2. Where to find me:
Twitter: #connect2013
Follow me: @adrossis
Wiki Spaces:
http://adrossis.wikispaces.com/
Resources for this presentation:
http://adrossis.wikispaces.com/C
ONNECT+2013
3. What is Learning Connections?
Learning Connections (LC) is:
funded by a grant from the Ontario Ministry of
Education, Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat
an online community driven by the collaboration of
school districts called District Champions
District Champions
align their involvement with their district level plans
engage in sharing and collaborations with other district
champions
build capacity within their district with support from LC
7. Blended Approach to
Professional Learning
“Student learning
depends on every
teacher learning
all the time.”
(Fullan, 2007,
p. 35)
8. Blended Approach to
Professional Learning
Personalized Learning
Learning Online
Educational Speakers Collection
Collaboration and Learning
Online Book Studies
Pilot Applications
21st Century Leadership
ABEL Leadership Round Table
Leadership Summit
ABEL Summer Institute
ASI 2013: Level UP
http://plp.abel.yorku.ca
9. Personalized Learning
Learning Online
Scheduled Learning included:
Sessions on: Literacy Skills in Science, Numeracy and 21st Century
Literacy
Videos of these sessions were created for later viewing
OnDemand Learning included:
Sessions on WordPress, Moodle…
Educational Speakers Collection
Variety of videos available
Twitter Chat
Visible Leadership
Social Media in Education
Skills for Today
10. Collaboration and Learning
Online Book Studies
The Connected Educator
3 online asynchronous meetings
Online activities and discussions
Pilot Applications
Equella – initial set-up phase only
Edsby – year one of pilot
11. 21st Century Leadership
ABEL Leadership Round Table
Topics for discussion included:
Leadership with Technology for Learning
App That!
Social Media in Education
Visible Leadership Summit
Facilitated by Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach and
Lisa Neale
Face-to-face at York U
12. ABEL Summer Institute:
Level UP
ASI delegates will Level UP to improve their effective
use of technology through:
Level UP in 20
Experience this fast paced
Pecha Kucha style session.
Presenters share what they
do and how the Level UP.
ASI Flipped
Flip the conference
experience and engage in
meaningful conversations
based on shared resources
Interactive Learning
Expert facilitators lead
hands-on sessions for a
variety of technological
tools for education.
13. TodaysMeet
What is TodaysMeet?
Online tool to create a backchannel
Quick to set up
Archive your transcript easily
Check out our TodaysMeet:
http://todaysmeet.com/ProfLearning
What makes professional learning engaging for you?
14. Building Community and
Sharing Best Practice
“Connected learning communities
are designed to support the
professional development goals
their members have chosen to
improve instruction and
subsequently bring about increased
growth and achievement for the
21st century learner.” (Nussbaum-
Beach & Ritter Hall, 2012, p. 38)
15. Building Community and
Sharing Best Practice
Face-to-face
at York University
two conferences
Websites
access to the tools, resources and professional learning
share, collaborate and learn from each other
Monthly Online Meetings
synchronous to share, collaborate, and build community
16. Face-to-Face at York U
Fall LC District Champion Conference
38 participants from 10 school districts and Ministry
Meet and greet to promote collaboration
2 opportunities for hands-on sessions
Planning time
Spring LC District Champion Conference
Coming May 17th, 2013
Time to share work done throughout the year
Planning time for 2013-2014 year
17. Websites
LC hosts two websites for members to access:
http://www.learningconnections.on.ca/
Access to the tools and resources
Link to professional learning site: http://plp.abel.yorku.ca/
http://lcchampions.abel.yorku.ca/
Share projects and ask questions
Collaborate and connect
Learn from each other
18. Monthly On-line Meetings
Representatives from Champion Districts meet online
Provide information regarding upcoming professional learning
Champions provide feedback to program office about their
needs
Planning time for LC events
Sharing of best practices
Each month 1-2 districts take 15 minutes to share
Opportunity to ask questions and collaborate
19. Edmodo
What is Edmodo?
Free for teachers and students to connect and collaborate
http://www.edmodo.com/
Join to collaborate, share and learn
Create an account and login
Join our group (code: 3p8s51)
Discuss how you collaborate and
and share
20. Sample LC Projects
“The integration of technology
and pedagogy to maximize
learning must meet four
criteria. It must be irresistibly
engaging; elegantly efficient
(challenging but easy to use);
technologically ubiquitous; and
steeped in real-life problem
solving.” (Fullan, 2013, p. 33)
21. LC Champion District Project
Evident in LC Projects:
Teachers engaged in professional learning by coaching, one to
one, small group and large group
Teachers sharing their work online and face-to-face
Teachers learning new ways to work and collaborate
Teachers using technology for literacy and numeracy
instruction
Students learning appropriate use of technology
Students engaged in using technology tools for learning
Students completing authentic tasks and projects
Teachers working with students to learn new technologies
22. Limestone DSB
Improve communication and thinking through
purposeful, accountable interactions for students
Engage students in authentic reading and writing
experiences
23. Ottawa Catholic DSB
Support tools to capture conversations, observations
and product
Provide platform for teacher collaboration and
networking (Google plus, Edmodo)
Professional learning to build capacity
24. Near North DSB
Professional learning for teachers to effectively
integrate technology across the curriculum
Coaching model to build capacity
Share stories of their work online and face-to-face
25. Thunder Bay Catholic DSB
Teacher librarians use Edmodo for collaboration
and communication
Focus on “Edmodo into practice” to support
other work in the district
Promote use of Edmodo in the classroom
26. Kawartha Pine Ridge DSB
Build capacity as teacher librarians to support student
inquiry – using WordPress as a collaborative tool
How will using Web 2.0 tools increase the likelihood of
professional, collaborative learning happening among
us, and help build our capacity as teacher-librarians?
supporting student inquiry?
27. Upper Grand DSB
Two schools: urban and rural
Students working on inquiry based projects linking
classroom together
Use of QR codes to share research with community
and other classes
28. York Region DSB
Professional collaboration through Web 2.0 tools
(Twitter, Edmodo, Google Docs)
Support inquiry learning in the classroom
Expand on the idea of “kinetic learning”: follow hash-
tag #KineticInquiry
29. Hastings Prince Edward DSB
Increasing the use of their iPad carts in the classroom
Project integrated with the FSL network in district
Professional learning for teachers using iPads and
different apps for education
30. Research in LC
Partnered with Institute for Research in
Learning Technologies, York University
research and evaluates the work of the
program
2011-2012: Learning Connections: Project
Year End Report
2012-2013: Learning Connection:
Developing Skills for the 21st Century
31. Research for Improvement
2011-2012: LC Project Year End Report
Changed format of monthly meetings to highlight 1-2
districts
Provided comprehensive online space for sharing and
collaboration: http://lcchampions.abel.yorku.ca/
Continued to provide two face to face conferences:
“Continue to provide the two face-to-face sessions. They
really help to build capacity and collaboration across
boards in Ontario. We really appreciate and look forward
to those opportunities to meet and share with others.”
(Wideman, 2012, p. 13)
32. Research for 21st Century
Learning
2012-2013: LC - Developing Skills for the 21st Century
Provide a framework to align LC project proposals with
21st century learning skills
Case study of 2 districts
Preliminary review of past proposals:
“Most projects explicitly incorporated
inquiry, expository, communicative, and collaborative skill
dimensions in their pedagogical design and classroom
implementations, and all made use of ICT in ways that
required students to apply (and further develop) important
ICT literacy skills.” (Wideman, 2013, p. 34)
33. Reflector App
https://www.reflectorapp.com/
Cool features:
You don’t need an Apple TV to project
your iDevice
You can project multiple devices
Inexpensive
Cautions:
Use the trial version to check if it
works on your network
35. Resources
Wideman, H. (2012). Learning connections: Project year-end report
2011-2012. Toronto, ON: Institute for Research on Learning
Technologies, York University.
Wideman, H. (2013). Learning connections: Developing skills for the
21st century. Toronto, ON: Institute for Research on Learning
Technologies, York University.
Nussbaum-Beach, S., & Ritter Hall, L. (2012). The Connected
Educator: Learning and leading in a digital age. Bloomington, IN:
Solution Tree Press.
Fullan, M. (2013). Stratosphere: Integrating
technology, pedagogy, and change knowledge. Toronto: Pearson
Canada Inc.
Fullan, M. (2007). Change the terms for teacher learning. JSD The
Learning Forward Journal, 28(3), 35-36. Retrieved from
http://www.michaelfullan.ca/media/13396074650.pdf
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