition. Repeat clients are full on - with many upgrading enrolments for each and every subsequent term to date. Still though, many others struggle to handle the 'we're not a course' nature of Learn-Now and continue to seek more traditional approaches to learning. The toughest thing we still handle, is the adult world baulking at student autonomy (right through to even baulking at animations on a page - those heartened 'way2go' features from students, but quashed as always by so many in charge). But it's all part of the fun and we are so very used to it. The amazing takes however, far outweigh yesteryear moments.

So that's us - but not for so long this time...our next post is in the making :)

Journeys of Medical Missionary

2009-03-25T17:29:00.001-07:00

This morning was stunning! A team of 8-10 year old students had an amazingly bouncy experience, 'live online', with special guest Jo Gundry.

Jo Gundry's a medical student in Tauranga NZ, who's life (between studies) is devoted to voluntary work in third world areas. She's hugely passionate about sharing the experience had in Indonesia last year and became the most outstanding 'Guest' today, that Learn-Now has had in its seven years of operation.

Going 'live' in our workroom (synchronous chat) facility, saw 12 experienced Learn-Now elearners and 11 elearning novices, take her on. Their mission? To inquire after all that she represents, applying their questioning skills, while learning a little more about specific detail and information gathering.

From 'is there punk rock music there?' to 'what's the economy like', Jo Gundry's fingers were smoking in response! Her responses certainly had that 'Wow Factor' - a tag being immersed in all Learn-Now programming this year. Reactions in the computer suite hub, heard the 'No Way! No toilet?' cries, through to 'Oh - no electricity, so of course, no electric guitar'.

Influx vs drip-feed... There was also the reality check for the students, on behalf of the presenter, pertaining to managing an influx of questions vs the drip-feed approach, and avoiding the repetitive nature (ie food being the hottest topic). But such is the nature of learning to work collaboratively and the best use of a community environment. Adopting multi-tasking habits took ahold too, and within moments, the discussion forum almost drowned in a new wave of threads. While Jo was given the go ahead to take up to a week to respond (poor soul's also got an assignment on the lymphatic system to do), just about all was responded to within the next hour.

Journey's of a Medical Missionary launched this week, as a wonderful programme of insight, adventure and problem solving. It's open to elementary, primary, intermediate and middle school students around the world. There's a competition about to launch for the students involved, discussion topics, mind-bending challenges (eg: sterilise some dirty water, fit to drink), and mini case studies. One team enrolled will also bring their whole school on board to be partners in the same journey.

But wait...there's more...
Operation Orphans and One People, One Planet are about to be affiliated partners in this work.

Way2Go Solway Primary!

2009-03-21T01:18:00.000-07:00

Solway Primary School, Masterton, has just entered their third year with Learn-Now, enrolling a stunning team of 25 Year 4-6 students.

ERO's visit to Solway presented a favourable reference to Learn-Now last year, so with even greater confidence, another level of programming launches.

Grants, subsidised by parental contributions, a proportion of the G&T and staffing budget manages the funding, while the team of 25 students have been split into two teams. Monday-Wednesday classroom teacher Pam Paterson, is released as the Learning support teacher on Thursdays, supervising the respective Learn-Now teams within the computer suite from 9-11 am, and Learning support thereafter.

The two teams are known as the Year 6 'Lead Team' while the Year 4-5 contingent represent the 'Dream Team'. Each team receives an hour of official school time and already, the students have nabbed extra time in class and at home for more. The long-term plan's been tabled and the learning intentions for Term 1, are already ticking off achievements.

The Learn-Now Solway Primary teams are destined to be:

Designers & managers of a Solway Online Student Centre for their Y3-6's;
Employees of ChocLot Paradise - designing & marketing a new chocolate product;
Participants in Operation Orphans - a Learn-Now international community service programme, producing educational material for a team of 10 orphans in Pakistan;
Inquiry learning project managers in Journey's of a Medical Missionary, learning about the life and times of third world survival - spotlighting on Indonesia;
Travel consultants for Mascot Mania managing an international Cyber Surfari travel project to selected schools in selected countries;
Journalists, Editors, Photographers etc of the Journal Headquarters, creating an Online School Journal, with interactive stories, articles, plays, poems & special features.
Youth enterprise business owners, within the Learn-Now Business Zone, designing and implementing small, money making businesses.
Vitrual Tourists with Virtual Field Trip to Scotland first... during Term 2-3, as one member of the Lead Team designs a Cyber Surfari for guests (hopefully other schools) to follow, during his lead up and visit to Scotland. In December, they'll head to Pakistan with a NZ med student.
Programming designers with Made2Order - a student-driven, student-centred programme... Focus unknown as yet, but a real test of applied learning for Term 4, based on Term 1-3 work as they build their own Term 4 programme.
Christmas case study workers with Christmas Worldwide - connecting with selected schools & families in selected countries, teaching their traditions to others, reciprocated by international ePal teaching in return.

...and that's just what's planned, beyond core key competencies, integrated programming factors, and learning the art of being a collaborative, self-driven elearner. Since flexiblity incorporates highly encouraged spontaneity, there will also be, without doubt other key elements that'll come to fruition. School wide issues, focal points, guests, student requests...etc.

Way2Go Solway!

What's the focus for 2009?

2009-02-02T02:45:00.001-08:00

We're expanding.
Our flexibility's changing.
Repeat clients dominate enrolments.
Cloning kicks in & criteria modifications feature.
Quarterly and/OR Annual enrolments now on offer.

We celebrate the greatest return of re-enrolments ever this year and having sounded out a variety of markets during 2008, we're set to:

offer more task-orientated, off-line activities
create an environment for students under 7 years old
provide cultural programmes for exchange students
develop online learning centres, similar to Learn-Now for various schools and a range of community groups.

Our 4 enrolment packages have met enormous levels of interest and subsequent enrolment, and while they're deliberately an 'empty-shell' upon individual enrolment, we'll be offering more activity/task based work. We lock into place the following packages:

Pick n' Mix: offers to choose from - self help, with parental support
Smorgasbord: offers to choose from with extensive online teacher faciliation/tutoring
Made'2'Order: the enrolling student tells us what they'd like to learn & we design & develop the programme alongside them
The Banquet: All of the above encompasses a single enrolment.

We're looking forward to growing staffing numbers and even working outside the 'student environment'. Aside from all this, we're in the face of tendering for contracts on offer. We know that marketing is not within our field of expertise and so we're also seeking to means to develop a sparklier image and learn the art of marketing.

Forever a work in progress as should any company be :)
Roll on 2009!
:)

Travelling Mascot Chicao, Brazil.

2008-11-22T01:04:00.000-08:00

The Learn-Now welcomes Chicão from Brazil. From a class in Colégio São José, Santos, São Paulo, Portuguese speaking students sent Chicão to New Zealand for a holiday.

Hosting Chicão, is Team Solway, the Gifted & Talented Students at Solway Primary, Masterton, Wairarapa, New Zealand. Their mission? To beam Chicão's kiwi experiences back to Brazil as learning bites for his class.

Team Solway's learning the art of character role-play digital photography, third-person speak, blogging, rostering, sales pitching and strategic planning. One student's Chicão's Mascot Manager and when the team's not working with Chicão, they're discovering more about finance in Brazil, international communication and working with the media - as close to home as school newsletters and perhaps even the local newspaper.

The beauty of this experience so far? Grins from ear to ear, a real 'touch' of something international and country that feels 'real' to the students. With such a positive experience as this, we're planning to foster this nature of programming on a much grandier scale. Schools around the world can join and be actual hosts of international characters, mutual learning experiences and a year-long project that could virtually take students to at least 10-12 countries in a year. All we need are hosts, tour guides (students/schools) and exchangable mascots.

Interested? Contact us to enrol!
For more on Chicão, see his Learn-Now site
...and the Solway School bubbleshare movie.

Personalised Learning & Lifelong Learning

2008-10-10T02:51:00.000-07:00

This week in Christchurch, New Zealand, the education conference Ulearn, focuses on integrating new technologies to empower learning and transform leadership.

Ulearn is, for many schools in NZ, thee conference to attend, for an uplifting spin re: ICT integration in education. Derek Wenmoth, and his blog presents the highlights and while grabbing a coffee before reading the entry will only see it go cold, the key points stay hot.

Of particular interest to us and our focus with Learn-Now, is keynote reference to 'Tomorrow's Schools, Yesterday's Solutions' (the battle Learn-Now has with schools), with Hattie & Oram. This followed the Williamson & Nussebaum focus on the impact of Web2.0 technologies to enable online participation and sharing and the need to shift from a classroom metaphor to a community metaphor for the way we organise learning in the future... One could 'hear' that this could (and should) refer to teacher communities, but reassuring for Learn-Now, is that this is exactly what we deal with, for students within their schools. We are still getting it right.

Derek's actual reports
a) Hattie & Oram is here...
b) Richardson & Nussebaum-Beach is here...

A year on

2008-10-06T04:10:00.000-07:00

We're a year on now and diversity continues. Learn-Now could well be the latest roller coaster. It steadily journeys up steep learning-curve terrain and enjoys the adrenalin rush of fast paced energy.

The Changing Model

The dominating focus as an Online Learning Environment has shifted to also being a model for others. We're delighted! There are those who use it as a working space to see what it's like to create an online life for their students and those who use the continuing R&D to better inform where their own mission could be driven. We don't even have all the bells and whistles! Strangely enough, when we'd gone down the 'should do' track with that thinking, we've scared many clients off. Keeping our site simple has enabled those early in their journey (toward developing their own online environments) in a can-do zone. For now, that's where we're going to sit.

Highlights

Our most rewarding moment this year was a Kids Conference. There are conferences aplenty for adults, corporates and educators, but little exists for those less senior.We joined the committee behind a 3 day event for 350 students and offered a post-conference Virtual Workshop pilot. I know of Virtual Conferences, but ahave yet to find reference (even if only googling) for young students. We're in the midst of working through it - much of the action destined between now and the end of this calendar year. Watch this space

Consulting, Scoping & Developing

Exciting too, is the consultative work we're dealing with too. After being recipients to several research case studies, the spin off has seen us now helping others strategise their own plans for developing Online Learning Environments. The greatest beauty of all, is that others are hugely interested in the voice of the student, student-driven concepts and even the realistic fees respecting the nature of the work involved.

While it's otherwise been business as usual, the bounciest highlights are on the horizon. We're about to even more go global like never before... Just can't say much yet! But meanwhile, it's good to be back blogging - long may it last.

Online Student Centres

2007-10-15T12:13:00.001-07:00

We're encouraged! Learn-Now has entered new territory yet again. This time, the theme sees us now also working alongside the development of student-driven online student centres, in schools.

There are thousands of online student centres in existence, but few (maybe if any) are built by students, for students. Why are the sites like Facebook & MySpace etc so popular with their users? The freedom to create & present.

What's with the demise of so many school sites? The teachers typically control the 'systems administration' rights - they load their intention and students 'through duty calls' participate if we're lucky. Learn-Now used to be like this... Now, 3 years on from 'risking' a mess and allowing students to also have top-level systems admin rights, we have students who no longer just come on during their allocated timetable time at school... No longer bound by teacher loaded material, their creative bents and love of an audience has produced stunning results...

So what's in an Online Student Centre and how's it created? To start with, no one centre is the same. In the case of those facilitated by Learn-Now though, several common themes prevail. A group of students need to be enrolled with us and as a team, they break into 'departmental' groups or partnerships, taking on specialist design areas. All that is created is for 'their school' - though openly encouraged to consider adopting participants from other schools too - the biggest challenge to go international. To start with though, they focus on creating an interactive site for students at their school.

Some members of this design team believe that having online clubs would be cool. Others decide a Science Discovery area would be 'hot stuff'. One student decided to create a debate/discussion around the need for a 'house competition' to exist in the school - and succeeded. Some run weekly maths challenges, others create online ebook compositions... Another's planning to feature a music arena, which includes one student teaching others how to read music, share podcasts etc. All up, it's a site by students, for students, with continual student assessment, suggestion and evaluation.

Frustrations & Jubilations...

2007-10-14T18:56:00.001-07:00

After recent Learn-Now discussions left us with a rough taste in the mouth, we reflected our state of play yet again.

Much revolves around two factors.
1) browsers perception of what's seen
2) our user pays operational existence

However, this is nothing new. Just frustrating... We spend most of our time parting with an enormous amount of time and detail with interested parties, where much comes to nothing. One of our accountability partners strongly believes we should invoice work done, regardless of any enrolment outcomes. We shy away from this, yet who else do we know whose service of any kind is free these days? One might-be client (but we doubt it), should apparently see us invoice them for a good $1200 worth of time...yet free to date.

Passion, commitment, reassurance and huge encouragement from many to keep going, keeps us operating. We know we're sadly judged like a maths teacher can be judged by a student's maths book... or like a primary/elementary teacher can be judged by the 'look' of their classroom... Sadly, all like the cover of a book, or in the same way one teacher once viewed an incredibly clever story as terrible because it was riddled with spelling mistakes - it went on win a $1500 composition award, thanks to the persistence of an 'aunty'.

Yet when a browser calls for a login, for an indepth look at the site, this is what happens. When so much of our programme runs through 'live' environments - workrooms & skype in particular, no - evidence of all the learning won't exist. Only perhaps 20% of the actual work will 'show'. Just like in a classroom - that project stuck to the wall in the traditional classroom, won't announce the 'teaching or learning' done, beyond the text shown. That one of our students is creating a website and 7 months on she has a tiny handful of things showing...7 months doesn't note that the reality is really only about 25 hours worth of work...about an hour a week...much in discussion and learning - far more significant than what's 'to see'. Perception, or the saddened tail of it is our greatest challenge.

And then come the cost... A private tutor we know, who tutors a 10 year old for maths afterschool, charges out NZD$20 an hour. That same tutor charges $35 for a 13 year old and $45 for a tertiary student. The work we do with students sees us meeting online at least once a week - in one case, there's a student who has 4 half hour sessions a week, 'live' with us. If at $35 an hour we charged a term's tuition for a 13 year old, the fee would be $350.00 - the student with 4 half hours a week would be $750 per 10 week term. One $120 fee which turned into 4 hours work a week, was seen as 'too expensive' - a rip off... Interestingly so - that's $3 an hour. Sadly, mindboggling. Yet, one 'tough love' situation via a stance we once took, had one school most enthusiastically grab our $3000 a term business programme for 20 students. They had to fundraise the funds, but they returned for more - word of mouth snowballed and we were once re encouraged and no longer felt used and abused as often felt by others reactions... :)

We are saddened by many, yet remain encouraged by the very few... Perhaps it is time therefore to take note of another accountability partner of ours - that it is indeed time to stop running a cut-price $2 shop offering the high quality 'Harrods-like' products. It'll cut out a huge proportion of the market, but like one did - if professional trust is really adopted, a way is found to fund and enable us to do what we do best: working with those who wish for their students to enjoy some cutting edge styles and programmes, in an online world - whether or not they (the teacher/payee) fully understand it.

Phew - a tough thing to blog!! Transparency has a lot to answer for...

Reshaping Ourselves!

2007-09-02T16:31:00.000-07:00

We're likening ourselves to that of a beehive at the moment - much attributing to why we've not updated this blog for almost 3 months! We've been reshaping ourselves and following some wonderful new leads.

Our Learn-Now way-of-life is set in concrete, full of great feedback and is a wonderful package for supplementary and complementary student learning. Within, Learn-Now is now a model (to a point) from which our next direction journeys forth. To create what's 'inside' for others, but outside of Learn-Now - in a customised whole new way-of-life and presence...

We're 10 years on now, since we first started the design and implementation of internationally based educational online lives for students. The first of this began within the 4 walls of one classroom, in the new Jerudong International School in Brunei, in 1997... The keys to the focus range from how an online environment is created, navigated, facilitated and monitored, through to the student driven, globally minded factors. Learn-Now is a website full of websites - full of different learning environments for different online communities, each customised to often very different audiences. Our passion now, coupled with continuing the Learn-Now programme, is to contract ourselves out to others - to build for them (ideally with them) their own online learning environment. An environment with their own look and feel, but without the need to take over 10 years to get it workable ;). Online learning environments for a whole school or syndicate, for clubs, community groups, youth groups, national or global in orientation, either student or adult based.

Meanwhile, we're also buzzing with a potentially incredible programme for Learn-Now for next year or ideally, maybe sooner, dependent on the vision of several schools. We've received an approach from Beijing, with an educationally based desire to connect Beijing and NZ online for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. We've since shared the vision we have to connect not only NZ to Beijing, but Beijing to all other Olympic countries, which in turn connects all countries with each other - not just two of us. Not only will our focus be student orientated, but hosting various athletes as well, to the site is envisaged as part of the plan.

Digital Classrooms

2007-06-18T03:43:00.000-07:00

I found myself describing Learn-Now as a Digital Classroom today. Intrigued by the diversion from referring to it as being an online learning centre, I couldn't help but ponder and research the term of reference a little more. I wondered if in the end, I'd still tag it as a Digital Classroom. I do, but without a doubt, know I would have many who'd challenge that notion.

Google 'Digital Classroom' and you find everything from recommendations to shy away from the term completely, to proudly presented examples from around the world. After a good two hours surfing, all but one, two if you count Learn-Now, involve references to face-to-face classrooms. I personally know teachers who work in a Digital Classroom, am getting to know others who are trialling the concept, and today, met with an Intermediate in Wellington who are enroute the journey.

What has Learn-Now got to offer? We are an online learning environment that is much alike what I visualise face-to-face classrooms need to create as their online arena. An environment where students have several learning environments to work in; an inquiry based focus; choice of activity; the ability to co-operate & collaborate 24/7; (from having their US partners contribute while their own NZ contingent sleeps through to accessing their school life from home anytime, anywhere)...as but some examples.

From a technical perspective, it gets much deeper. We can offer huge inroads to design, management and engagement issues. Why does a page show a tabled arrangement of topics rather than a list of forums? Why have public spaces? Why have tuition lounges? What advantages are Members Lounges? What's with a booking room? What's with the red, blue, green & black paragraphs in that order? How many new items a week are highly recommended? When should a facilitator fade in and out? What is really deemed an extension activity by a student? When must a teacher direct in a learner-centred area? When will a topic flop? What ONE key move will entice a response to a thread in a forum? Out of 10 components in a topic/learning area, how many need to be forums?

We don't want Learn-Now to just be 'Learn-Now'. We desire that it also be a model to learn from and transform even more so, as we too learn alongside others to up the edge on what works. Learn-Now is a Digital Classroom - and while we prefer the term online learning centre, or 'school on the internet' as some insist, our closest relative is a school classroom. However, we'd represent a space more in keeping with a school running several digital classrooms, than just one. Food for thought...

Assessing Learn-Now re: G&T Education

2007-06-08T15:55:00.000-07:00

Having been invited to present Learn-Now to the Sector Advisory Group for Gifted & Talented Education at the Ministry of Education, it posed an opportune time to assess the level to which it fits into G&T Education.

While often cruising the research articles on TKI site, this time two in particular seemed particular pertinent. Dr Tracy Riley's Creating a Learning Environment for Differentiation (2000) and Sonia White's Reasons Why Gifted Children Sometimes Underachieve (2001). With a passion for student-driven learning, Learn-Now is hugely encouraged by what's presented within both papers. While Riley's paper addresses the physical classroom, it's very easy to translate the same points to the online environment Learn-Now resides in. White's paper endears us to sighing with relief! Class-based, 3 staged enrichment programmes based on a thematic approach with topics, over an 8 week time frame is right on par. But that's not all...

Learn-Now first evolved in 2003 more by accident than design, when a principal of a decile 1 school, saw its programme, employed a 0.2FTE component and became responsible for the first of many progammes since. After a year, he spread the world, resulting in an entire cluster of G&Ts in the surrounding schools being enrolled. Some of these students hugely benefitted, others - it was literally a waste of money to have enrolled them. The difference? There were schools who either allowed the students to drive their programme, or there were those who hardly gave them enough scope to have barely 30 minutes a week involvement and dictated much of what they'd do.

As the years passed and the liberties of Learn-Now became more flexible, our emphasis on providing for just G&T students eased. We chose to open the doors to what White's paper calls 'uncovering hidden talents'. Giving more students the opportunities to demonstrate their potential...to uncover 'talent in the making'. Right on cue with White's references, there became flexibility in identification and programming, so that students at risk of underachieving can have the opportunity to demonstrate potential.

Riley's makes mention of Learning Laboratories and Learn-Now is, in our view, one such example. It's a comfortable, autonomous environment, and while our 'furniture's not comfy, we have lounges, cafe's, chat(work)rooms and personalised (but audience designed) areas. It's learner-centred, not teacher directed; teacher independent; open to new people, material and risk tasking. It's hugely complex - often to its detriment, when many teachers will cruise through and see it 'too complex for us' - but ask the students who have been allowed to determine its suitability themselves...they love it. Students simultaneously participate in variety of activities; access material at different levels; engage in instructional groupings; self manage their work (with facilitation where needed); and there's a comfortable ambience...interschool and global at that.

We're on the right track. Yet, in saying this, we believe that every student deserves opportunities for enrichment and extension. All students are at 'a place' right now. How do they get to their where-to-next? By giving them opportunities to discover their potential. One student, once deemed 'hopeless' by their teacher came to us as a 'last resort - just for some computer work to keep him quiet' they said. He became the CEO who ran an International Chocolate Factory with us; lead an online house group to a winning end and lead a computer club in his district for 3 years. He found his potential in leadership, strategic thinking, compassion, creativity and team work. Maths still isn't his thing, nor is spelling, but there was a lot more to him...

The beauty of it now, is that G&T thinking in NZ is launching into an elearning, online headspace. Just yesterday we were approached by a very forward thinking group in the Wairarapa, about to take G&T into a whole cutting-edge zone, with online thinking. For our students who often wish there were more 'like them' here, their prayers may be about to be answered.

Enjoying The Ride

2007-06-04T04:09:00.001-07:00

The journey that's on the go right now, is vibrant, progressive and wonderfully energetic. Life involves an incredible array of people, situations and a buzz that's picking up momentum.

As a Mac user, iLife has now (perhaps finally) been able to show itself off. Invited to present a workshop for the Time4Online national conference running in NZ right now, we got ourselves onto the podcasting bandwagon. Podomatic.com was a nightmare, amongst other alternatives, but thanks to the discussions in many Mac-based forums 'out there' we installed iLife and have had a ball since!

GarageBand 3 now has given us a new adrenalin rush. We're early days yet. We often keep uploading and deleting our (trial&error) podcast efforts, but all the same, watch Our Podcast arena!

Next up, we've been invited to present the life of Learn-Now to a national Gifted & Talented advisory group in Wellington, with the Ministry of Education, as they look into an online way-of-life for GATE students in NZ.

Along the way, we've continued to enrol new students, take on new staff & seed some very exciting upcoming projects. We've also been taking Authentic Encounters Online - as a company, to a whole new level of profile, with huge results. In particular, within the field of consultation contracts for parties keen to develop collaborative online environments themselves. All's good - aside from the hours being kept! The bounce makes sleeping feel like a waste of time...!

Travel to Turkey with us!

2007-05-15T02:20:00.000-07:00

The greatest number of school and students within Learn-Now this term, are those involved with our Travel to Turkey programme. We've gone global with International Cyber Trips...not wanting to tred on the toes of LEARNZ, who run the most spectacular NZ based field trips, rich in Science, in particular.

Pauline McLeod, an ICTPD facilitator within the Cambridge district is off to Turkey and right beside her, are several schools who've been getting a taste of life online together, with a common theme. Learn-Now hosts her trip and has enrolled a huge number of students as her virtual tourists.

Pauline has her travel blog underway, the Learn-Now site has been running a Travel to Turkey programme and we've had students as young as 5 involved. There's been a great attempt to immerse ICT with inquiry based learning, and students 'home sick' haven't been able to take down time, logging in so as to not miss a beat.

The go-getter attitude of some schools has been wonderful. It's a tough call for teachers to let students lose with others 'on the internet', let alone squeeze yet another thing into the already tight programme. All credit to those who've let it happen - or more to the point for some..let their students 'go', work with us and explore a little bit at a time. Just over 100 threads within forums have featured in the very recent weeks, 18 'live' workroom discussions and copious emails. Not bad for a trip that's yet to step foot on the aeroplane...

There are three aspects to the programme:
1) Partake in an inquiry study
2) Engage in role play: be a consultant for Pauline eg: travel, food, medical...
3) Watch and interact with the trip as Pauline 'beams' in from Turkey.

If reading this and interested in taking part - or know of someone who could be, please contact us. We need to assign access to the actual student site, for facilitation & monitoring purposes. Ready for new members - now... interested particularly in proactive connections and contributors. Watch this space! This is still 'early days'...

Recent Activity

2007-04-12T20:01:00.000-07:00

Term 1 is over for Learn-Now and Authentic Encounters Online and much has prepared Term 2 for a stunning amount of hype and activity!

80 individual students are currently enrolled, from homeschool settings, afterschool activity programmes and school groups. 17 schools are now aligned to Learn-Now, with 23 teachers - some of sole charge schools. Currently our age range of students is 5-15 year olds.

We're exposing action in Turkey, Brazil, England, Australia, Fiji, Germany, the USA and New Zealand, with plans afoot also, for Denmark and Sweden.

The key environments targetted to date involve our Global Horizons, Project Central and After School Activities learning areas. Within those fields, Maths Matters, International Cyber Safaris, Career Studies & Science Novelties feature, along with History 'with Sarah', with a look at WW2, Henry VIII & Elizabeth I.

Outside the Learn-Now programme, we've been honored to take the lead as the current 'Hotseat' guest for a module of study in progress by team of teachers at the Middlesex University, England. The module is developed in partnership with Core Education and SSAT. Learning through International Partnerships is the theme.

Alongside the Learn-Now programme and time with the Hotseat, is also a taste of contract work with the Virtual Learning Network with the NZ Ministry of Education. Creating an online environment for work around professional development work for Learning Communities Online, is all go!

Authentic Encounters Online Ltd

2007-03-13T16:17:00.000-07:00

It's official. Learn-Now is the core project of Authentic Encounters Online Ltd. Authentic Encounters Online represents the nature of work that's become the key focus for one of New Zealand's newest education related companies. The focus is online and the encounters are authentic.

AEO (Authentic Encounters Online Ltd), is a hands-on elearning service for students and educators. Currently, AEO operates with a staff of six and three dimensions to its way of life. AEO both consults to and creates online learning environments for education providers; runs One Day Online Learning Experiences for staff, students and parents; and operates Learn-Now, an online learning centre, providing extension and enrichment opportunities for students aged 7-15 years. There are international cyber safaris/field trips (one coming up to Turkey in May), small businesses to design and develop (for even 7 year olds) and more.

All is based on the life of elearning, a wealth of experience and backed by MOE research and endorsement in several quarters. AEO's point of reference to much of what's going in the elearning industry, is via Derek Wenmoth. His blog continually keeps us in check - as he does with many education providers.

Dr Garry Falloon...

2007-03-05T02:48:00.000-08:00

In NZ's 'Good Teacher Magazine' Term 1, 2007, Dr Garry Falloon, Waikato University, poses this question: ICT is it a case of too much too soon? There's reference to students with laptops to those sharing a PC, to digital film making and interactive whiteboards. But what caught my attention, was his support of what he sees as imperative. In particular:

* "We need to be educating children to be out of the box thinkers, who have that creativity and entrepreneurial attitude and the whole desire to learn..."

* "Kids need to know to respect others when interacting in an online environment..."

* "...not just taking notes about what they are seeing, but really learning more as they are doing it.."

These are the angles that drive Learn-Now. It's these practices and these reasons that have become 'the Learn-Now way'. But, most encouragingly of all, is our "Yes! We're just that', with regards to responding to Falloon's final point.

** "What are kids learning when they are on the computer? ...Are they learning about the world? (With Learn-Now, yes!). Are they learning about how to get on with other people? (With Learn-Now, most definitely). Are they learning about environmental issues? (With Learn-Now, yes - both NZ and globally). And do the children know what the contextual learning is around these activities? With Learn-Now, yes. It's built within their programme, through contact reflection and self evaluation.

We're hugely encouraged by what we read here. Learn-Now itself continually goes through intense reflection and evaluation. We are on track.

Incredible Leads!

2007-03-04T01:21:00.000-08:00

A week on from being an exhibitor at the Learning@Schools conference in Rotorua, it's apparent that the impact of it is far more significant than imagined. We aimed to give schools an insight into what we offered. Instead, an additional buzz featured as well...

Three significant angles have presented themselves, some more directly than others. In presenting a 'Go Global' angle, we've found ourselves invited to now also make a connection with Jennifer Corriero from TakingItGlobal in Canada and thanks goes to Derek Wenmoth for the referral. Learn-Now has a huge network of international connections through travel done, a continued life with previous teaching environments, situations and colleagues, and more recently with conference associates etc.

We had a hugely exciting connection with one new conference associate this year. Pauline McLeod, an ICT cluster facilitator within the Cambridge area, may well be one of our cybertrip teachers this year, to Turkey. It's a personal trip that's on it's way to include an active example of what ICT can entail, with students destined to be her virtual tourists. If all goes well, they could also be her travel consultants, health advisors and project managers. Pauline is known by many through the Sunflower Connection, with World Vision, regards her trip to Malawi. Her enthusiasm is stunning. Her vision is very 21st century education.

Her latest journey, can be found in the Good Teacher Magazine', NZ. 'Catching Them - Hook, Line and Sinker', takes the reader through what Pauline McLeod and co-researcher Louise Bonnar share as the four key areas essential for a successful journey online: Preparation, Baiting your catch, Reeling them in and Keeping them hooked online. It's an awesome read! Within this same publication, we're also very drawn to the work by Dr Garry Falloon. More on him in our next entry here.

Learn-Now Open For Business

2007-02-14T10:50:00.000-08:00

Now that schools are back for the new NZ academic year, Learn-Now re-opens for business, inviting new enrolments. Having had some hugely exciting leads from last year, along with many who expressed interest in returning, Learn-Now could potentially face its bounciest year to date.

Parents & schools are welcome to enrol students. Parents have the means to use Learn-Now as an online tutoring service this year (depending on the types of staff we have to cater for requests) and as an After School and Holiday Programme.

Schools have a variety of opportunities available to them. They can enrol a single student for extension & enrichment, a group of students as a team, or take up the whole class single-login membership. The whole focus lies in an elearning one, perfect for ICT cluster groups and anyone wanting to enrich learning with a serious 21st century style.

There are two key factors to consider when enroling a student in Learn-Now. Computer access time granted is crucial. At least an hour a week is needed, plus an hour offline. Secondly, when considering the fees involved, it has to be understood that this is what covers teacher salaries and if in keeping with the 1:1 time given, should just about be double! Staff deal not only with tuition and a huge amount of monitoring and facilitation, but behind-the-scenes development of a students' programme as well.

Check out the site! On offer, are customised projects, but our greatest offer is the invite that's extended to students to come with their own topic (maybe a class one) and develop that with an elearning angle with us. It'll reach students in other schools - and this includes international based students we have waiting in the wings right now. http://www.learn-now.school.nz

Interact: Online Learning Environment

2007-02-07T13:29:00.000-08:00

Learn-Now's designed and developed in the open source software Interact. It's an Online Learning Environment which 'let's you take control'.

The beauty of this, is that the students too can be granted a huge amount of control as well and Learn-Now does dare to take what some have called an extreme step - letting the students have adminstration rights as well, for even greater control of their design and their work.

While Moodle and other software could have been an option, the most stunning difference between others and Interact, lies in the technical support. The Interact team are based in Christchurch, NZ and are such an easy email away. An incredible level of thanks goes to Glen & Bruce in particular, for their prompt responses - often within the hour! Interact suits students & its pedantic staff users perfectly. We can add what we like, when we like, how we like and for whomever we like.

Thanks to Derek Wenmoth...

2007-02-06T03:15:00.000-08:00

Learn-Now began and continues today with thanks to Derek Wenmoth. We fondly call him our elearning guru and through his blog, we're kept up with his 'musings on the use and impact of technology in education, and of the future of education in general'.

There's little Derek doesn't know when it comes to elearning, not just within New Zealand, but also globally. It's thanks to him that Learn-Now maintains the drive to take another step beyond what was word-of-mouth enrolments only - not just in NZ but further afield even more so. To get your head, into his head - check out Derek's Blog!

Learn-Now Gets Blogged!

2007-01-31T12:24:00.000-08:00

While Learn-Now presents itself as an online extension and enrichment programme, it's also fondly referred to as a 'School on the Internet'. For students aged 7-15 years old...

If we stretch ourselves a little further, we could just about claim fame to being an 'International School on the Internet'! To date, we've had students from 23 countries, with the majority from New Zealand, France and the USA.

With over 1100 students having been exposed to what it offers, we start each new 'down-under' academic year with a zero roll. So, in a sense, we're not quite a school! At least schools have a roll-over roll...

Behind us, we've enjoyed the buzz of schools who've taken a leap-in-faith with us and let their students 'loose on the internet' with us. On the other hand, we've been severely challenged by many who run a mile when hearing our students 'chat online'. The purpose of taking Learn-Now into a blogging zone, is to hopefully expose how we do what we do safely. Watch this space!