Thank you for your interest in the Canadian eLearning Network (CANeLearn). This message is being sent to new members, those who signed up for the CANeLearn newsletter, and those who expressed interest in our developing network.
As a start up organization we continue to be reliant on our volunteerism, progress has a bit slower than we would like. Collectively active CANeLearn members have been busy building the foundations for our organization – from functional website and database for research to an online community for members to share, network, and learn with each other. We still are very much in start up phase, but anticipate turning the corner in 2015 which is shaping to be an exciting year where new initiatives will come to a level of fruition that members will value and appreciate.
To that end, this email (not our “newsletter” just yet!) is intended to provide a quick update on activity, and to encourage you to join our first member-based online PD event tomorrow. We have an active public PD Google calendar posted on the website that you can check out or sync to. It will list events of specific interest to CANeLearn members and those active in blended and online learning.
Read and scroll below for updates and links to read more. Questions? Please let me know. We are hoping to launch our new member community site and newsletter in the coming weeks. If you have not signed up for the newsletter as yet, please click the link below to do so:
https://docs.google.com/forms/
Yours in learning,
Randy
CEO
Canadian eLearning Network
https://canelearn.net
Cell: 250-701-7485
rlabonte@new.canelearn.net
rlabonte23
@rlabonte
Online PD Session Tomorrow (Nov.20): Engaging Online Learners Through E-Chats – 1:00 PM Eastern
- In this webinar you will be given a brief introduction to Nova Scotia Virtual School and to e-chats. We will share with you some original research completed by one of our teachers for her Master’s programme and two teachers will share with you some ways that they are applying this research as they engage students during the synchronous part of our online program for high school students. There will be time for questions and discussion during the webinar.
- This webinar is sponsored by the Canadian E-Learning Network and is presented by a member organization- The Nova Scotia Virtual School (NSVS).
Register here: http://goo.gl/xhfodU
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- Four outstanding programs and educators were recognized by the Canadian eLearning Network (CANeLearn) as nominees for one of four innovation awards presented by iNACOL (International Association for K-12 Online Learning http://www.inacol.
org/members/awards/). The iNACOL Innovator Awards recognize learning practices, new research and individual achievements in the field blended and online learning. - CANeLearn nominees were:
- Blended and Online Learning Teacher of the Year: Josh Gray, eLearning and Blended Teacher at A. B. Lucas Secondary School with Thames Valley District School Board, London ON (Ontario – http://www.tvdsb.ca/
webpages/grayj1/) - Research Award: Michael Barbour for his work on virtual schooling in Canada and the State of the Nation: K-12 Online Learning in Canada reports and research (https://virtualschool.
wikispaces.com/canada) - Outstanding Individual Contribution to K-12 Blended and Online Learning Award: Maurice Barry (retired) for his work with the Centre for Distance Learning and Innovation, St. John NL (Newfoundland/Labrador – https://www.cdli.ca/)
- Innovative Blended and Online Learning Practice Award: The Navigate Program of the North Island Distance Education School, Courtenay BC (British Columbia – http://www.navigatenides.
com/ contact is Jeff Stewart, District Principal) - We are pleased to announce that Navigate/NIDES won in this category! More info can be found at:
- Blended and Online Learning Teacher of the Year: Josh Gray, eLearning and Blended Teacher at A. B. Lucas Secondary School with Thames Valley District School Board, London ON (Ontario – http://www.tvdsb.ca/
- At the iNACOL Symposium (http://www.inacol.org/
symposium-2014/) forty people attended the CANeLearn panel presentation and were receptive to our work, with many indicating interest in staying connected with the network. New contacts were made both with delegates as well as potential new sponsors. In addition the folks associated with iNACOL and its partners (Susan Patrick, Alison Powell, Matt Wicks, and Kathryn Kennedy to name a few) were again very supportive and the conversations with them effective and will continue to keep CANeLearn on their radar. - At the BIT conference (http://bringittogether.ca/) there was lots of interest in CANeLearn. In particular, support from Doug Peterson and Cyndie Jacobs, conference organizers, along with Alison Slack & Terri Reid board members who attended with Verena, helped put an indelible stamp for CANeLearn in Ontario in a similar but much larger way than our July 7 event at York University.
CANeLearn Centre for Innovation
- A Pan-Canadian English 10 project is in the planning stages, starting with curriculum mapping and integrating materials provided by teachers from across Canada. Target date for completion is June 2015. Content and material will be available to teachers from within the Canvas platform (a supporting partner), or will be exportable from Canvas for use on another LMS.
- Doug Petersen has offered to support a team of teachers to meet and learn about blogging. Doug will share their blogs and information through CANeLearn’s network and blog site.
- An online webinar series is being launched with the first session hosted by a member, Nova Scotia Virtual School, this Thursday at 1:00 pm Eastern. Information and registration can be found here http://goo.gl/xhfodU.
- Finally, a proposal was submitted for doing research on building trust online. The proposal was done in partnership with Michigan Virtual Research Institute and the University of Victoria, and it is hoped it will help support interest in CANeLearn and its work.
- Check out the upcoming member-based provincial events
- April 19-21 in Vancouver, BC: Information at http://conference.
learnnowbc.ca/ - October 25-27 in Edmonton, AB: More information posted soon
- April 19-21 in Vancouver, BC: Information at http://conference.
Research & State of the Nation
- CANeLearn is a partner in the Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute/iNACOL Research Clearinghouse (http://k12onlineresearch.org/
rmwp?&func=advSearch) and will be contributing to the database as well as building its own specific to Canadian research - CANeLearn has launched the next iteration of the State of the Nation: K-12 Online Learning in Canada (https://virtualschool.
wikispaces.com/canada) and has sent out email requests for updated information from provincial contacts - A call will go out to specific individuals for “vignettes” to provide insight into innovative practices, and members or interested parties are welcome to contact us to contribute to the research
- Materials will be compiled on the new WordPress website and tagged for searching.
- Sponsorship has been solicited with the following sponsors confirmed: Desire2Learn Corporation, LEARN, Heritage Christian School, Virtual High School, and i-edit
Meet your Board Members
- At the September 16 AGM the following board members were elected:
- Three-‐Year Term (2014 – 2017)
- Howard Burston – Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre
- Alison Slack – Ontario eLearning Consortium
- Kevin Wttewaall – Rocky View Schools (AB)
- Two-‐Year Term (2014 – 2016)
- Michael Canuel – LEARN (QC)
- Terri Reid – Blackgold Regional Schools (AB)
- Sue Taylor-Foley – Nova Scotia Virtual School
- One-‐Year Term (2014 – 2015)
- CJ MacKinnon – TLA Online (BC)
- Greg Bitgood – Heritage Christian School (BC)
- Laurel Beaton – Alberta Distance Learning Centre
- Three-‐Year Term (2014 – 2017)