LSN Q Projects and eCPD grants: update

Q Projects are back! Applications are invited by LSN for Staff Development Managers to outline a project or how they propose to use the eCPD framework to develop staff e-learning skills as part of their continuing professional development. Meetings are being arranged to explain the framework in late June and early July. However, the application form outlining your proposal and the framework units being utilised, is stated as being required to be received by LSN 10 days prior to the event you propose to attend. The Eastern Region event is on 23/6 so that's a tight deadline! To help, I'll try and publish some of the units that are most likely to be relevant and any clarification I can get on this. See the files section for a copy of the eCPD practitioners' application form.

Why am I doing this?

In case you hadn't read the intro above, this all started because I wanted 'normal' people to be able to add content to a web site without having to learn new tricks or buy expensive software. This web log itself is merely a vehicle I can use to join what someone types in Word or some pictures they've got in Picasa to a web page that they couldn't edit directly.

The software that joins things together is a combination of weird stuff we don't need to understand that links Blogger to Word or Picasa and an application that 'reads' my ramblings on the web log posts, translates them into something a web site can understand and then displays headings or headings + a few lines or even pictures, if I'm lucky, on the web site page. Because I haven't any money to spend I'm using free, open source, applications and trying them out. Some seem better than others. This may result in you getting blank bits or seeing a slightly different display from time to time. Sorry about that but hopefully I'll get the combination right soon and it'll settle down into something that will be really useful.

What's really nice is the way these posts can be picked up by netvibes.com and pageflakes.com too. Just thought I'd mention it, as I'm expecting a few visitors who might now know how I go on about them elsewhere! Don't mean to bore those of you that do.

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. Hmmm. Anyone who wants to join in, just let me know via design@ahi2000.com or maybe even comment on the web log itself.

Rain stops play at Peter's Pond

The live broadcast ended some time ago. I hadn't noticed because you can still see great highlights at the link I mentioned in the earlier post. So it's still worth visiting - and maybe the rain may have stopped now anyway!

Becta 2006 Review

Lots of data here and interesting commentary on the impact of ICT and ILT. Whilst the prime focus is on schools, there are many references to responses and data from the FE and ACL institutions. Full pdf document available here.

LSN: professional development opportunities being launched soon!

Somewhere in practically all reviews and reports being released are references to the need to incorporate ILT in professional development. LSDA started to address this with their ePD 'framework' (and Q projects) and it would appear that LSN will maintain development of the 'framework' with individuals creating examples of how they would propose either to promote or deliver good practice for us all to share and learn from. Invitations may be issued soon to those in the FE and ACL community who would like to suggest how they might contribute to this development with some grants being provided to assist with costs of releasing selected staff accordingly. Watch this space for more details!

Test from room A107

Test from room A107

Successfully downloaded and installed the Blogger toolbar in Word on a random machine in A107 using student access. Good