Report on ELearning Showcase in NT
Below is my report from last week’s Flexible Learning Framework e-learning Showcase. The most important session was probably the last where the new funding opportunities and the changes to the FLF were spoken about.

My own session was ok but I tried something new - wanted to get away from the boring old powerpoint so made a timed imovie as stimulus visual while I talked. Ended up I was so nervous and misjudged my audience a little - they wanted to know tools, I gave them reflection... Ah well, part of the learning journey - know thy audience!

2008 funding
Shift to integration and embedding rather than individual learning.
Focus is on e-learning in training providers and businesses, capitalising on the knowledge and information created to date.
Guidelines still in development – more coming in next month or so and call for submissions in January.
There are 10 industry engagement programs up for grabs of $100,000 each.
Must engage industry, must use things that already exist. (Education and training is an industry)
Funding able to go over more than one year.
NT will also have its own share of funding to give out.
They are happy for us to work with them to develop our proposal.

Report:
Online - http://ntelearningshowcase07.wikispaces.com/ for session recordings and notes.

Highlights and ideas
Allan Levine – keynote - http://flickr.com/photos/cogdog/sets/72157600226433215/show/ (great slideshow); Alan's wiki http://cogdogroo.pbwiki.com/
Alan's Blog (great read) http://cogdogblog.com/
This guy is amazing for his enthusiasm and real world approach to it all. He’s inspiring.

Tools and ideas he shared: (see his wiki for links to everything)
Twitter – constant contact media – messages to email/mobile – possible solution to some of our connectivity issues

Networks are the key – develop your online network and you can find the answer to anything

Connectivism – the new theory – resonates with our both-ways philosophy

Flickr – large online repository of images free to use with attribution

Second life

Webstories – lots of free tools to turn slideshows into talking books!

Marvin
Program now shared with Microsoft – free for education use – www.marvin.com.au/school

CHARTTES (Tourism) - Cath Curry and Top End Groove
Using competency navigator for completing RPL applications and mapping – we could buy this!
Used digital stories as evidence for RCC.
Elluminate has free virtual meeting rooms for up to three people.

Second life
Go to Jokaydia for a guided tour for educators.

Pancultural-e – IAD
Amazing project – cultural awareness program. Developed a walking tour of Alice Springs using GPS navigators to trigger audio. Lots of ideas here about creating pod/vod tours for students/staff as orientation; walking tour of our art collection; library; instructions for e.g. Getting a student card.