This is the first of six presentations that show how the Microsoft Innovative Educator programme will work. This was created by Megan rademeyer from SchoolNet.

1. Innovation Workshop
2013
Session 1: Teaching
and Learning in a
connected world

2. 2
Innovation Workshop: Morning Schedule
8:30 – 9:00 Welcome and Introduction
Get registered on the Partners in Learning Network
Get registered on the Vodacom Digital Classroom portal
9:00 – 9:45 Session 1: Teaching and Learning in a connected world
Using Social Media for educational purposes and your own
professional development
9:45 – 10:30 Session 2: Learning Activities that use Digital Tools
See how other teachers have created or enhanced a lesson by
incorporating free, easy-to-use tools
In groups – try out the Learning Event Generator!
10:30 – 11:00 Tea and group brainstorm
11:00 – 11:45 Session 3: Getting ideas, mastering tools, creating Learning Activities
Devise a Learning Activity that would teach a new concept to a group
using a tool or technique.
11:45 – 12:00 Groups show off their Learning Activities and tools
12:15 – 1:00 Lunch

3. 3
Innovation Workshop: Afternoon Schedule
12:15 – 1:00 Lunch
1:00 – 2:00 Session 4: 21st Century Learning Dimensions
Learn about five dimensions that 21st Century teachers should aim
towards and how to include them in your learning activities
2:00 – 2:45 Look at other teacher’s Learning Activities and code them
2:45 – 3:30 Session 5: Creating your own Learning Activity
Brainstorm ways of creating or enhancing a learning activity that you
can use to develop 21st century skills
3:30 – 4:00 Session 6: Applying to be a Microsoft Innovative Educator: Expert
Show your passion for using technology for education and you stand a
chance of winning a spot at the SchoolNet ICT in the Classroom
conference to present your Learning Activity and being selected to
attend the Partners in Learning Global Forum

4. 4
Session 1: Teaching in a
Connected World
• Hands up! Who is on: Facebook; Twitter; LinkedIn?
• Who has their own blog?
• Who has their own website?
• Who looks at other people’s blogs for educational purposes?
• Who uses YouTube to look for classroom resources or tutorials?
• Who has joined the Partners in Learning Network?
• Who has signed up as a SchoolNet SA member?
• Who has registered on the Vodacom Digital Classroom?
By the end of this session you will:
Know about some social media tools that
you can include in your classroom
Know how to use social media as a
professional development tool
Know where to find great, free online
resources and tools for enhancing your
lessons

5. 5
How can social media be used as a professional
development tool?
What are some of the advantages of using social media for
professional development (compared to other forms of
professional development)?
Activity: Brainstorm: 5 minutes

6. 6
Social Media as a professional development tool
• Webinars - wide range of topics, free, easy to join
• Online TeachMeets – lots of quick, fun ideas
• Video or step-by-step tutorials on how to use different tools
• Blogs where people share their experiences
• Access to a vast range of tools and ideas for using them
• Network of supportive, excited, inspired and motivated
teachers!

7. 7
• Heaps of free opportunities
• Anywhere, anytime, at your own pace
learning
• Just in time learning
• Vast professional network to draw on
• You can contribute your ideas,
resources and learnings to the big pool
• You can do a formal course (earn a
certificate, qualification or badge) or
you can just look something up – or ask
for help – when you need help
Advantages of Social Media
over other forms of
professional development

8. Get Tweeting!
If you have a smart phone you
can access the tool that many
regard as the top professional
development tool - TWITTER
Go to the SchoolNet SA blog to
find out more about Tweeting
Watch a YouTube video on Using
Twitter for Professional
Development
And / Or look at
Maggie Verster’s Slideshare on
“Getting Started with twitter”
To develop this course – we walked the walk!
• We consulted our contacts who tweet a lot! @fbeal @maggieV
• We looked for resources on a trusted blog and YouTube
• We used other people’s resources with acknowledgement

9. 9
Who is worth following?
Handle What
@schoolnetsa This organisation empowers teachers to use technology to
enhance education. Daily links to free tools and blog posts.
@PILNAfrica Aims to show African teachers how to find and use Microsoft
resources for education.
@MicrosoftPIL Get ideas for using tools and resources on the Microsoft Partners
in Learning Network. A global resource!
@CoZa_Cares A foundation that enables sustainable ICT partnerships in schools.
Great links to resources and inspirational ideas.
@maggiev ICT/ Social Media for learning and teaching activist.
@nharm Google Certified Teacher, Intel Senior Trainer, passionate ipad user
When someone re-tweets someone interesting –
follow that person too!
Un-follow people who don’t interest you.
Look out for people’s handles and follow them.

10. 10
Which hash-tags are worth
following?
Hashtag What
#edchatsa This is a Twitter chat for South African teachers on Monday nights
from 8:30 - 9:30pm. Debate topics using 140 characters!
#msedu Microsoft Education – the hashtag for Microsoft tools, events and
resources for South African teachers.
#sateachers South African teachers share news and ideas relating to education.
If you see an interesting # search it!
Trending #s change all the time. If you want to
create one just start including it in your tweets.
Include #s in your tweets so people can see
your contribution to the conversation

11. 11
Twitter gets Fiona Beal’s creativity soaring
• @ideas_Factory – tweets a link
to “How can I webstream an
event?
• Fiona will be attending a
TeachMeet so she clicks the link
to see how to stream it.
• That leads to an article about
webcasting using different tools
by Wesley Fryer.
• Fiona then sees Wesley has just
done a workshop on creative
writing. Fiona’s passion!
• Which links to a Alan Levine’s
wiki post on writing using five
photos as inspiration.
A new tool, a new technique, someone else’s
experiences, fresh inspiration for teaching a topic!

12. 12
Facebook for education –
who is worth liking?
Tweet about it!
Who do you like on Facebook or
follow on Twitter that you would
recommend for professional
development?

13. Helen Robertson: Cornwall Hill
College, Gauteng
Functions for Technologically
Functioning Teens
Teacher set up a Whatsapp and Facebook
group to encourage independent learning.
Learners (and sometimes the teacher)
answered questions after hours.
Resources and homework available.
As a teaching tool?

14. Charli Wiggill – Eden College Durban
Pay it Forward for the Blind Project
Used the power of Facebook
this teacher and his learners
got people around the world
to read, record and upload
stories for blind children

15. What is the Partners in Learning
Network?
• A global online resource
• A community for educators and school leaders
• A platform to encourage collaboration and the spread of
ideas to improve education worldwide

16. How do you join the Partners in
Learning Network?
www.pil-network.com

17. What can teachers do on the
Partners in Learning Network?
access
Learning Suite tools
and lesson plans
support
from tutorials and
professional
development
connect
to share
resources
discuss hot topics

18. 18
Register at digitalclassroom.co.za

19. Become a SchoolNet Member, like us on
Facebook, follow us on Twitter