The document discusses how digital tools can be used for blended learning. It notes that today's learners are multi-taskers who are digitally literate and connected 24/7. It emphasizes that what students do with information is most important, not just how or where it is stored. The document provides examples of how Hawkesdale P12 College in Australia connects, communicates, collaborates and learns collectively using tools like blogs, wikis, Skype and social bookmarking to partner with experts worldwide and participate in online projects.

1. ReThink…ReImagine Conference
“Digital Toolbox for Blended Learning”
Britt Gow
Deakin University, 30th January 2013

2. Science, Maths and VCE
Environmental Science
Online teacher at
Hawkesdale P12 College
SW Victoria
Technoscience blog since
2008
Twitter @brittgow
brittgow@gmail.com

18. How is it different?
• Very fast – almost instant – sharing of audio, text
and images.
• Much more data stored in smaller spaces.
• Visual data are more prominent.
• Global access – few restrictions to
communication across the world.
• 24/7 – not restricted to 9-to-5 on weekdays
‘school’ or ‘working’ hours.
• Anyone can publish – not just the ‘experts’.
• Many more opportunities to find people of
similar interests.

19. What does this mean for teaching
and learning?
• Teachers are no longer the “font of all
knowledge”.
• Students don’t need to memorize facts.
• Questions shouldn’t be easily ‘googled’.
• Instead of rote learning; analysis, evaluation
inquiry, problem-solving and creation should be
the focus.
• Students need to be taught to evaluate the
reliability of information.
• Opportunities for peer collaboration with like-
minds

20. Today’s Learners are:
• Multi-taskers
• Digitally literate
• Mobile and connected 24/7
• Experiential
• Social
• Visual/spatial learners
• Fast response times, short attention spans
© 2006 “Teaching the 21st Century Learner”
http://depd.wisc.edu/series/06_4168.pdf

23. “It is not where or how the
information (text, images, audio) is
stored, or the device or speed with
which that information is accessed,
but what the student does with
that information that matters
most.”

24. “Teaching is an art form not
a delivery system.”
“A tool is only as powerful
as the creativity of the
person who uses it.”
“A cupboard full of
instruments does not
produce music – a suitcase
of web tools does not lead
to creativity on it’s own.”
Sir Ken Robinson

25. “RSA Animate - Changing Paradigms”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U

26. 10 Innovative Teaching Practices
Factors that simulate the development of skills for today:
1. Reciprocal feedback
2. Students reflect on their own learning
3. Contributions to performance assessments
4. Students revised their own work
5. Learning is connected to the real world
6. In-depth project work
7. Freedom to choose which tools to use
8. Freedom to choose which topics to study
9. Cross-cultural contacts
10. Exposure to global interdependency issues
Myf Powell “From Replacement to Transformational” at Perfecting the Blend Conference, 2012

27. FIVE web2.0 tools for learning…
(1) Thinglink – annotating images
(2) Wallwisher – digital pinboard
(3) Tagxedo – word clouds
(4) Flickrstorm – finding images
(5) Google Drive – shared documents,
forms, presentations

28. What framework to use?
• Gardener’s Multiple Intelligences?
• Bloom’s taxonomy?
• PoLT?
• e5 (engage, explore, explain, evaluate,
elaborate)?
• Quality task, Learning intentions, Success
criteria and Feedback?
• Collective Knowledge Construction (IdeasLAB)?

30. How
do we
CONNECT,
COMMUNICATE,
COLLABORATE and
LEARN COLLECTIVELY at
HAWKEDALE P12 COLLEGE?

32. At Hawkesdale P12 College we
CONNECT with experts all over the
world..............

33. and
• social bookmarking
• register
• create a profile
• connect with like-minded individuals & groups
• Join a conversation
• Share an artefact (link,
photo, screenshot, wordle
concept map, video…….

35. @genegeek
Catherine Anderson,
a geneticist from
Canada.

37. @ScienceMags
Magdeline Lum, a
Metallurgist, photographer
and science writer from
Perth

38. http://magdelinelum.com/

41. for word clouds

42. Bubbl.us for concept maps

45. Our students COMMUNICATE with
teachers, peers, parents and others with
their global2 blogs.

46. We use Facebook pages to COMMUNICATE with
students, parents and the community.

49. We use Skype and Blackboard Collaborate to
COMMUNICATE with our Scientists in Schools partner,
Melissa Toifl, from CSIRO Land and Water Technologies.

50. We COMMUNICATE with scientists at the
Smithsonian Institute as part of the SHOUT tree
banding project.

52. We COLLABORATE with schools around
the world to learn 21st century skills.

53. http://energychallenge.wikispaces.com/
We use wikis and webinars to COLLABORATE
with 150 students from five schools
and three continents in the
“International Energy Challenge”.

54. Teachers COLLABORATE on the school blog which
is shared with students, parents and the world!

56. We LEARN COLLECTIVELY with teachers
around the world by participating in
Twitter networks, blogging challenges
and other online professional
development opportunities.

57. Our students LEARN COLLECTIVELY – they
participated in a competition about cybersafety
titled: “What Does Your Digital Footprint Say
About You?”

58. Teachers and students are LEARNING
COLLECTIVELY with our online VCE
Environmental Science classes.

59. In 2011 and 2012 I have used
Blackboard Collaborate to teach
Unit 3 and 4 VCE Environmental
Science to students from
different schools around the
state. We connected for 90
minutes each week
synchronously and used my
blog, email and Facebook
asynchronously.
We have met at Ecolinc, Bacchus
Marsh in term 1 and at
EcoBeach Apollo Bay YHA during
term 3 holidays.

61. • Audio and video
• Interactive whiteboard
• Text chat
• Polling tools
• Emoticons
• Web tours
• Application sharing