Blogging in 2011. Sustaining My Interest.

After quite a long break, it is timely for me to consider some writing plans even resolutions for 2011.

I will not aim for anything too grand nor will I bail completely. Just let's say I will aim to write something about a topical issue in education at least weekly. This may be nothing more than a few comments about a set of links relating to my pet topics from Australia and around the world.  My previous posts make it pretty clear as to my favourite topics and issues. I can't see much on the horizon to shift those interests.

After the March State election, I may be inspired to write more or less ... have to wait and see.

I also want to comment on some some things that I won't do, at least I hope I can resist the temptation to:

• register for any "new"so called web 2.0 or social media service, no matter how fabulous it may seem
• promote to other educators any so called web 2.0 or social media service for student use

Over the last year, I have concluded that there is nothing much new out there, that will enhance teacher or student learning at this time.

For under 15s at least, student privacy concerns without parent permission outweigh any benefits.  Too many of these services fold with personal information that can make them money. They are businesses out to monetise their service after all...

I will wait and see how mobile, virtual and game-based learning initiatives develop.

On the other hand, I will take pleasure in widely and enthusiastically (engaging with) and promoting all current and newly created Department of Education (DET) resources and services.  Whether it be TaLE, CLIC, DER, Learning Tools or DET enterprise software or any other materials by other talented DET colleagues, this is the place for teachers to start their search for resources, enhance their professional knowledge and skills and drive improvements in student learning.

It is also vital to use the Quality Teaching Model as the framework for enhancing student learning.

These are my first thoughts on my will and won't dos for 2011.

Journalist blogging and commenting guidelines | Community | guardian.co.uk

Journalist blogging and commenting guidelines Community guardian.co.uk

These 8 points, mentioned by @Ellen Geraghty @Peter Jordan on DET Yammer today.

I hope to come back to this list and use it as a springboard for a longer post on ethical use, in the organisational context.

Strategies for learning and performance support: a summary

Strategies for learning and performance support: a summary

Clive writes: "To wrap up this series of posts on strategies for learning and performance support, here’s a summary of the characteristics of each."

You can click back to the original posts via the keywords at the top of each column.

This blog is well worth a follow.

Digital Literacy Tour

Digital Literacy Tour:

Google writes:

"At Google, we support the education of families on how to stay safe online. That's why we've teamed up with online safety organization iKeepSafe to develop curriculum that educators can use in the classroom to teach what it means to be a responsible online citizen."

My comments:

I think I have listed this resource in a previous digital literacy or tools post. It is such a comprehensive resource, it is worth revisiting.

I have found it worthwhile signing up to the iKeepSafe newsletter also.

Girls think they are cleverer than boys from age four, study finds | Education | The Guardian

Girls think they are cleverer than boys from age four, study finds Education The Guardian

The article states:

The study – Gender Expectations and Stereotype Threat – will be presented to the British Educational Research Association's conference tomorrow.
The paper argues that teachers have lower expectations of boys than of girls and this belief fulfils itself throughout primary and secondary school.
Girls' performance at school may be boosted by what they perceive to be their teachers' belief that they will achieve higher results and be more conscientious than boys, the academics claim. Boys may underachieve because they pick up on teachers' assumptions that they will obtain lower results than girls and have less drive."

With just a cursory glance this research warrants a good think by educators and parents.

Project-Based Learning Strategies and Research for Educators

Project-Based Learning Strategies and Research for Educators

I have noticed over the last short time, many DET types on Twitter and Yammer looking at the features of PBL to improve learning and teaching outcomes.

Thinking I might rediscover my collection of online links for this topic, collected when I was teaching.

I am thinking also that it is still all about thinking.

Online dictionaries: which is best? | Books | The Guardian

Online dictionaries: which is best? Books The Guardian

I haven't done a Share to blogger for ages.

This is a useful article to start with.

I still have my collection of dictionaries of all vintages back to the 60s and earlier if I add those collected by my parents.

Hard to part with, really.