January 2020 Newsletter

As we paddle our way into the first leap month of this new decade we are beginning to see an alignment of digital learning tools and environments combined with the traditional: e-learning has rapidly become an integral part of K-12 education.

To support this direction CANeLearn will be presenting and networking with fellow Canadians at the 2nd annual DLAC in Austin (Feb.24-26) and BOLTT, Apr. 2-3 in Toronto. The DL Symposium 2020 in Vancouver/Burnaby (Apr. 19-21) will feature a number of #CANeLearn members, board leaders, along with researchers and leading practitioners considering how a new funding model in BC charts the direction for e-learning (distributed learning) programs. Register for Sunday or the full event but book your room today!

Check out some of the news, resources, and tips to help you in your own practice.

Photos, unless otherwise noted, by @rlabonte or Unsplash

In the News

2019 State of the Nation Report

The 12th issue of the State of the Nation: K-12 E-Learning in Canada report has been published on the website https://k12sotn.ca/ and the digital copy is being finalized for print by Open School BC
Check out issues papers and informative vignettes in Nova Scotia, Québec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, Northwest Territories, and the federally supported FNMI programs

High-Speed Access for All: Canada’s Connectivity Strategy

Canada faces a national connectivity gap as rural Canadians face slower, less reliable Internet access than those in urban centres
Canada’s Connectivity Strategy commits to connecting every Canadian to affordable, high-speed Internet and to improve mobile cellular access
Read about it here

Quebec: Digital Action Plan for Education and Higher Education

With the recent focus on Canadian K-12 distance, online, and blended learning, particularly with the proposed changes in Ontario, there have been some interesting developments over the past two years in the field occurring in the province next door – Quebec.
Read more here

Welcome to 2020 – The Year of the Rat

Tony Bates offers us an idea of what to expect in the new decade and warns us about three trends:

Outsourcing of online program management in post-secondary (could K-12 be far behind?);
An emphasis on ‘metrics’ and ‘outputs’ that will bring a need for designated coordinators to do this monitoring and measuring; and
Learning analytics and AI.

Tony’s point “the issue that needs to be addressed in 2020 is what are the core outcomes we are trying to achieve.. [how] to deliver these, and how to measure them” warning that if educators do not do this, we risk someone else doing so
Read Tony’s blog post here…

Featured Events

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Digital Learning Collaborative Annual Conference

February 24-26, 2020 – Austin TX

https://www.deelac.com/

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2020 BOLTT (Bringing Online Teachers Together)

April 2-3, 2020 in Toronto

http://www.boltt.ca/toronto-fall-conference/

Download a flyer to share here (PDF)

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2020 Digital Learning Symposium

April 19-21 in Vancouver BC

Group/member rates – $445/person!

One day registration for Sunday only…

https://new.canelearn.net/symposium20/

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OTESSA ~ Inaugural Conference!

Open/Technology in Education, Society, and Scholarship Association

May 31-June 2 in London ON

https://otessa.org/

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Clayton R. Wright List of EdTech Conferences via @Downes

https://www.downes.ca/cgi-bin/page.cgi?post=70103

Resources for the Digital Classroom

Break the Fake: How to tell what’s true online | MediaSmarts

Four quick and easy steps to find out the truth and share good information
Find out more here

Common Sense Education Resources

Prepare your students for tomorrow’s headlines with essential news and media literacy materials – check it out here
Best news websites for students – posted here

Control-F and Building Resilient Information Networks | Hapgood

Check out Mike Caulfield’s latest web incarnation here
“If we assume that people have a limited amount of effort they’ll expend on verification, the lack of knowledge here may be as big a barrier as other cognitive biases. Why we aren’t vigorously addressing issues like this in order to build a more resilient information network (and even to just help students efficiently do things like study!) is something I continue to not understand. Yes, we have big issues. But can we take five minutes and show people how to search?”

Adventures in Archives

Aurora Institute (formerly iNACOL) Symposium 2020

Check out the shift in the organization and its focus based on this assortment of keynote presentations from the October Symposium in San Antonio posted here

Joe Sisco’s Keynote from blendED Alberta

Link to recorded keynote on @CANeLearn Youtube channel here
Link to shared resources from the session
#CANeLearn Facebook curation of event photos

See all CANeLearn archives here (members only)

Stay Connected!

Use #CANeLearn to stream specific items of interest to members. Join the conversation!
Follow @CANeLearn, “like” us on Facebook, subscribe to our YouTube Channel
Check out our Members’ Site
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Newsletter

January 2020 Newsletter