Creating connected learning environments

We are a loosely affiliated group of people with a long held interest in educational development. We are all Australians by-the-way. Together we have nearly 50 years of experience in the field. Allison Miller has a small consultancy business called Vanguard Visions Consulting, and has invited Michael Coghlan, Leigh Blackall and Howard Errey to partner in the development of this program.

To begin with, we all negotiated an understanding of each other’s positions and perspectives, and agreed on the various topics, focus areas, and issues we thought should be covered in this program. To progress that, we started from where we generally agreed. Such as, that knowledge and meaning is developed through social connections, and that technology (old and new) plays a large part in that development. We also agree that formal education is different to informal learning, and that the former needs to continuously develop flexibility to recognise, learn from and enable the latter.

But we diverge in many other ways, and that is what may make this program rich and interesting. For example, we are struggling with the degree to which recent communications technology is different from technology of the past, such as how email and chat is significantly different to the telegram; or how blogs are different to 18th century printing presses; or to what degree powerful people define the language and direction of our work, and how well informed and critical we are on these questions.

Participants of this program will experience what it is like to be a ‘networked learner’ through openly creating and sharing online content/resources/information as open educational resources. This experience will move them from understanding how to create learning environments of knowledge duplication, to learning environments which foster knowledge development and innovation. Successful completion of the Creating CLE’s program will enable participants to create their own connected learning environments (CLEs).

Objectives
We are currently in the process of wording objectives for this program. It is our hope that this program can have useful outcomes for people in as wider ranging qualifications frameworks as possible.

These need to be developed, such as: A successful course participant will: Theother66 (discuss • contribs)
 * Understand and know what it means to be a connected learner
 * Be able to create and critique online professional profiles as part of a professional learning network
 * Be able to apply their learning experiences to an educational program

Possible framework to phrase these objectives: a ‘Statement of Participation’ (open badge) mapped some of the following Units of Vocational Graduate Certificate in Management (TAE70210) BSBLED701A Lead personal and strategic transformation BSBLED702A Lead learning strategy implementation Units of Vocational Graduate Certificate in Digital Education (TAE80312) TAEDEL801A Evaluate, implement and use ICT-based educational platforms TAEDEL802A Use e-learning with social media TAELED801A Design pedagogy for e-learning

Participants' outputs/assignments
1 Individual reflection, group dialogue and engagement 2 Profile pages in at least 3 platforms, with a written piece with a rationale 3 Field search and summary of connected learning environments in a selected subject area
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Part one - /Welcome and orientation/
- Welcome postcard and ‘book’ (Culture of New Learning - Seely Brown) - Welcome Email - Join CCLE G+ Group and introduce themselves - https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/107696407418353975663 - Pre-workshop learning materials and activities on CCLE Blog (Leigh please insert link)
 * 22 April 2014 - practice webinar to ensure everyone can log-in and interact (Everyone)
 * 29 April 2014 - Send to participants (Allison)
 * Activities?

Part two - /What is a connected learning environment/
Introduction and participating in an connected learning network

* 6 May 2014 - Webinar 8.30 pm EST Overview of the program, program expectations/commitment etc (Allison)

What is your 'Open Badge' where to put (Leigh)

10 min intro session each
 * How to effectively build your own PLN - Howard Errey
 * Networked learning - Leigh Blackall
 * Openness as an attitude - What are MOOCs, Open Resources / Courses (Web-ism), CCs - Michael Coghlan
 * Building a portfolio and collecting evidence (including tags / RSS / Open Badges) - Allison Miller

Debate/Discussion: LMS vs connected learning environments - what extra skills are needed? Q&A

Possible Follow-up activities: Blog/Vod/Pod post (or similar) - Review and critique three online professional profile sites Reflective post (or similar) - How would you define “a connected learning environment”? What did you expect being an connected learner would be like - what are your strengths/weaknesses as a connected learner? How suited are you/your students to this way of learning? Theother66 (discuss • contribs)

Part four - /Facilitating connected learning environments/
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