I have had such an incredible e-learning opportunity through this study tour. I have met the most interesting and knowledgeable people in each and every place I have visited, all of whom welcomed me so warmly and freely shared information and innovative practices.

Thank you to all of those who have made this trip possible. To TAFE NSW for the opportunity of the scholarship; to my family and friends for their support; to Cath and the team at Cowra for keeping the show going in my absence; and of course to my support crew, David and Michael, for their company, assistance and keeping their senses of humour for the duration!

My contact at the University of North Texas was Dr Philip Turner, Vice Provost for Learning Enhancement. Dr Turner leads all types of innovation with e-learning at the University; he leads the Centre for Teaching,Learning and Assessment and he also heads an innovative project at the University entitled the UNT Quality Enhancement Plan.

The Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) is all about 'Next Generation Web Design' http://QEP.unt.edu is 'designed to help faculty members and support staff to work together to transform the student learning experience in large enrolment undergraduate classes'. Interdisciplinary teams work together to upgrade exisiting online courses, or place existing face to face courses online 'engaging, encouraging and enabling faculty members to investigate and apply innovative and instructional techniques'. I was privileged to see some of the incredible instructional design techniques being used with subject content.

Thank you Philip for welcoming me so warmly and to all the Faculty and staff for allowing me to be present at your meeting.

]]> Tue, 08 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=701 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=6099 0 32.78333 -96.8 Just thought I would share with you some other highlights of our stay in NYC

Kathy has written ten books and completed significant research about distance education. Since 2005 she has been researching the area of podcasting. Kathy's research into podcasting in the classroom has found that it motivates students because digital technology is such a part of their lives. The use of technological tools such as ipods and other mp3 players needs to be 'captured' in a classroom because students already have these devices already 'attached to their bodies'.

Using technology to create podcasts also 'empowers' the student. A student (especially students with low levels of literacy) can produce an aural text in the same way a written text is created: plan, draft, edit, final copy. This gives the student a 'voice'.

You can tune in to Podcast for Teachers from the RETC at http://www.podcast for teachers.org. Kathy's latest book has just been released 'Podcasting for Teachers' and is available online at www.bxmedia.net

Thank you to Kathy and Barbara for the fascinating morning and to Kathy for the tour of the surprisingly beautiful oasis in the middle of the Bronx: Fordham University

]]> Fri, 04 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=701 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=6056 0 40.71417 -74.00639 United States of America with a population of in excess of 8.1 million people living in an area of 322 square miles. There appears to be no centimetre of space that is not used by people, buildings, yellow cabs etc. It is amazing.

Today I met with Alison Rice, at Hunter College, City University of New York. This is a University right in the heart of Manhattan - just a buzz of students and life. Alison is the Director Of Hunter College's IELI (International English Language Institute) and ELT (English Language Teaching) Institute.

Alison and I had an interesting discussion about online learning and the differences in our two teaching environments. We were joined by Anne Ediger, Chair, Department of Curriculum and Teaching. The three of us exchanged lots of worthwhile information about education and living in New York City. Anne is coming to Australia later in the year and may even come to Cowra to visit us and see what we do! I did mention that Cowra is quite a bit different to New York City!

Thank you Alison for giving up your time for me today!]]> Thu, 03 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=701 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=5974 0 40.71417 -74.00639 We have said goodbye to our 'home on wheels' for the last 2 weeks - our rental car. Driving into Washington was not the drama we might have imagined.

A special thank you here to my support team on this journey: one courageous and expert driver; and one capable and confident navigator. There was barely one wrong turn for 1660 miles (2660 kms). My husband and son have spent many collective hours charting the journey - very reassuring for me!

And you'll never guess who I ran into ...

My visit to the University allowed me the opportunity to learn about and witness current research into technology in the classroom. Dale Cook, Summit Professor, Founder and Director, Research Centre for Educational Technology, met me and explained the amazing work that the Centre is doing (www.rcet.org). RCET 'explores the uses and influences of technology in education through rich collaborations among researchers and practitioners, to help improve teaching and learning in today's classroom ...'

Live research takes place in an authentic classroom setting which can be viewed, recorded, analysed by researchers through a one-way screen.

I viewed a Kindergarten class working with their teacher on a unit of weather. They were using microphone, document camera, lap top computers, weather probes, video/still cameras as tools for their learning. It was a fantastic sight to see! These were children who did not have a lot of technological skill at the commencement of their 6 week period.

Two research findings which Dale discussed with me are: the low incidence of behaviour problems in this technolgy rich classroom; the enhancement of skills for students with special needs.

I then spent some time with Albert (Chip) Ingram and Lin Lin, both of whom are Associate Professors, Educational Foundations & Special Services. We had a rich and interesting conversation regarding online and blended learning. They showed me the Distance Learning Centre which is equipped with 'smart classroom' features.

I was then taken to a wonderful Kent restaurant for lunch. Thank you Chip!

Thank you to everyone involved in my visit to Kent State University. Your hospitality and time were greatly appreciated. My words have barely done justice to the learning and experience that I gained from my visit. I am in awe of the level and capacity of research that has been set up.
]]> Mon, 30 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=701 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=5889 0 41.15361 -81.35806 United States. It is situated on the Mad(!) River. According to reliable sources (JDD) Springfield is the most named town in the US and that is why Springfield is home to the 'Simpsons'.]]> Sat, 28 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=701 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=5660 0 39.92417 -83.80889 Purdue University first opened its doors in 1874 with 39 students. It now enrols 40,000 students and is a beautiful Campus which covers 2,300 acres. It is a public University which is named after its founder John Purdue. The grounds and facilities are magnificent. It has its own 62,000 seat football stadium and a 14,000 seat basketball arena. One of its esteemed graduates is Neil Armstrong. www.purdue.edu

My contact at Purdue was Dr Jennifer Richardson, Assistant Professor in the Educational Technology Program. Jennifer is in charge of the teacher education program. I 'discovered' Jennifer when I was completing an e-learning subject for a Master of Education. Jennifer and her colleagues have completed extensive research in distance learning especially online learning and videoconferencing. Jennifer is currently researching peer feedback in the online environment, specifically the discussion room.

Jennifer arranged a lunch in my honour and invited Faculty from the English Department, the Continuing Education Department and the Educational Technology Dept. It was an excellent opportunity to share viewpoints and information and the lunch was delicious!

Mike, from the Educational Technology Department, then took us to the videoconferencing room which is used frequently by a small number of Faculty. The room has the Polycom system as ours does, but houses duplicate screens - you can see the three of us on one of the screens.

I then spent some time with Dennis and Tianhong from the Continuing Education Department. Dennis and Tianhong explained their roles. Dennis informed me of the large growth of online courses over the last few years. Tianhong, an Instructional Designer, helps Faculty members to place courses online.

Thank you to all who made my visit to Purdue so memorable. Especially thank you to Jennifer for your warm hospitality and making yourself available to me today. I have gained so much from my visit. I also now can recognise a squirrel when I see one!

]]> Fri, 27 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=701 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=5617 0 40.42583 -86.90806 Illinois is a fertile farming area of the US, rich soil, wonderful waterways. Every available acre seems to be devoted to corn growing. Heavy rain during our stay here (yes, believe me it does still rain in other parts of the world!!) appears to have curtailed farming operations.

We stayed at Peoria which is situated on the Illinois River, with a population of 120,000. Peoria is the world headquarters for Caterpillar. David and Mike toured the plant and saw some big gear.

My visit was to Illinois Central College and was coordinated by Patrice Hess, Director of Organisational Learning, who unfortunately was unavailable on the day of my visit. Patrice left me in the hands of Janice Kinsinger, Associate Dean Instructional Innovation & Learning Resources.

What a day I had! We began at 9am with an informal meeting with Instructional Technology and English Faculty.

The technology infrastructure at the College was amazing. If you opt to place a course online, there are specialists to help you. I really wanted to bring Brandy home with me!! Brandy is employed in this Faculty as an Instructional Graphic Designer. Imagine what our powerpoints would look like with Brandy's input!

Next Ken gave me a tour of the technology studio. This centre services the College for all of the videoconferencing.

Janice and I then took part in a videoconference to downtown Peoria Campus with educators involved in Health Careers and Public Services. Thank you to these people for their time and interesting discussion. The videoconference system is housed in a 'smart' classroom with touch screen control and drop down large screen (see photo).

A delicious lunch followed with lots of Faculty attending. Some of the group commented that I didn't sound very 'Australian' - (I think Paul Hogan and Steve Irwin have lots to answer for that!)

Next was a tour of the Agriculture and Industrial Technology Centre. Thanks to Steve for showing us around (David and Mike joined me for this). The workshops were incredible; some of them are totally funded by Caterpillar. I only wished Russell Denning was with us to witness the sight of diesel motors (up to 1100 hp). Partnerships are very big here.

I was then invited to a Curriculum Committee Meeting were I was once again warmly welcomed and which provided an interesting insight into how this works.

A final session of a 'Blackboard' training program was my last session for the day. 'Blackboard' is the Learning Management System (ie Janison Toolbox) which appears to be preferred here.

Thank you to all involved in the wonderful day I spent at Illinois Central College. The time and effort that went into my visit was amazing and I was very honoured to be surrounded by such fantastic people. I am well aware of the time constraints of educators so am very grateful to think you gave up an entire day for me Janice!

Apart from the learning I am undergoing about all things relating to Distance Learning, I am also experiencing hospitality and friendliness that is definitely first class. Nothing seems too much effort; hard work is the norm; pride in your institution and love of your jobs are commonplace.

I applaud and thank each and everyone of you. I also thank Patrice for the planning and preparation that went into my visit. Even though you weren't there in person Patrice, ICC was full of your presence.

]]> Wed, 25 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=701 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=5585 0 40.69361 -89.58889

This area is geared for the tourist but Wisconsin is also famous for its dairy industry, Harley Davidsons and Millers beer (among many other things).

My contact in Wisconsin, Dan Gross, picked me up at the Hotel at 8am on Monday. Dan is the Executive Director of SWING (Southeastern Wisconsin Instructional Network Group) www.swing.k12.wi.us Dan coordinates communication technologies in many k-12 schools and other institutions in this area. He also works with the Museums to bring schools and museums together.

We drove through different areas: tourist, farming, industrial with Dan acting as a wonderful guide. We also discussed all manner of things American including education, technology, politics, religion, culture, food and Boy Scouts! I gained a marvellous insight into one perspective of life and times in Wisconsin thanks to Dan's depth of knowledge, educated opinions and sense of humour.

We also visited the Gateway Technical College in Burlington. Here Dan introduced me to Kathy and Gerry who are instructors in the Adult Learning Centre. Kathy and Gerry deliver ESL and the GED (which is very similar to CGVE). Thank you both for showing me around and the handouts. Good luck with the excursion to Washington DC.

Dan took me to a wonderful place for lunch called 'Fred's' in Burlington. What a fantastic experience. He introduced me to the delights of fried cheese balls and excellent potato chips. (Not sure how long a girl would last in Wisconsin without a gallbladder!!) Last night my family and I even tried the fried icecream and caramel sauce - thanks for the tip Dan- it was delicious.

Thank you to Dan for the effort and energy that you put into my visit. It was a fantastic day and such an excellent opportunity to learn about the how, what and why of education.
Your innovative and enthusiastic approach to education can only enhance communication technology within the system.

]]> Mon, 23 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=701 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=5554 0 42.67806 -88.27611 Dubuque is in United States on the edge of United States and United States. We came over the hill and there was the grand old United States - what a surprise and beautiful sight.

24 April - not sure what has happened to some of this information on this entry!! ]]> Sat, 21 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=701 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=5518 0 42.50056 -90.66444 The houses in the town are also typically 2 storey, weather board, without verandahs, fences or outdoor eating areas - in fact everything is geared for cold weather here. We have been very lucky and have had perfect weather so far

Conference Day 1 - Iowa Distance Learning Association
Today I had the great experience of attending 2 seminars delivered by William A. Draves who is a quoted expert on lifeling learning and online learning. Bill is the president of the Learning Resources Network (LERN) www.lern.org and authored several books.

Bill's first seminar focused on 'a different kind of teacher' for the new teaching environment. Today's teacher needs to respond to individual learning styles; to focus on outcomes and knowledge; find strengths in the indiviual's skills; be aware that there are different learning styles for the different generations.

In the 2nd seminar, Bill explained the generational learning styles: the veterans (sorry Mum that's you!); the baby boomers (that's me and anyone born between 1946 - 64); Generation X (1965- 1979); and Generation Y (1980-2000). The latest generation > 2000 hasn't been named as yet. The point about the learning style is that each generation has lived through a particular time where things are done or thought in a particular way. He gave some excellent tips for teaching Gen Y one of which was to 'make learning relevant'. I liked that one especially.

Conference Day 2 - Main day of Conference

Bill Draves gave the keynote address entitled "Nine Shift: Work, Life and Education in 21st Century" www.nineshift.com This address focused on how the internet is changing how we live and that by 2020 a way of life as we once knew it will be over - the internet will be predominant.

In the afternoon I delivered my presentation "Distance Education - An Australian Perspective" in a breakout session to a small group of interested and interesting educators. The Cowra CGVE group will be pleased to know that your photo was a great hit so thank you all for allowing me to show your happy faces in America! Two of the participants at the session are very keen to set up videoconference session between our students and theirs!

I attended another breakout session on the lastest digital tools for teaching: digital pens; e-books which have an embedded video chip; dynamic software demonstrating calculus and trig (Denise you would have been impressed I promise!); virtual calculators; tablet pc's. I also saw a portable digital whiteboard system demonstrated which is a cheaper option to smartboard www.mimio.com

I was delighted to be present at the Conference and be welcomed so warmly by a great group of people. Thank you to Donna for liaising with me to help me coordinate my attendance at the Conference.]]> Thu, 19 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=701 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=5516 0 42.00833 -91.64389 Sydney Airport - Plane delayed by 2 hours but wasn't too much of a problem.]]> Mon, 16 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=701 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=4708 0 -33.8833333 151.2166667

This is a really interesting city. As cities go it is quite small 700,000 ish and very multicultural. Chinese and Italians arrived during the Gold Rushes but lots of Russians, Spanish etc.

We had a ride in a trolley car this morning which is a bit like a roller coaster - photo shows how steep it is.

We did a tour this afternoon. We saw all of the sights: Golden Gate Bridge, Nob Hill, China Town. The guide told us lots of tid bits -
-the buildings, all side by side, with flat rooves, do not have common walls. There has to be an inch between so that when an earthquake occurs, and fires start, firemen can go to the top of the buildings and pour water down between. Let's hope there are no earthquakes until after tomorrow at least.
-There are very few supermarkets here, just small corner shops. People eat out most of the time;
-San Francisco has very cool climate - a large beach here but not much swimming done as the water very cold.
-Saw lots of movie & TV settings such as Pursuit of Happiness, Mrs Doubtfire, Kindergarten Cop, Full House

A couple of things we have noticed ... not too many dogs around(maybe because noone seems to have a backyard); the thinnest straws I have ever seen; the biggest breakfasts I have ever seen.

Just off to try some Clam Chowder and sourdough bread - a speciality here.]]> Tue, 17 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://www.blogabond.com/TripView.aspx?tripID=701 http://www.blogabond.com/CommentView.aspx?commentID=4707 0 37.775 -122.41833