eLearning Planning vs Teacher Hands-on Experiences

I'll start by saying that having meaningful eLearning planning docs in a school is essential - especially these: a vision for eLearning (related to the school vision); an eLearning strategic action plan to help you achieve your vision; a purchase or lease plan which provides a systematic, budget related plan for the acquisition of digital devices; a BYOD framework.

However equally important is individual teachers having a commitment to increasing eLearning in the classroom and beyond.  To achieve this teachers need to be given new ideas, they need to see examples and they need demonstrations of how these ideas can be integrated into learning areas.   They need to practice and build up their own IT skills.  They need to set goals, reflect, share and collaborate.

School leaders need to ask the  question 'In order for the school to achieve our eLearning vision and the desired graduate student,  what IT equipment and teacher practice is needed?'   How will we achieve this?

Achieving eLearning success across a school requires more than the usual eLearning action plan. It requires commitment to teacher PLD (practical ideas, hands-on, skill-building), scaffolding, mentoring, expectation and accountability.  Most of all the teacher needs to identify as a learner.

Level of teacher expertise and personalising learning

My job is an interesting mix of all levels of education practice.  I work with leaders on eLearning visioning, curriculum and professional inquiry. And I work with teachers, with all levels of eLearning expertise, to develop their use of eLearning with their students.  

This week I have been providing some blogging next steps to a group of teachers who are new to online spaces.  To model in a real context I set up a blog called 'The eLearning Sandpit.  Which I shared with the teachers.  The first post (above)  showed the WALT.  The second post shared the intended outcome (quick goal setting).  

 

 Using a blog as the 'presentation' platform worked well and I was able to demonstrate the skills before the teachers tried them.  We finished the session by sharing our goals (what?) ... myself included!

On the drive home I reflected on the workshop.  I had tried something different.  I changed my approach to suit the needs of the learners and I personalised the learning activity.   I was happy with the outcome.