How cool is this...the presentation! Now I want to know how to do this....

The content and visualisation of this presentation is so powerful. How good would it be to do this with short sharp snippets of training?



Now as I research and write a job application for a lecturer position at JCU I refer back to the Canadian course that I am lurking on the fringes of and have just read a really interesting post on just what forms of professional development are out there now. Thanks Shawna for such an eloquent post. The focus of my research today has been on the term "the scholarship of teaching and learning". This is one of the key selection criteria of this position. I am trying to focus on what this term has meant in the past for higher education and what it looks like right now from my VET perspective and the higher education perspective.

Alex Couros's recent lecture and slideshare presentation on "Introduction to open and networked learning" below, highlights many of the things that I have been trialling in my recent project work.

Open & Networked Learning for #ECI831

View more presentations from Alec Couros.

I feel gratified that working in the VET context and having access to open source learning networks keeps me abreast of what is happening at both a local, national and international level across all education sectors. Plus I want to link to this video so I can comment on it next post.

Readings/resources ECI831

As I was trawling through the readings and resources for ECI831 week 3, that Alex Couros supplies to his students via the ECI831 wiki, I came across this TED Talks video that gave me some inspiration and ideas for an up and coming presentation that I need to deliver to the TAFE Queensland State business teaching and learning network on October the 14th 2010.  The theme of this yearly conference for business teachers is technology and education.  I am trying to develop a presentation that is both interactive and thought provoking so this video seemed worth a look.  What was interesting was the storytelling the metaphors and the images provided as part of the presentation that kept me engaged and some of the terms and analogies used as part of this talk. 

But let me digress.... In the Queensland VET sector there are teaching and learning networks of teachers, assessors and managers across the 13 Queensland TAFE Institutes.  These networks are aligned across the vocational teaching areas and have been set up to encourage collaboration and sharing of resources, learning design and promote effective and innovative delivery of vocational education.  These networks are managed by specific TAFE Queensland institutes who have responsibility and minimal funding to coordinate meetings and encourage collaboration and promote the sharing of issues relevant to a particular vocational area.  Great Idea... but do they work as well as they could?  My assessment is not yet.  My premise is that sharing and collaborating is not a high priority for busy teachers and managers of these TAFE Queensland Institutes. 
In 2007 as part of my Masters in Learning Innovation, I wrote a paper which was published in a Queensland University publication.  The paper was entitled " The F.A.C.T.S TAFE Qld Lead institutes and professional development.  The paper focused on the need for VET educators to experience technology enhanced professional development if they were to enhance client service and product delivery. So in preparation for this up and coming 2010 presentation I have gone back to this paper, to see if things have changed over the last three years, particularly focused on technology and education options for VET educators to see if their is a spark that will give my presentation some synergy with where teachers in this teaching and learning network might be at now and what might have changed since 2007 and when I made these suggestions!

What has really occurred in the three years since I wrote this paper... NOT MUCH!
But what can be analysed within the Business Teaching and learning network and what can I present to challenge reinvigorate and revitalise possibilities?  The TED Talks video above provided some key words that need to be incorporated and considered as I develop this presentation.  These words were kindness, trust, rekindling, reconnecting and reframing, but what is really needed are the stories of how this has occurred within this network and why it is worth exploring in 2011 and beyond.  The WIFM, what's in it for me.

I also really like this image that was provided as part of a Nancy White presentation, and I need to find some more images to clearly articulate the key words to be used in this presentation.
I have linked the presentation here but not happy about how it translates here on slideshare.

Business tln14102010

View more presentations from Colleen Hodgins.

This post will be added to over the coming week as the structure for this presentation and further research ideas develop...... stay tuned.

Being a student..... open course - Alec Couros

Okay so I am thinking that I might jump in here and have a go at being a non credit student in this program for a couple of reasons.

1. It is a good idea for me to observe and participate as a learner and to keep up with readings and emerging trends in my new role this semester as a teacher who is supporting other Vocational education teachers and assessors in exploring options in blended learning here at Tropical North Queensland TAFE.
2. Plus... it may make me use this reflective blog again as a way to enhance my learning and give my reflection some structure.
3. I also need to practise scheduling and committing to this informal learning process and demonstrating the value of this model and method of learning.
4. So I have now worked out the times for participating via the world clock and will schedule in these Wednesday morning sessions into my schedule and see how it goes!
5. September 28th kick off time.... stay tuned for my thoughts and perspectives of being a non credit student in this open course.

30th June - Project PALM complete and what a great journey that was!

Regional Staff capability projects illustrate the opportunity to learn from and with others.  This post today is to thank all those people who contributed in any way to the planning and implementation of this TQR Project PALM. From administrative support to keep the project tracking, thanks go to Gail, Carolyn and Jeanette at BRIT. 

Thanks to my colleagues at TNQ TAFE who allowed me to plonk myself at free desks and to get into their busy workspaces and managers who let me talk to staff across the region about this project.  Congratulations to all those participants who explored the many options we offered in terms of learning, using technology and a focus on reinvigoration around our core priorities; e-learning, instructional design and assessment.  A special thank you to my virtual team members, Julie, Nicole and Peter who were the key people who made this work, what a great opportunity I had to work with professional and passionate people from our TAFE Qld organisation.

Here are a four survey monkey charts that visualise some of our project activity based on 4 evaluation questions, more detail can be found on our project PALM evaluation page.

Here is the link to our project PALM communication portal in my.TAFE feel free to explore and contact me is you require further information or details.

http://my.tafe.qld.gov.au/tqaccess/logon.aspx

Username: xwbiinductionu1

Password: password1
Enjoy the read

PALM Project evaluation image/words for review

A play with a tool called tagxedo a bit like a wordle program

I went to this evaluation website to review evaluation theory and descriptions  for our project review meeting Thursday and Friday this week .  You open up the  program link to any website and it will analyse the words and place them into a word cloud ... and you can choose the shape.    Here is the website link to the evaluation website  .

I also created another one by using this blog and the words written here and you guessed it is in the shape of a PALM tree. So you can link to them as well rather than saving the image http://www.tagxedo.com/artful/89ff23485e024dc9

Evaluation

The draft evaluation mindmap from bubbl.us and an image of the hope gate to get me in the mood for the purpose and reasons why why we do evaluation and how it can inform our future funding application for staff capability for TQR in semester 1 2010. 

Just came across this interesting link to learning innovation in the public sector, well worth a read!
Plus a pertinent quote "The best way to predict the future is to invent it." Alan Kay

Draft presentation for the VET Futures project Team meeting June 15th 2010.  Click here for slideshare link

Review june15 tqr_projectpalm_vetfutures2010

View more presentations from TQRprojectPALM.

Flip camera and Project PALM metaphors - Rough!!

I have just put together a short video using a cheap flip camera, to add to the VET Futures presentation on Tuesday in Brisbane.  Took about 30 minutes and yes it is rough, but does visualise the metaphors we used for this Project PALM Problem based active learning model.  Palm trees, fronds and coconuts.


The PALM ( Problem based active learning model) acronym was represented with the Palm tree.  Aligning the trunk, coconuts and fronds enable us to market and have some fun with how we talked about this project!  Plus... with so many other VET Futures initiatives out there we needed to differentiate ourselves as the FIRST TQR VET Futures focused project.

The fronds on our visual metaphor represent the 6 Institutes we worked with in this project as well as the TQR facilitators, Julie, Nicole and Peter as key connecting fronds and linkages between participants and Institute management and our Project PALM team.  The trunk as we moved up the tree signified the progression of activities that we as a team had developed to progress the project and achieve our aims in supporting professional development for teachers focused on three core priority areas; e-learning, assessment and instructional design. The bunches of coconuts coconuts represent the learning are all of the possible tools, technology and criteria that encapsulate what needs to be explored, and reinvigorated and applied in teaching practice for the 21st century VET teacher and associated support staff.  The whole coconut represents the learning criteria and the husks within the coconut illustrate how intertwined much of this learning needs to be.  How job was to collaboratively break open this coconut (dehusk) and negotiate with participants realistic just in time learning activities and options in a project Palm action plan.  We have broken the core priority areas down into focused manageable timely learning activities and identified and connected key support methods to assist in the learning process.

So now I am going to attempt to upload this video to Youtube and share this short video of our project that will enable the metaphor to be visualised, 30 minutes work... any feedback gratefully received!

As I research this weeks webconference session on e-learning, I am struggling to condense this down into a manageable and useful 1.5 hour session so I will add bits and bobs here so that I don't lose them. Alternatively I always add them to my del.icio.us account and when i bookmark they automatically go to twitter.
I really liked this blog entry that highlighted this recent emerging model of learning I and how we could use it to stage Professional learning in the TQR model of PD for the future.

The 21st Century Learner

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

The 21st Century Learner

View more presentations from Kim Cofino.

Sustainable professional development design - current research who's saying what?

I thought as part of the evaluation strategies I should do some research around PD and the future for educators/teachers.  So here are a few recent conference presentations that might be useful in terms of demonstrating that what we have doing in project PALM is worthwhile funding and supporting in 2010-2011 and allow for a structured implementation strategy for TQR over the coming year.

http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/singapore07/procs/meyers-poster.pdf

" ...... previous work combined with the informal discussions indicate the need to incorporate a number of
elements into the program in order to enhance enrolment and sustainability:

1. Flexibility
2. Modularised units of study
3. Combination of self directed/paced and collaborative elements
4. Utilise online tools
5. Reduction of isolation
6. Relevance to immediate work
7. Task based learning (adapted from Salter & Richards, 2005).

The project will form part of the professional development programs at the University of Wollongong. It
will develop and trial a sustainable model of professional development and supports the needs of
sessional and part time staff. It will most importantly offer a model that can be adapted and re-purposed
for the design of the flexible e-teaching professional development programs.
References:

1. Lefoe, G., & Meyers, W. (2006). Modelling blended learning environments: Designing an academic development blog. Paper presented at the Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (ASCILITE), Sydney.
2. Maor, D., & McLoughlin, C. (2005). Professional development communities as a model for staff development
   online. Paper presented at the World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education, Chesapeake, VA.
3. Maor, D., & McLoughlin, C. (2005). Professional development communities as a model for staff development online. Paper presented at the World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education, Chesapeake, VA.
4. Percy, A., & Beaumont, R. (2007). Tutor Engagement: Working towards an inclusive culture for sessional teaching staff. Paper presented at the The Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA), Adelaide.
5. Salter, D., & Richards, L. (2005). Designing for Learning: A Learning-Centred Approach to Curriculum Design. Paper presented at the E-Learn, Vancouver, BC.

Please cite as: Meyers, W. & Salter, D. (2007). E-teaching professional development: Designing a
sustainable program for multi location teachers. In ICT: Providing choices for learners and learning.
Proceedings ascilite Singapore 2007. http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/singapore07/procs/meyersposterpdf

The next research I found was
http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/melbourne08/procs/robertson.pdf

Also came across this blog http://davidtjones.wordpress.com/2009/06/17/institutional-e-learning-strategies/ and a link to a paper draft: http://davidtjones.wordpress.com/2009/06/18/what-can-history-tell-us-about-e-learning-and-its-future/

Plus maybe this video might spark a few thoughts:
http://www.ted.com/talks/chris_anderson_of_wired_on_tech_s_long_tail.html



to be continued...

TQR Generic training session 1 - RPL webconference strategies

Wordle - RPL: ""

I am currently developing the session plan and associated powerpoint for the first of the project PALM webconference sessions on RPL.  This session is an iConnect web conference session on Thursday May the 20th between 8.30 am - and 10 am.  I would be delighted to have anyone attend and provide feedback on the design and value of this type of online workshop for enhanced teacher capability.  It is a simple as clicking on this link. http://iconnect.eq.edu.au/join_meeting.html?meetingId=1270523763036 and entering your email address, your name and the password tqr (lower case)
Of course you will need to ensure that your computer has java and that if you are using the TAFE network that you have adjusted the proxy settings on your computer.  If this sounds way too hard... feel free to contact me and I can send you all the details for set up and talk you through it. 

PS can you guess how many terms are in this RPL wordle? ,61,71,81 or 91.  No wonder that people get confused about RPL and think that it is too hard!

These are some of the useful links that I have discovered that I will may use and or provide as part of where to from here, extension activities that will be provided to participants and available as a document on the Project PALM web page on a generic page for these 5 trial workshops.

• RPL health check http://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=rpl-health-check
• Another RPL quiz http://www.skillsrecognition.nsw.gov.au/rto/general/exercise.html
• NSW TAFE skills first client video http://www.skillsrecognition.nsw.gov.au/general/video/videohowhelp.html
•  NSW wikispace for RPL http://rplnetworkonline.wikispaces.com/
• http://www.training.sa.gov.au/Portals/0/documents/ICT_Tools_for_RPL_Assessment.pdf.pdf
  http://www.flexiblelearning.net.au/search/google?cx=015098728794185169661%3Aimx7gugmieg&cof=FORID%3A11&query=RPL&op=Search&form_token=3f175168d587839fbf41c1d872c5a5cf&form_id=google_cse_searchbox_form#961
• http://www.tafe.qld.gov.au/student_services/rpl_credits_exempt/index.html
• OTEN RPL slideshare http://www.slideshare.net/robwales/oten-rpl-information
• RPL – Portfolios http://www.slideshare.net/hazelowendmc/its-not-what-youve-got-its-how-you-use-iteportfolios-in-action
• Katherine Rowbotham BRIT TAFE re video-stream and e-portfolios https://webmail.tafe.qld.gov.au/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://mediasite.videolinq.tafe.net/Mediasite/Viewer/?peid=8ec72c7d37034db193b073061c39cf58

Links to some relevant Ve-Mentoring sessions;

•  VeMentoring : Opportunities for Teachers / Assessors - On-line RPL Assessment http://mediasite.videolinq.tafe.net/Mediasite/Viewer/?peid=3d9f40abe88d448288422450249a8b0f

• Reframing the future document.
http://www.reframingthefuture.net/docs/2007/Publications/3EVP_RPL_Done_Well_1mar07.pdf

 RPL page on DETA website
http://training.qld.gov.au/information/rpl.html


I will update this post tomorrow when this RPL session plan is completed and put the powerpoint presentation up on slideshare for viewing and comment...

May 16th - Reflections on Project PALM using innovation research criteria

Accessing the RIPPLES Implementation model used in the Innovate and integrate research as a focus for this blog entry provides a structure for my thoughts as to where we are at and some of the issues impacting on our project right now...

1. Resources
If we consider that there are three key resources, human, physical and financial then there are a number of issues related to each one of these that is worth mentioning here.

• Human - currently there is a lack of human resources to support the PBL approach
• the core priorities of our project;  e-learning, assessment and instructional design require us to encourage the use of current TQR e-learning infrastructure and tools, e.g ; My.tafe, Resource Bank, videoconferencing and iConnect web conferencing to name a few.  To provide this timely coaching and mentoring support for our teachers ( in what amounts to a three month time frame) We need to provide the enabling support to allow teachers to explore and develop their skills and knowledge of this infrastructure and explore how they could reinvigorate their teaching with these tools.  This  requires us as the facilitators to design and provide customised JIT (just in time) learning options to our project participants.  Thereby meeting the identified learning needs that people identify as part of this Problem Based Learning approach.
• In some instances this requires set up of My.tafe frameworks, setting up permissions and access to other Institute modules so that the teachers can learn from their colleagues and use these models and examples for their learning purposes. 
• This assistance needs to be provided from the already heavily burdened Learning technology/innovation teams across the TQR Institutes and the staffing allocation to these units to support this learning and innovation is not meeting the current needs, let alone new PD initiatives such as our project!  Project PALM has no more priority than any other e-learning work already being completed and this has caused some issues with project participants being unable to commence or being delayed in their monthly activities aligned with their projects.  So...... human resource allocation of skilled and experienced people who can coach, mentor and train teachers needs to be considered and planned accordingly.  It is an imperative, if we are to expect teachers to have skills in e-learning and more blended learning options and to be able to do some of the work currently being done by learning technologies staff. 

Infrastructure: The current infrastructure being utilised across the Project PALM projects, varies considerably.  Primary technology being explored and reinvigorated and used as part of these projects includes; My.tafe, Resource bank, videoconferencing, iConnect webconferencing and a variety of social software tools that we as a team are using and exploring, bubbl.us, voice thread, wallwisher.

1. The current My.tafe set up and management occurs through the Institute learning technologies teams and their staffing levels are proving to be an issue in terms of getting set up processes done for the Project PALM projects that are focused on my.tafe use.  So even if the infrastructure is available you need to resource it so that it can be effectively used and implemented by teachers.  Current strategic documentation is proposing that all teachers have an e-learning component in their delivery.  It would be interesting to read some statistics as to where we are currently in this ideal and where we need to be in the next three years aligned with TQR strategic intent.  What will this require in terms of teaching skills and support and have we done these calculations?  I also think that it is important to consider that just putting resources online is only one part of the learning design equation.  As we know this is only one part of a teacher role. think historically when we had a text book and now we have online content.  The other core activities teachers must design and develop are the learning processes around this online resource and then facilitate the learning using a variety of strategies. I think that this might be being forgotten .....

2. The current LRM team based in Brisbane and the cohort of my.tafe trainers that was supported in 2008 - 2009 by TAFE Qld is not offering systemic training at this time due to to enhancements and changes to  Resource bank and my.TAFE infrastructure.  The training role in Institutes varies and the current priority has not focused on teacher my.tafe training even though the online resources and how to documents are available and extremely useful to provide some relevant information.  This has varied across institutes.  The problem is that if you are a teacher new to online learning I can bet that you are unlikely to go to online training as your primary method of learning.  Flexibility and identification of varied training methods needs to be re-explored.  Add in the fact that any  my.tafe training that has been done by teachers in the past has in fact in many instances been forgotten (see image reflecting the use it or lose it)  facts associated with an PD or learning approaches.  Our focus in project PALM is about JIT learning and we need the support of innovation/Learning technologies teams if this reinvigoration of teaching approach is to be successful.  The best case scenario would be to know that funding is available in 2009 so that planning for the PD processes can be planned and resourced accordingly, the year before.  The capacity to employ casual staff to support the e-learning process is also problematic and currently there are no collaborative approaches to learning design and my.tafe set up due to the Institute design of My.tafe sites and the difficulty in sharing across Institutes.  The primary way to share is to get these resources packaged and into Resource bank and the staff to do this at the institute level are not currently available, due to very heavy workloads. 
3. Plus.... don't get me started on the trial for iConnect.  If we compare its implementation with videoconferencing use we can see the history of this tools implementation and learn some valuable lessons.  The current support for VC use is outstanding, due in fact to the contract negotiations around the use and access to this tool.  Each campus has an officer who is responsible for the set up and management of VC sessions and also trainers and support personnel offering training in its use across the varied contexts, be they meetings and or training delivery.   Does anyone remember when VC was there and no-one really used it?
4.  Compare this to the IT issues that have been changing at Institutes over the last months and the need to have set up documents provided to individuals that involve complex activities in terms of changing proxies, access and permissions to load java and the need to set up work computers every time you log in toy your computer and need to access an iConnect elluminate session.  All this and the fact that many teachers and staff have limited IT skills!!!  It is amazing that we have been able to get over 100 people to explore web conferencing and the learning and PD options this technology could provide in the future.  This tool is going to be a useful accessory and tool for teachers in the 21st century in terms of collaborative social learning as this will be a context in which they will all be forced to work and clients expect.

5. Policy and strategic planning needs to keep in mind the flexible use of these social software tools and how they can best be managed within the IT policies and procedures currently being planned.  Are they asking the right people and recognising the changing nature of VET learning design!!!  Simple article that describes types of learning and the use of tools for current workplace learning initiatives and how this is working and developing and reinvigorating!.

People: We need to determine a structured approach to the professional learning for the teachers aligned with our TQR strategic plans. We have probably three levels of teachers that have varied needs when it comes to reinvigoration of their teaching processes.  We need to align these people with relevant coaches mentors and support staff so that their issues can be cooperatively managed for the benefit of our core business and clients.   We need to provide them with relevant pathways and a mix of formal, informal and just in time learning options appreciating also that as professional teachers we too, have a responsibility to source and maintain ongoing learning activities to remain  a viable and successful 21st century VET practitioner.  This means that not only does the organisation need to provide flexible learning options but also that it is a teacher's responsibility to investigate and source their own learning activities and complete these in their own time to maintain their competence.

1. Lisa Erbacher at SQIT has developed a model that is focused on having a structured approach to this teacher development and it is timely to enhance and build on Lisa's model for teacher currency options and this professional development pathways document that is being considered for use across TQR. If we could have a strategic plan for staged teacher development in e-learning (blended learning) and learning and assessment design and provide the varied support mechanisms needed this might allow us to pursue our innovative teaching agenda and minimise the implementation issues of moving teachers to 21st century learning delivery.  

Policies ; Without having complete knowledge of the developing TQR policies it is vital that as part of our PALM project that we provide a succinct summary of how various TQR policies could be developed and enhanced with the learning from this project.  The current TQR innovation Powerpoint needs to have some more detail before we can see if the sorts of issues we are identifying in our project will have use in refining this policy document.  Not to mention the staff training and development policy for TQR staff.  The hard work that is being completed at these TQR subcommittee levels needs to consistently focus on the TQR strategic plan and identify the key priorities to make us a successful regional Qld training entity.  Plus ask the practitioners where possible!

Learning/Evaluation: Lots!!!!!!!  the proof will be in determining the evaluation strategy and criteria for our Project PALM initiative so that we can best share the learning from this Problem Based action learning model with relevant stakeholders and inform the people and sub committees developing current TQR policies.

Support: we have implemented a variety of support strategies from personal, team, ITG, learning technologies, financial and management.  A summary of these support strategies and what has worked and what needs to be enhanced will be a core component of our evaluation strategy.  Suffice to say that we have been extremely focused on the personal approach and promoting communication, connections and collaboration across TQR and TAFE Qld for teachers to learn from each other and not reinvent the wheel.  We have identified that there may be some opportunities for some support units e.g library to be more closely involved in collaborative design and delivery but also appreciate that this is currently done in a variety of  institute ways.  Perhaps this is a discussion that is occurring at the subcommittee level, we will stay tuned.   What we have tried to do is communicate widely what we are doing via the: my.tafe website, individual information sessions, online sessions, personal presentations at ITG;s Lead institute networks and the recent VC across TQR.  Our strategies will be reviewed and evaluated for use in future PD projects.  A link to the most recent promotional strategy via the VC is available below.  Check it out and feel free to add comments.

Here is the link to the recent TQR Videoconference where Project PALM was given a chance to publicise what it was doing.  Our Project PALM section starts at 1.20 and completes at 7.00 minutes.  Not sure of its use and whether this forum was really able to excite and publicise to the the people we need to get on board in terms of innovation in teacher PD.  You decide? What could I have done better in this six minute window of opportunity?     Plus.....Interesting that as I researched some concepts re 21st century learning I came across the paper I wrote for one my masters subjects  related to PD and Lead institutes.   I thought I should probably re-read this paper on PD and lead institutes and see what if any of these issues related to the current project PALM work still is relevant.

Mmmmm....F.A.C.T. S and the three P's - Policy, People and Platforms that impact on successful VET Professional learning.

• F- Flexible and focused
• A-Active and adaptable
• C-Communities and collaboration
• T-Technology and tools
• S-Supportive and Sustainable

Seems to me that these criteria are still relevant to what we are attempting to do in this project PALM initiative and it might be useful to build this into the evaluation process !

1. Policy - needs to be defined around IT and infrastructure use and staff capability requirements with clear pathways and flexibility as to how this is achieved.  We need to remember that our core business is learning and everything we do revolves around this as a focus. 
2. People - need to be clear as to what is expected from them as a 21st century VET teacher and support personnel in the form of coaches mentors and trainers identified within the TQR organisational structure to make that happen efficiently and effectively
3. Platforms - need to be used and enhanced and flexible enough to meet emerging needs of clients, industry and teachers to make the most of their capability.

To be continued....

Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action | Video on TED.com

Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action | Video on TED.com

Leadership and innovation - simple???

A visual representation of our project PALM

Thanks to Jodie in marketing at TNQ TAFE for helping me get this image developed which we will use as part of our evaluation strategies.  Plus if you would like to look at our preliminary mind map for the evaluation process for this Project PALM link here to and click on the evaluation mindmap link and see our preliminary ideas in this evaluation planning process.

Oops just discovered that you don;t see these mindmaps unless I send you a personal invitation so feel free to comment below and add your email address and I can send you  the link to all the planning mindmaps for this project PALM





Here is the image of the Project PALM evaluation mind map.

A brief summary of what is possible in terms of PD options using the World wide web -one perspective

May update

Oops apologies for the previous posts.  I had a number of blog drafts that I had not yet published here, so there is a slight disorganisation and timing on these entries to this point.  However I will endeavour to be neat from here on. 

One of the agonies is that I am actually running two blogs at this time so that I can use the LMS blog feature available through TAFE Qld for our Project team members Project PALM Fronds.  However.....  this is a passworded organisational system so these blog entries cannot be accessed externally or be linked to websites etc unless you are an employee of TAFE Queensland Regional . 

I am using this blogger .com site so that I can share my reflections and links as part of an evaluation process and have it open to public scrutiny and share with relevant colleagues where appropriate. So... three months in, here are some of my reflections and what I have learnt as the project manager of this staff professional development program - Project PALM.

Connecting:

The current TQR professional development project we are conducting is pushing boundaries at many levels.  We are operating within a TAFE Qld,  TQR and Institute and campus structure prior to the status of TQR being ratified.  At this time there are approximately 20 subcommittees  working across the TQR regions looking at policy, structure and alignment of processes to enable us to achieve Regional Statutory authority status.  This means that we are having to liaise, negotiate and work through a number of stakeholders with varied attitudes and priorities who are still developing the processes and policies to support this cross Institute model of PD .  Challenging to say the least!   Anyone for chess?

What has been obvious is that whilst teachers and some management see the value of providing varied models of PD to staff,  there are still some who have are unable for a number of reasons to vested adjust their current Institute practices so that this PD model can be trialled, no one's fault just the reality of 6 Institutes who have operated independently for many years, now having to think about adjustments and what that means to current practice and procedures.  There are still economic imperatives and systemic issues at the Institute level that do not align with a project that  focuses on regional collaboration and creation of reinvigorated teaching practice, plus don't get me started on the varied IT systemic issues! The rhetoric is being developed yes, but the reality is not there yet!.  We as a project team are using our best negotiation, communication and networking skills to get things happening and taking virtual doses of these teacher vitamins to keep our energy up! 

So who and how have we connected? 

 We have connected with a variety of teachers, managers and support personnel across TAFE Qld and used a variety of strategies to do this.  These are outlined below.

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  Designed a series of webpages and used iconnect webconferencing recordings of information sessions and videostreams and voice threads and put them into the TQR my.tafe site so that all TQR staff have access to information about this project
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  Set up a my.tafe group for the Project Team team (aka The fronds) site where all our team planning meetings minutes and documentation can be shared and used for evaluation processes.
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  Conducted and presented face to face information sessions at Institutes and Campuses for small groups at team and faculty level and individual phone calls and discussions with prospective participants and managers
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  Developed relevant information brochures and recordings of webconferencing sessions so that we provide maximum accessibility to information using multiple methods to get our project message out there. 
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  Branded our project with a name and some images - consistent headers and templates - Project PALM 
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  Scheduled and met as a project team fortnightly using webconferencing to keep connected and focused. 
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  Set up the iConnect moderator community of practice
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  Presented at VC sessions with the TAFE Qld my.tafe trainers network, the Ve-mentoring network, the Hairdressing TAFE Qld teaching and learning network and relevant institute forums. 
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  Set up and supported institutes VET Futures staff across TQR in the the development of the VET Futures web pages
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  Scheduled and moderated three VET Futures iConnect webconferencing sessions
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  Conducted upwards of ten information sessions on iConnect web conferencing to this point and scheduled 6 further sessions in May 2010
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  Promoted and supported  web conferencing moderator training through the Ed Qld pilot program via their current institute PD processes. 

Not bad for what amounts to three months of work.  It is worth viewing the learning power graphic below and seeing just what has been achieved by us as a project team in terms of learning and building TQR learning power.  What are we demonstrating, modelling, orchestrating and explaining.

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  We are also very proud of the fact that we have designed action plans with participants that encourage them to connect with their managers, colleagues across TQR and the wider TAFE Qld network through their teaching and learning networks.  With a view to connecting and finding out what others are doing in their vocational teaching area and promoting communication, collaboration and creation of enhanced products and services to our clients. 
• 
  
  We requested and have now obtained an excel spreadsheet that lists all teachers across the TQR network aligned with their VTA areas so that they at least know who teaches in their area for possible connections, collaboration and sharing.  We have connected with external organisations who can support us in this project with external training and identified some options aligned with our core training priorities of e-learning assessment and instructional design.   We have connected with possible TQR colleagues so that we can develop, design and deliver learning and development sessions using our own staff rather than the standard practice of outsourcing our training to external entities at sometimes at considerable cost in terms of facilitator payments, travel and accommodation.  So what we are in fact doing is really demonstrating that it is possible to develop this community of practice across TQR using this type of model below.

To be continued......... 

March 6th 2010 - 4 months to go!!!

Quote for the week:
Great article on virtual teams and management, with many useful quotes, this is one I liked: Chris Argyris and Don Schone describe organizational learning as questioning and rebuilding existing perspectives, interpretation frameworks and decision premises." Effective managers of virtual teams can catalyze discussions around questions, challenge members to question perspectives, and continue to push the discussion deeper. The nature of the manager role in this context would be that of a facilitator."

Bit out of order and a rant

Three months in and what has been learned from my perspective

Okay.. so I am normally or have been in the past... a consistent blogger because I have wanted my students to do this... and as every good teacher knows demonstrating by modelling the desired behaviour is good professional practice.

If you don't believe me check out these 2 examples.. My xanga blog and this one I am using for this PALM project at blogger.com
So here goes... I am thinking that I need to get some clarity around what is occurring in this PALM project by going back to the initial plan (presentation) and model of PD that we proposed and checking what has been done and what issues have arisen that are providing us all with some learning in this pilot PD program. The model of PD being used in this project is an amalgamation of sorts that has been formed by my experience and research in both state based Framework projects, a TAFE Qld innovation project and formal study completed as part of the masters of learning innovation at QUT sponsored by DETA in 2007-2008)

Key research and reports I have used to inform the PD model are below:

• Innovate and integrate Framework research
• Reframing the Future publications re staff PD approaches, including this Peter Skippington report on workbased learning with relevant case studies
• Breuleux. A. (2001). Imagining the present, interpreting the possible, cultivating the possible: Technology and the renewal pf teaching and learning. Education Canada , Vol 41 (3)

• Other references and things that I have read and viewed can be found in my del.icio.us account under professionaldevelopment or workplace learning tag and or the networks that I have in my del.icio.us account.  You can access my bookmarks on the top right hand corner of this blog site

So this model was about PD renewal. Doing things in new ways but with a new spirit confirming and reiterating an established practice but with a focus on renovation and the development of a rich learning culture for all. Plus the brief was related to a problem based learning approach. Mmmmm... how to meld these together and meet the key performance indicators of the signed MOU's. Well like any focused project manager I parked that issue and got started assuming revisions to these would occur in the future. In hindsight probably not a good idea.

February 2010

So here I am in February 2010, a team of one trying to plan and develop the model to ensure it is implemented to meet the June 30th deadline. So as a visual learner I needed to draw the vision and the communication and connections that would need to be explored for this PALM project. I used a free tool called bubbl.us to help in this process. Link here to view all my planning bubbles under various headings

We were aiming to clarify needs, connect, communicate, collaborate and create an innovative professional development approach for TQR Institute teachers focused on three core areas of e-learning, assessment and instructional design. With a view to promoting reinvigoration of current teaching practice in what amounts to a 5 month timeline. This model of PD represents a consolidation of PD practices that have been occurring in an adhoc fashion across TAFE Institutes over the last 10 years and supported with a variety of external funding from Reframing the future, the Framework and the Department. However the sustainability and funding of these approaches has been quite piece meal and not necessarily aligned with strategic imperatives, new structures or the requirements of changing AQTF client and industry requirements and teaching professional development options.
In the following blog entries I will document the activities and issues that have arisen against the Phases of the initial project design. I will document from my perspective how we have been clarifying, connecting, communicating, collaborating and creating enhanced learning options for the participants in this PD model.

March reflections

In this March update I will share what we have done across the project team under the core headings below.
But before I do this... I need to review the proposed Phase 1 activities that were developed as part of my application for the project PALM management role.
These were:

• Draft a project management plan for the project - ( still in draft and a work in progress!)
• Develop project team, sponsor facilitators and stakeholders ( completed and visualised in the bubbl.us mindmap here) (done)
• Finalise TQR staff Capability Project Plan and publicise Project information sessions (see point 1 above)

So if I now look at the project methodology of the 5C's here is what we actually achieved in phase 1. A point to note is that the MOU's submitted to VET Futures for funding were developed around a delivery strategy of workshops but the actual implementation of these against the problem based learning strategy had not been determined, hence the reason the Project PALM model was developed and our actions against the project Methodology of the 5C's below came about.

Clarify:

• consolidated from the initial MOU's three core priority areas so instead of the MOU model of workshops aligned against the following: instructional design, delivery through e-learning, distance learning, holding videoconferences, assessment foundations, RPL processes and methods and designing RPL tools (for 105 staff) we combined these into the three core areas of e-learning, assessment and instructional design and determined that current workbased learning research and methodologies with teachers advises that exploration of action learning models and targeted support with a just in time focus might be more successful considering the timelines available. So this is what we designed....

Connect: through the facilitation teams and the identified networks and stakeholders we have developed:

• a Project PALM identity through a header template for all correspondence, email signature and web page template (thanks to John Burns for this development) that is used as part of all our communication activities. This branding has been useful to get the message out there as there are a number of other PD options available to staff this semester as part of VET Futures funding

Communicate:

• we developed project PALM website and a PALM communication strategy.  This means that the project Team have a my.tafe space where all things project can be located, shared and records of meetings and recordings can be located. when these pages are deemed ready to be shared with the wider TQR network they can be easily linked to the TAFE Queensland Regional website for everyone to view.

Collaborate/co-operate/create:

• created a communication strategy to involve and energise people in being involved in Project PALM and conducted information sessions in multiple modes, face to face and using iConnect webconferencing processes as well as presenting to some making content and sharing information flyers with all relevant T&L networks and other identified stakeholders.
• Created an action plan for all prospective project PALM participants and managers to sign that clearly articulated the project outcomes and learning against one or a combination of the three core priority areas.
• Collaboratively designed Project PALM team activities to ensure collaboration and networking across the TQR region could occur
• Set up an iConnect moderator CoP so that this technology could be used as part of the communication strategy for this project and created monthly information sessions on this technology so that people could explore its use in their work context and be part of any future PD sessions using this medium.

Capability:

Project Manager Update February 20/2010

Quote for the week: I put a quote on my TAFE email signature in my new 2010 role as a project manager for this VET Futures TQR staff capability project. I am not sure if that is a bit pretentious but it builds on my previous mantra to my Diploma of e-learning students over the last three years and perhaps sounds a bit more eloquent and motivates me each time I send off a message this month attempting to connect and clarify with all stakeholders the WIFM (What's in it for me). It is quite interesting to see the mind maps of all these stakeholders and networks.
"Knowing is not enough; we must apply.
Willing is not enough we must do." - Goethe

February 2010 was designed as my TQR VET Futures Project PALM clarifying and connecting month. I have a notebook where I keep notes of everything that I am doing that I have to action and try but not very successfully to colour code/ using those multicolour pens and/or draw shapes to follow up so that in my meanderings and actions for this project things don't get lost.

So here is a bit of a summary so far of what I have been doing this month

• Clarify the project aims and outcomes - get copies of TQR submissions and skills stocktake 2009 for review and speak to VET Futures contacts in the DETA Product service unit.
• Consider synergies, connections with other Institute VET Futures 2010 funded projects across the TQR network and the wider TAFE Qld metropolitan sites.
• Develop a draft project management plan for the project
• Set up account codes and internal orders and liaise with TNQ finance department for support and reporting purposes
• Identify all relevant stakeholders - found bubbl.us a great tool for doing this
• Provide a weekly update to my manager who is based in Townsville identifying issues and support needed
• Get support and advice and assistance in communicating with relevant officers, managers and directors about this project and their needs from a variety of Institute contacts and via some simple email requests.
• Develop some marketing and information strategies. Information brochure developed and my.tafe TQR VET Futures project site page set up.
• Negotiated to have administrator access to TQR my.tafe site through DDG's office so pages can be updated by me and I can support regional Institutes in the set up of their Institute VET Futures webpages. TNQ draft page done this week.
• Negotiated with John Burns to develop a Project PALM logo and he has provided web page style sheet and header and email signature, free of charge.
• Attend TNQ faculty and Educational manager meetings to disseminate information and seed interest to staff and managers.
• Attend first communication corridor presentation via Videoconference across TQR
• Set up iConnect Moderator Community of Practice and held first meeting using iConnect. A schedule of monthly meetings for this iConnect Moderator CoP and for the VET Futures 2010 TQR project teams has now been set up for the semester. At this stage I will moderate these and then hand over to others
• Commenced researching, reviewing and adding useful links to add to my del.icio.us account for Project PALM specific activities
• Saved some useful readings to file for this Project PALM in relation to 21st Century learning
• Set up RSS feed for google reader to useful blogs for updates and focused on the three core Project priority areas. This now means that in 2010 my new email address is less cluttered and cleared each day, much better management and neater!
• Sourced some images and added to this blogger site

Here is a cut and paste of the web page in the TQR my.tafe website that describes what this project is all about.

A 2010 Semester 1, TAFE Queensland Regional (TQR)Teacher professional development program -
What is this project?
The Department of Education and Training in conjunction with Product services -VET Futures Unit has provided professional development funds to support TAFE Queensland Institutes in enhancing the capability of their staff aligned with the Queensland VET PD Strategy 2007-2010. Project PALM is just one of more than 20 projects being funded across TAFE Queensland in semester 1,2010. Project PALM, is unique because it is focused on developing collaborative action learning projects across TAFE Queensland Regional (TQR) Institutes. An information flyer has been produced for this project and can be accessed here.

Who is involved?
The project manager is Colleen Hodgins and she will be working across TQR Institutes with a variety of managers, facilitators, teachers and support personnel to identify teachers who are ready to renew and reinvigorate some aspect of their teaching practice and co-operatively connect and communicate with regional colleagues in this process . Teachers involved in Project PALM this semester, will be those who identify a need for professional development against a specific action plan and have the support of their manager. The action planning process is a discussion between you, your manager and this Project PALM team who will provide the one page template for you to complete . The core priorities for this professional development program this semester are:

Instructional design
E-Learning
Assessment
So .....If you are interested and want to know more stay tuned to this page for future updates and activities or contact me directly if you would like to know more. Colleen.hodgins@deta.qld.gov.au or mobile 0419740583.