The LTT has a Flickr site, I have a Flick site, as do many of my colleagues and friends… Flickr is an image sharing, social networking tool. There are so many tools that plug into Flickr now, blog’s, wiki’s, Facebook….
Using Flickr you can create cheap and very stylish looking promo cards (and at $20 USD per 100 cards, it’s an ideal tool for your students to use to promote themselves) , calendars, coffee table books and slideshows to embed on your online spaces.
So far our team has concentrated on slide.comand you can embed those photo’s as a slideshow with a nifty new tool called SlideFlickr!
This is another tool you can use to make slideshows, this one communicates directly with your Flickr account/s. The slide show look is quite streamlined and very stylish and there are many configuration options. Signing up is simple!
For more web2.0 tools you could use int he classroom, have a look at this list.
Hi! my name is Greg Williams, I am the E learning contact for the Manufacturing & Engineering faculty. I am a Refrigeration & air-conditioning teacher at Grafton campus.
The connect confidence course has opened up a whole new potential for flexible delivery to my students who come as far as Port Macquarie & Tweed Heads. My connect buddy is Jason Vallely, but because it is still early days, we have not as yet spent time conversing.
At weekends I like to pump iron, surf & lay on the beach . I like to wear Tee-shirts until they fall off my back & I never make the bed because I cannot see the point. My wife is very lucky because even though I do not do any housework she gets to enjoy my hot body!
I’m Donna Guiver, the FeLC (Faculty e-Learning Contact) for the General Education Faculty within North Coast TAFE. I’m lucky to have had two great Connect Buddies, Lyn Connors from Gen Ed and Alex Miller from the Hub in Coffs. Learning together with Lyn, as two novices, was fantastic- we had the Connect Confidence Challenges and guidance from the fantastic Des Osborn whose entire training for Connect in our institute has been amazing!
The best thing has been having our own rooms in which to play and have meetings. I’ve used it for meetings mainly with our Gen Ed staff- mostly planned, but sometimes spontaneous when a staff member needs to see a process or system online immeditely to get their job done.
Our Faculty works very much as a team and Connect means we can get over the two major problems with networking i.e. distance and cost!
We’ve discussed Assessment Validation, how to use Moodle, tours of SharePoint and demos of how to make Vokis and use wikis. Following the Connect Confidence training format I’ve experienced as part of the Learning Technologies Team in North Coast I am now starting meetings with the Head Teachers to build their confidence in using Connect.
This is a big cultural change and without Connect confidence I just wouldn’t feel ready for this.
I am the FELC (Faculty e-Learning Contact) for the Construction and Transport Faculty. I am located at Wollongbar and can be found under a bonnet working on vehicles.
Connect for me has been a very new exciting experience. The connect courses have been terrific and my buddy lifesaving and patient. (Thanks Alex)
Using Connect with students
I have attempted a one on one session using Connect with a student who missed some important theory notes due to injury. it was as simple as going through a powerpoint with him. He found it useful… for me it was a learning experience. With that I hope to be able to encourage my colleagues to give it a go.
It is a new concept that has potential. “Great Stuff”
Hi, I’m Averil, a Librarian and the new Workplace eLearning Contact (WeLC) at Coffs Harbour and Macksville campuses.
The Connect Confidence course has been beneficial in building just that – confidence in using our connect rooms and building the skills to start utilising the potential in a learning environment.
As a WeLC I’ve been demonstrating my new skills with teachers. As librarian I have already participated in several Connect meetings with librarians across the institute and participated in new systems training, via Connect with TAFE Library Collection Services, Sydney.
Lisa Terry is my Connect buddy who is the Natfish Head Teacher of Seafood. I really enjoyed exploring the features of the pods and had fun devising a session for Lisa with photographs of fish, the poem “Sea Fever“ by John Masefield and a link to a dodgy website, http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/ .
It’s great having a buddy to figure out the next move when you get stuck and to share your new discoveries with.
Yesterday I interviewed one of the teachers at North Coast Institute, TAFE NSW about the current use of technology to engage trainees and industry.
Linda Johnston, a Community Pharmacy Teacher and e-Learning Contact for the THRAPS Faculty (Tourism, Hospitality, Retail and Personal Services) was happy to share her experiences with me.
This podcast covers the use of Adobe Connect as ‘Virtual Classrooms‘, the use of various Social Networking and collaboration tools, such as wiki’s,blog’s and Facebook to engage trainee’s in industry.
Linda also talks about the mutual benefits to TAFE and Industry and the importance of these tools for life-long learning.
how we made it…
We used an iPod with a microphone to record this interview and Audacity to edit the audio recording. I then uploaded the audio recording to podomatic. I also took some photo’s which I animated using Photoshop.
I’m the FeLC for Arts & Media for the NCI – that’s from Great Lakes to the QLD border – a great part of the state, but so big, it’s difficult to assist staff without lots of travel.
Then along came Adobe Connect. I’ve been lucky enough to have 2 great connect buddies – Lynne Ridley & Lexie Stephens. We’ve had fun exploring this new tool, making mistakes and learning along the way. Thankyfully our sessions are designed in such a way as to keep building on our knowledge, ensuring the motto “don’t be afraid” dosen’t come to fruition. It’s also given us the building blocks to assist others to try Connect.
I’ve already been able to use Connect to great advantage – working with Fashion staff creating their Moodle sites. We’ve been able to work on the same page together even though they are in Wollongbar & Kempsey.
Using Connect to work with my online students is the next step – running tutorial sessions to assist with their study and to overcome that isolation of distance study.
Hi All, my name is Kate and I am a science teacher at Great Lakes (in beautiful Tuncurry) and Taree. I am also the Workplace e-Learning Contact (WeLC) for those campuses.
The Connect Confidence course was really useful. It was great to have the levels of introduction to the tools available in Connect so I was never overwhelmed. It also gave me a good model for how to introduce others to Connect and how to run successful meetings with Connect.
I have started to use Connect for staff meetings because I have staff that teach across campuses and live in far flung regions and we are never all together in one spot at one time. we are able to meet in Connect, share files, discuss issues with students and courses and then post out the minutes immediately.
Helen Poynten is my Connect buddy and we have had a great time practicing and making some mistakes, laughing and learning as we go.
I teach in General Education and am the Workplace e-Learning Contact for Ballina and Wollongbar campuses.
I’m still working on the Connect Confidence course with my buddy Cheryl Rosenberg. Thanks Cheryl! The Connect Confidence course is giving me valuable real practice and definitely building my confidence. Without it I would be fine as a participant but wouldn’t attempt to be a host.
Having my own room means that as my skills grow I can see myself using Connect in my WeLC role to share information and provide training to other staff across campuses. For me Connect is great to use with colleagues and other teachers.
It is not so appropriate for use with my current students as they are low level literacy and/or computeracy. I can see it would be great for higher level courses. I find the Connect sessions with the Learning Technologies Team extremely valuable and interesting. Go Connect!
Good question it depends on what hat I am wearing. (This lady (me) should be dancing!)
ICCLO- Institute Correctional Centre Liaison Officer
LLNP Language Literacy and Numeracy Coordinator
Preparation for Work and Study Cordinator
Teacher Lit/num
Kempsey Campus First Aid Officer
WeLC Kempsey Campus (most challenging, but great fun!)
I am enjoying the connect confidence course in which I participated as part of the Learning Technology Team for North Coast Institute TAFE NSW.
At the same time I find it very frustrating as Kempsey’s bandwidth makes it difficult to fully participate in adobe connect sessions. Other staff members are finding this very frustrating as well. I have shown staff how to find the recordings of some PD’s but it is like everything else the intentions are there but we are all very time poor. The best way for Kempsey is to do a PowerPoint presentation
My connect buddy is Julie Robins I can’t believe how patient she is and really keeps me on track. She really encourages me to set time aside and do it. I can do it.
1. Who are you, what’s your role and where are you located? Hi! my name is Neal Aitkin, I am a part time teacher of Information Technology at Kingscliff Campus on the far North Coast. I am also the IT Faculty e-Learning Contact. 2. Was this Connect Confidence course beneficial? The Confidence course did exactly as it was named – build my confidence in using Adobe Connect. I have been a particpant a number of times but it is a lot more “challenging” being the Host. With one other person in the room (ie my buddy) it was manageable but having several people to deal with could be a real test! 3. How could you apply the skills to your teaching/support role? I plan to incorporate the use of Connect to simulate a distance training/instruction environment where a student (presenter) will instruct the class (participants). The presenter will be in another part of the campus. 4. How useful was having a Connect buddy? Who was your buddy? Urshula was my buddy and she was great to work with. Having a buddy really helped getting through this very “taxing” course!
My name is Linda Johnston and I am a Community Pharmacy, Retail and Beauty Teacher. I am one of the two Community Pharmacy Coordinators for North Coast TAFE and the Faculty eLearning contact. I am celebrating three years now at North Coast TAFE and loving it!
Was the confidence course beneficial?
Extremely !!!! It was great having Annette Griffioen as my buddy during this learning experience. What I enjoyed the most is we learnt from each other. Annette knew things I didn’t and viceversa.
I now have the confidence to demonstrate Adobe Connect, as a flow on effect, I now have another teacher using it in Community Pharmacy for delivery to workplace trainees and flexible students. I have also showcased it to our industry partner and it looks like this may lead to new opportunities for us.
I’m Donna Guiver, the FeLC (Faculty e-Learning Contact) for the General Education Faculty within North Coast TAFE. I’m lucky to have had two great Connect Buddies, Lyn Connors from Gen Ed and Alex Miller from the Hub in Coffs. Learning together with Lyn, as two novices, was fantastic- we had the Connect Confidence Challenges and guidance from the fantastic Des Osborn whose entire training for Connect in our institute has been amazing!
don’t be afraid…
I teach in General Education and am the Workplace e-Learning Contact for Ballina and Wollongbar campuses.
1. Who are you, what’s your role and where are you located?
Who am I?
