Authentic Encounters Online Ltd

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...

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!

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.