An Introduction to LMS

The introduction of a Learning Management System (LMS) involves Professional Development and Change management within your school. Some thought needs to go into managing this.

ICT PD - models –1: Whole school –2: Train some staff - in school - who then train others –3: Intensive external training of some staff – then train others –4: Online learning

ICTPD - Models STAGES OF PD –1: Skills based –2: Integration into existing teaching –3: Technology related changes to curriculum. –4: Changing role of teacher, more autonomy in use given to students –5: Focus on underpinning theories of education (Lai, p.27)

ICTPD STAGES OF TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION –1:ENTRY – students learn to use technology. –2:ADOPTION- Teachers use technology to support traditional instruction. –3: ADAPTATION – technology used to enrich curriculum. –4: APPROPRIATION – technology is integrated, used for its unique capabilities. –5: INVENTION – discover new uses for technology –(Lai, p. 29; p. 67)

Categories of Innovators (Rogers 83) INNOVATORS EARLY ADOPTERS EARLY MAJORITY LATE MAJORITY LAGGARDS

ADULT LEARNING Adults learn best when there is a:- 1. “perceived need for the knowledge or skills” 2. there is an opportunity to apply the new skills, 3. the emphasis is on “integrating new learning” into current knowledge and there is value put on past experiences. Preskill and Torres, (1999, p.22)

PD - Models –“It is important that any collaboration occurs naturally as a result of the problems and circumstances that teachers are sharing, and not as a result of artificially created groups.” –(Lai p26 – Little, 1990)

PD - Models “ Change is a complex issue, change in learning or teaching is perhaps the most complex” (Lai, p. 24; Fullen (1993) Any changes made within a school should be linked to educational outcomes and pedagogy. (Lai, p. 24; Fullen (1993) PD is “the some total of learning through formal and informal experiences” (Lai, p. 24; Fullen and Mascall (2000) PD – should be school based (Lai, p. 26)

PD - Models As well as ICT PD there needs to be time to integrate new ideas into units of work. (Lai, p. 33; Otago project)

References Dann, S. and Dann, S. (2001). Strategic Internet Marketing, Wiley: Milton, Australia. Fullen, M. (1993). Change Forces, London: Falmer Press. Fullen, M. and Mascall, B. (2000) Human Resource Issues in Education, a Literature Review. Toronto: Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. Kwok-Wing, L. (2001) (Ed) e-Learning-Teaching and Professional Development with the Internet. University of Otago Press: Dunedin. Preskill, H. and Torres, R.T. (1999) Learning in Organizations in Evaluative Inquiry for Learning in Organizations, pp Thousand Oaks: Sage. Rogers, M. R. (1983). Diffusion of innovation 3 rd Ed., Macmillan: London Contact

Why? Cost Good level of sophistication Relatively user friendly Sustainable post ICTPD contract

Extranet:- Training stucture 7 Faculty Learning Leaders in each school Facilitator working across schools Initial training from software provider Regular meetings

WBHS issues Staff user groups and log ins Student user groups and permissions The name intranet/extranet

Problems for Kamo? Coming to grips with the many page layouts available Gaining a degree of uniformity Multiple logins for FLLs

Whangarei Girls’ Experience

Whangarei Girls High Experience Problems: Website content out of date / poorly organised / ugly / spelling mistakes!!!! No system of vetting / poor checking No policy Little promotional impact No dedicated website manager (done by Tekkie in spare time)

Development of a suitable structure Appointment of schoolgate websites manager (3 hours per week to start) Vetting system developed (“hidden pages” feature in schoolgate) Policy and structures in place – access etc – uploading photos Staff input – each dept gets area Job descriptions – eg Principal’s PA – does calendar -

Development of a kids’ site  Developing a whole separate site that kids can use in info tech classes – create own pages etc – be administrators  Protocols important for this site as well

Main Website: Wider community Kids Practice Site: Students Cluster Site: Shared Professional site for Teachers School Intranet: Students / Staff/parents Four Sites Hosted by Schoolgate

Issues for school Multi media capability? – no speakers in most computers, will need microphones Terminal Services will not support multi- media well! Access to DVDs, interactive boardsd, datashows etc etc Broadband Internet costs rising for school Memory / storage issues “Lock down mentality” – eg can’t download audio files, video, etc