Getting Started

The focus is to improve outcomes for Aboriginal students and assist the Tharawal community in the transition to blended/online training. The outcomes for this project is, to identify how to create a learning environment where new knowledge, skills and ideas are constructed in a user friendly technology based system. This would be to develop an awareness of appropriate resources and courses as well as construct strategies that would encourage participation in the online environment of Aboriginal people from the Tharawal Lands Council.

Initial contact has been with the Aboriginal Coordination Unit of SWSI, in particular the Aboriginal Coordinator. Several meetings will take place throughout the life of the project to ensure the long term sustainability of elearning.

Fortunately I was able to attend the Reconciliation Dinner organised by the Institute. this gave me an opportunity to network and discuss with current teachers working with the Tharawal Lands Council. There was great celebrationon this night as a group of Aboriginal Students had just completed Certificate 3 Horticulture and all but one was employed out of a group of 15. A most successful project!

Induction Workshop

NSW Learnscope presented a great induction workshop to help us all to meet the outcomes of the project. Of interest there were sessions on planning the project and further to this learning strategies that provided an overview of ways to give Learnscope projects structure and definition.

It was a great opporunity to network and talk with others embarking on a journey of discovery. This also enabled me to ask questions of more experienced learnscopers and identify some stratgies to assist me with my project.

The NSW Flex-e-team is made up of 6 Project Leaders who each have individual Learncope Projects for 2005. I am a member of this team and for the Induction Workshop we were all asked to give an overview of our projects. A mini presentation to both individual and group Learnscope Project people for 2005. This was a duanting task but we all managed!!!!It was good to finally meet all of these people face to face.

A most interesting and inspirational speech from Leigh Blackall. It gave me an overview of emerging technologies and encouraged me to think about how new technology could be used in my project. I even had the opportunity of speaking with Leigh!! Most interesting! I am a regular viewer of his BLOG and he is a strong advocate for free ware.

The current toolbox Champion for NSW gave an overiew of the availability of the Toolboxes. Toolboxes

Lunch was excellent and gave us the opportunity to extend the networks even further. The afternoon sessions provided an overview of the Flexible Learning Framework which was invaluable and I certainly made a note of the availability of the resources relevant to my project. Flexible Learning

One of the reall highpoints of the day was the workshop on Digital Story Telling. This was truly memorable and insired me to join the Edna Group Digital Story Telling group. This presentation gave me lots to think about in how I could present reports on this project. Digitial Story Telling Association

All in all a great day!