Beyond the blog and wiki Exploring learning objects and digital resources on Digistore

1. Beyond the blog and wiki Exploring learning objects and digital resources on Digistore Presenter: Claire Amos c.amos@auckland.ac.nz http://thevirtualclassroom.pbworks.com

2. Part One:Introduction to Digistore

3. What is Digistore? • Te Pātaka Matihiko; Digistore is New Zealand's gateway to thousands of free items of digital curriculum content from the Ministry of Education and The Le@rning Federation (TLF). • You can find interactive learning objects, images, audio files and movie clips via browse, search and filter technology. • Digistore allows you to tag and rate favourite resources, and create learning paths, to ensure quick access for both you and your students.

4. What is a Learning Path? • An exciting new feature of Digistore 2.0 is the ability to create Learning Paths, a collection or sequence of learning content interwoven with teacher comments and descriptions that can be created for a particular audience eg: Students, Teachers, parents or as a personal collection. • Later this year all NZ teachers at registered schools will be able to access Digistore using their Education Sector login (ESAA). Until then learning paths should be created under a school's username and password. Teachers will be able to copy any school learning paths to their ESAA login once they are made available.

5. Why would I use this in English?

6. Effective use of Digital Content • The use of digital learning resources provides a ‘real’ learning opportunity for English learning alongside identified learning outcomes in other learning areas. • e-Learning as inquiry has also been developed to support teachers to explore how the use of digital content, software, and other e-learning strategies can be integrated into literacy teaching and learning.

7. Part Two:Digistore Tour

8. Digistore Tour Go to: http://digistore.tki.org.nz Make sure you check out the links: Using Digital Content http://digistore.wikispaces.com/ Learning Paths English

9. Part Three: Creating a Learning Path Activity

10. Why create a learning path? • To support an identified sequence of questions or comments for students to explore. • To identify a collection of digital content, selected to support a specific concept or focus that students are able to revisit for maintenance. • To use in conjunction with other relevant digital content and learning experiences • To enrich an existing programme of learning designed within an online learning space.

11. Questions to consider at the planning stage • Is creating a Learning Path vs linking or embedding digital content a more effective option? • What are the benefits to the learning process? • How can I re-purpose content and what are the possible opportunities for shared learning? • Is this an effective use of time?

12. Useful Links • http://digistore.wikispaces.com/ (the user guide wiki) Check out FAQs to get code for imbedding links • http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/ For free graphic organizers to embed into your learning path comments