LearnScope equates to giving birth!! See below for details.
‘Learning Communities in ACE’ brought together educators from community based Literacy and Language programs to investigate the application of new learning technologies. We started the journey at different points and our outcomes reflect the different learning that individuals have experienced and how far they have come since day one.
I prefer to let the participants tell you about their experiences so read on and enjoy some of their reflections about the project. See also some resources and pics attached.
Doug Purcell – facilitator
I enjoyed the opportunity to share and gain experience from other more experienced educators, especially as we seemed to be focussed on cooperating together to achieve similar goals. I can say that I now have a greater understanding of a learning community and how it can function. The guest speakers we had during the project gave me an insight into the broader picture of using on line learning and its advancement in Australia in general. Two other highlights of the project were learning how to use PowerPoint for presenting stories and a 'taste' of the Hot Potatoes software.
We’ve come to the end of our project – alas! I don’t think that at the beginning I would have thought that I would feel thus. We have had our Highs and Lows, our Laughs and almost Tears, our Frustrations and our Rush Times with too little time to explore too much.
I feel a greater understanding of my students who are learning new things, in a new environment and with different people.
We started off tentatively….. we had some computer skills, some more than others but it did help having others who seemed to be at a similar computer level as ourselves. We had to be rescued when the computer did the wrong things or the screen went to wrong places ( it was never ourselves!) but we all reached our destination together! We got to know each other, we worked together and the social side is definitely a plus to learning and confidence gained is perhaps the unmeasurable but most important part of learning.
Power Point Presentations definitely have their place but I wanted practical items for my students and PP came up trumps not only as a computer book but printed out and bound it is a very easy way of creating a book. The NH computer teachers have been inspired by the PP work and have been teaching it with examples so our project has ripple effects.
I knew that giving up spare time to undertake the LearnScope project would be a fairly big sacrifice for me, and then to have to spend that time in front of a computer……… well, that was a BIG ASK!!!
Doug: “Andrea……., we need some guinea pigs for a LearnScope Project.”
Me: “I must warn you, I haveverylow skills, anddon’t likecomputers!”
Doug (with a quizzical smile): “That’ll be fine – we need a range of abilities in the group.” (or words to that effect).
My LearnScope experience can be likened to giving birth. Now that it’s over, I’m quickly forgetting the agony of the experience, but while I was going through it, there were some quite painful moments when I felt powerless. Having gone through the experience once, and survived, I might even do something similar again. Thanks for the support of the nurses (the other participants) and to the doctors (Doug and Jan) for performing any necessary surgery along the way!!!!
I think that it is also very important that we LearnScope participants continue to support each other via email and the ACE hub, and encourage and support other Community literacy providers to upgrade/utilise their skills in this area, so that they don’t feel excluded or ‘left behind’.
When the opportunity arose to be involved in the LearnScope Project, I was both curious and apprehensive. Curious because only a general project description was given, with all to be revealed when the group dynamics were decided. Hesitant because the focus was to be Online Learning and with my limited skills, I questioned the value of my contributions to the group. It became apparent from the first session, that the LearnScope Project would be a success due to the personalities, or should I say, characters of the group and their commitment, even though our initial skills' audit highlighted the various levels of computer competency.
However, this was not an issue as we were all able to progress at our own pace, setting realistic goals that were relevant to our own work environment. The workshops provided us with a framework for professional development where we could expand our skills, network with participants in the ACE and TAFE sectors and reaffirm our direction.
The first exciting thing to come my way from the workshops was the Hot Potatoes software and I immediately jumped in and had a go. Then I needed somewhere to put the activities and so I thought I’d better get started on my project which was to create a web site that I thought would suit my students. Then I encouraged (read: coerced) a few students into trying them out. They liked them and especially the idea that we’d use their writing to make further exercises together.
I think it’s unlikely I could have got this far without the project, because the group learning environment encouraged and inspired me. I wanted to learneverything!
Power Point was something I’d been meaning to get around to for such a long time. Now I had the perfect excuse for spending extra time at the computer (“It’s for the project, Dear”) instead of dusting etc. The other participants produced magnificent power point slide shows. My effort was small in comparison but it proved to me that it is an exciting tool to use with our students.
The project has left me with a sense of how important it is for us to incorporate the use of computers in our Language and Literacy programs. One comment made that struck me as particularly salient was that by not encouraging all of our students (whatever their ability) to use computers we are actually perpetuating the same discrimination that those with low literacy skills face everyday.
Bearing this in mind I have established stronger links with the computing co-ordinators at my centres and have started 1:1 computing lessons for those whose literacy skills or confidence are not at the level required for the mainstream computing classes. As well as using educational software with many of the students, I also encourage those with more advanced computer skills to use class time to check their emails and to search the Internet for information and resources that might help them in their everyday lives.
