News from PRACE

Earlier this year ACFE funded some statewide professional development for ACE teachers and managers working with technologies, and PRACE was  invited to lead part of the project. On behalf of PRACE, Michael Chalk met with all the participants at the induction in early May, and since then we have had regular live web conferencing sessions in the ACFE elluminate rooms.

These AccessACE “E-learning circles of professional practice” – also known as research circles – are enabling teachers and managers to join their colleagues in exploring a range of issues, and solving problems in their classrooms. They are a development on the original AccessACE projects of 2007, which PRACE was also involved in.

Here’s Delia Bradshaw’s inspiring presentation on “The Power of e” from the AccessACE e-showcase in May, where the projects were first launched:

Relevant Links:

• original PRACE research for the AccessACE projects in 2007,
• web site for current AccessACE circles of professional practice,
• active online community (”Ning”) for ACE practitioners working with e-learning,
• notes from the AccessACE e-showcase earlier this year.

Tags: AccessACE, e-learning, network, professional development, research circles

This year, teachers and learners from 5 different ACE organisations explored a range of innovative learning activities using audio technologies. Adult learners from community classes in Reservoir, Carlton, Glenroy, Coburg and Ferntree Gully were involved. Things they did include:

• make digital stories and films,
• connect in live communication between different sites,
• listen to audio versions of printed stories,
• watch online video for language learning .. and much more.

In early December, project leader Michael Chalk presented at Converge – the Victorian e-learning conference. Here are the slides and voiceover from the session (10 minutes). You can read more about the classroom research on the project site, at canuhearus.acfe.vic.edu.au

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(The presentation above has a green “Play” button at the bottom, in the middle.)

This project also featured in the Autumn edition of Fine Print from the Victorian Adult Literacy and Basic Education Council (VALBEC).

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PLUS: Get your copy of The Quick Overview:

• Can You Hear Us – quick overview – audio technologies in classroom 08c.pdf (pdf: 400kb)

Great for staff room coffee tables. Now with big list of learning activities for the classroom.

Tags: audio, Can You Hear Us?, classroom, conference, innovation, project