Educator Announcements – November 12, 2008

2009 VSS Annual Spring Conference – Learning: Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere (April 21-23, 2009) Innovations in Online Learning: What’s Working in BC and Beyond Pre-Conference Session The VSS, in conjunction with the Ministry of Education, as the major funder, is holding a pre-conference session which has been a highlight for many since it began a few years ago. That tradition will continue Tuesday, April 21, 2009 in the SFU Harbour Centre. The theme of “Quality Learning” will be will be highlighted in a series of mixed workshops focusing on three major subjects: Quality leadership practices in DL Quality instructional practices in DL Quality skills and exemplary practices in the use of technologies in classrooms and online. To ensure continuity between the pre-conference session and the main conference, the planning committee will be attempting to approach appropriate presenters selected from the main conference’s Call for Proposals and invite them to join the pre-conference session. Visit the 2009 Conference page on LearnNowBC for more information and updates on the 2009 conference. Call for Proposals An invitation for proposals for concurrent sessions in the K-12 Public School stream will be live on the 2009 conference page of the LearnNowBC website tomorrow (Thurs. Nov 14, 2008). The submission deadline is December 15, 2008. The Conference Program Committee will review all submissions and select a cross section that best fits the conference theme. Successful candidates will be notified by January 31, 2009. Those selected to present at the conference will be invited to register at half the full conference fee. Session details and a brief biography of the presenter/facilitator will be listed in the official Conference Program. This is your chance to profile what’s working for you and share your stories with educators from across the province and beyond. Professional Learning Opportunities For the Week of Nov 12-19: knowWEEKS: Podcasting Basics for Teachers. This knowWEEK is designed for beginners, so it’s okay if you don’t know what a podcast is, but it’s also of interest to the advanced online facilitator. Podcasting is a great tool for learning. Not only can you download podcasts as audio or video files from the internet, you can also learn how to produce a podcast. After this session you will understand podcasting and be able to develop a podcasting project for your class with very little expense and a lot of excitement. So what could be more exciting for students in a K-12 class than being part of their own show on the internet? Join the session led by Marian Heddesheimer (Germany) which begins on Nov 16, 2008. Visit knowWEEKS at LearnNowBC for more information. Click here to pre-register.

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