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

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.

A Slice of Learn-Now

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 :).