Microsoft Educator Network

Virtual Learning Environments Calluses, Bruises and Breakthroughs... Our Experience setting up OneNote/SharePoint as our virtual learning environment. Attached is a whitepaper outlining the journey we took in implementing OneNote/SharePoint as our virtual learning environment at Appleby College in Oakville, Ontario Canada I've previously shared a whitepaper on HOW we use OneNote in the class (Available ) While the on premise use of SharePoint described in the paper works well, we are currently working to create a hybrid environment with Office 365, removing the dependency on SharePoint to manage much of access and permissions we automatically ...

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Virtual Learning Environments Innovation is an Experiment In my previous four blog posts I've been exploring the question "why innovate?" So by now you should have a compelling argument for adopting virtual learning environments in your school. In the last post I explored how we , today I want to explore how we make that vision into a reality. From here.... So you've decided that you are going to use innovative practices to either , or simply to . The first step is to audit where you are now. There are a number of ways which you can do this. 1. ...

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Virtual Learning Environments Building Vision Across Your School In my previous three blog posts I've been exploring the question "why innovate?" So by now you should have a compelling argument for adopting virtual learning environments in your school. Either to , or to . As a leader or driver in your school you have a vision for transformation through virtual learning but.... How do you build vision across your school? 1. The vision must be articulable and compelling. Too often innovative uses of modern technology is introduced at a school without a clear...

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Virtual Learning Environments Improving Student Learning Outcomes Why innovate? While we might have many reasons to explore innovation in our classrooms and schools, such as competitive advantage, meeting parent expectations or keeping up with neighbouring schools. The only reason we actually need is to pursue innovation to improve student learning outcomes. Learning outcomes that are not possible without modern technology In the last post in this series I challenged the view that schooling and curriculum hadn't changed in the last hundred years. In fact, ...

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Virtual Learning Environments Addressing Our Compromises by using Virtual Learning. There is a myth being circulated lately, l bet you've heard it. It goes something like this... "Schools haven't changed in one hundred years." It is a compelling statement and brings a strong emotional reaction, but the thing is that it is totally untrue. Walk into any classroom anywhere around the world and I'll bet that you won't see anything like classrooms of one hundred years ago. You'll see students working in groups, you'll see more project work, more simulations, more games, you'll see ...

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Virtual Learning Environments Build on your strengths. Why Innovate? Why introduce virtual learning to your class, school or district? One starting point can be to build on your strengths, to take a pedagogical strength and make it an even great strength. So, what are the pedagogical strengths of your learning and teaching program? Maybe your strength might be project based learning, or personalisation or peer learning? If so, think of how virtual learning can enhance that strength. Ask yourself the question, or better yet, find hard evidence ...

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Virtual Learning Environments 10 tips to integrate a VLE in your school Today we can see in every single school how good is to learn with apps, slates and a virtual piano. Learn. I believe this word is not taken seriously enough. Every book editor is offering to the schools the chance to have their material on line in their platforms, available 24/7 and with lots of extra resources, media and the chance to collaborate. Collaboration. What is the real meaning of this word in the education field? Amazing software is provided and our students can create their ...

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Virtual Learning Environments Is your virtual learning environment an obligatory passage point? Michael Callon defined the term "obligatory passage point" to describe the essential element that enables a function to occur. For example, search engines have become the obligatory passage point for finding facts, replacing encyclopaedias and other reference books. Facebook has become the obligatory passage point for connecting with friends, replacing post cards, telephone calls and catch ups. Email has become the obligatory passage point for business communication, replacing letters and faxes...

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Virtual Learning Environments Taking a look behind the curtain of an effective virtual learning environment To date we've largely discussed how students are using virtual learning environments. Today I want us to take a look behind the curtain and discuss what needs to be in place to ensure that our use of virtual learning leads to higher student learning outcomes. What policies do you have in place? When implementing your virtual learning program did you have to examine any of your policies? What was needed in your privacy and cyber safety policy? What other risks (if any) have you identified? How ...

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Virtual Learning Environments Learning Circles- An Innovative Structure for Collaboration The is an innovative structure for group collaboration. Online Learning Circles are being used effectively in cross-classroom collaborations by many thousands of students around the world at all levels from primary to graduate school. This short video draws a contrast between two approaches to group work: committee teamwork and facilitated small group process. In committee teamwork, a task is divided among participants each doing a part of the work. In facilitated small group process, the ...

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Virtual Learning Environments Is curriculum a compromise we still need to make? In my previous post , I was called out my a commenter: "The student must have knowledge that is established by the curriculum. Everyone needs knowledge required for work, because the more prepared we are by formal education, the more likely we will find meaningful employment." (Note: translated as best I could from Spanish) It is a fair comment because I've been promoting in this blog, a use of technology that promotes self directed learning, inquiry-based learning and social learning but I ...

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Virtual Learning Environments Would you share your search history? I've been exploring (pronounced social), an "experiment in open search" created by Microsoft's . The community is for 18+ so it is not one you'll probably be able to use with your students anytime soon but I want to discuss it because the way it uses search is very interesting. So.cl posts are created from edited search results. You type in a search term, in the screen shot below you can see I've searched for "social search", which produces results as web results, videos, images or news. The ...

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Virtual Learning Environments Reimagining feedback and intervention When do your students receive feedback and intervention? If they're like most students in a traditional classroom, there are probably three possible opportunities: When the student submits their work for assessment on completion of the task or project. When the student realises they need help and directly asks for it. When the teacher recognises that the student needs help and intervenes. Modern technology offers new opportunities for feedback and intervention. Publishing is no longer the end...

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Virtual Learning Environments What is happening in your virtual learning environment? In 2009 we worked on a professional learning program for 100 teachers in Victoria, Australia who were part of a student netbook trial. As part of that program Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach of created a private online community in which the teachers could share ideas and discuss issues around the project. Over the course of the year more than 3500 posts and comments were made in the community. At the end of the project we wanted to know: What were the teachers discussing? And, what role did the ...

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Virtual Learning Environments Why is Microsoft Word better than paper? In my previous post, , I discussed how the data that Microsoft Word automatically generates can be used by students to make better decisions about their own learning. Today I want to keep that theme going at look at some other reasons why having students use Microsoft Word is much better than having them use paper. Microsoft Word can combine documents. Modern technology has seen a move to a remix culture. Very rarely to when writing in real life do we start with a blank document. Rather, when ...

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Virtual Learning Environments What Virtual Learning Environment do you use at your school? In the deep dive sessions at the Global Forum in Prague, a number of schools expressed interest in hearing about what technologies other schools are using. If you have used a Virtual Learning Environment in your school please use the comments to briefly describe your experience. Thanks. ...

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Virtual Learning Environments What does limitless capacity make possible? Shortly after I started teaching a colleague from a nearby classroom left the school on maternity leave. She generously gave to me twenty large boxes that she had amassed over time, full of teaching resources, including play scripts, fiction and non-fiction texts, and much, much more. Unfortunately, the resources turned out to be not useful at all, as there was no way of knowing what was in those boxes. It would take much longer for me to go through the boxes, than it would to create or source ...

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Virtual Learning Environments Understanding modern virtual learning environments In this first post, I want to introduce a three step methodology for understanding modern Virtual Learning Environments. Step 1: Identify the new possibilities of the virtual learning technology Modern technologies are more than a substitute for previous practice. They offer new possibilities beyond the practice they are replacing. Unfortunately, these new possibilities are not always easy to recognise. To assist us in identifying them, it is useful to ask three broad questions: Does the ...

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