Evernote everywhere

It's awhile since I promoted a web tool in this blog - but I've become a convert to Evernote, not just because the folks at Evernote proudly promote it with a video showing Jack and Jill (Jill's the smart one with Evernote, Jack's got sticky notes all over the place and is totally disorganised!).

Evernote is widely used for grouping your Notes (free text) in Notebooks (folders of related notes) across platforms on a PC or Mac and synchronised to your Netbook/ laptop, iphone (apparently - I don't have one of those yet) and tablet/ ipad (ditto).

It's really useful in the planning stages for a project or learning task because you can collect links and files together with your Note, and tag your notes (to search by subject tag later, when your collection of Notes and Notebooks has grown). You can also record some audio - that's right - just click the little microphone icon to record your thoughts/ comments and the recording is then attached to the Note.

North West region "community of practice"

Victoria Market

I've just met with some wonderful teachers and managers of the North-West region and Sue O'Brien of the NW ACFE regional office, in at the AMES "Multicultural Hub" opposite the Victoria Market.

From the agenda, i was expecting to give a presentation with an overview of blended learning, and some examples of who's doing it around the regions. Because it was about 10 of us around a table, the session quickly turned into a conversation where i hope most people had some input. We tackled the really fundamental questions too, for example

• "What is blended learning?" 
• "Just give us the easiest thing to start with, not too many options", 
• What are our main issues and concerns, as well as 
• explain the jargon!  

Here's the presentation, with notes that came up during the session.

Collaborative authoring.. a live session

Thanks to all who attended this session.


We attempted a "live document editing activity" during the session, which went pretty well i thought (michael). 


Jill was nervous about it, because she was running that activity, and it can be nerve-wracking. From my perspective, she was amazing. It takes a lot of skill to do application-sharing and web touring all at once. 


Here's the presentation from the session.



Please post any follow-up questions in the comments here, or over on the network "Ning". Recording link to follow.

Strategies for engaging with staff and workers in a virtual staffroom

Many of the e-learning leaders in the North-West region are searching for ways to engage their staff in some kind of online communication space, or virtual staffroom. 

Last year we brainstormed a list of ideas for overcoming barriers and connecting with staff (link to document here).

Huge thanks to all who came along to join the discussion, share their ideas and find out how their thinking meshes with others in the wider network. 

We had participants from NW and Barwon regions, as well as further up North (thanks Carole, great to see you). 

Here's the recording of the session from Wednesday, 07 March at 7:30pm.

Remember there are plenty more sessions on offer this semester, from all around the regions of Victorian ACE. More details on the calendar page.