[senit] Learning Platforms

In Northern Ireland C2K has provided a VLE for all schools called LearningNI. It is a container for licensed products such as the Pathe News archive and Music which is only accessible free from within the schools network. There is also a daily newspaper produced by Guardian which has KS2 and KS3 extension activities. The news is in pictorial format, podcast and text. Some of the materials can be used by some SLD pupils with a ltitle help.

The VLE aspect of LNI  that I am especially interested in is the Courses. This permits teachers to set up courses for other teachers or pupils. (Pupils can only be brought into a course by their own teacher - so an outsider can not register pupils). 

I regard the discussion area as the most crucial aspect of a course because it builds communication and links between teachers. 
When using discussions with pupils we find the best way to include all SLD pupils is to attach a Writing with Symbols document to a message. This allows the recipients to view the document through WWS and listen to the message or print it out. (Writing with Symbols is licensed for all NI schools).

C2K are just about to launch a video conference facility for schools. This will be a great tool for including all those visual learners - especially boys. Anything we have tried so far in pilots has resulted in tremendous motivation and attention including reduction of challenging behaviour.

Norma
 .....................
Norma Perceval-Price
C2K SEN support
Northern Ireland

----- Original Message ----
From: david fettes <davidfettes3 at yahoo.co.uk>
To: senit at lists.becta.org.uk
Sent: Tuesday, 29 April, 2008 1:00:23 PM
Subject: [senit] Learning Platforms

hi can anyone clarify the differences between
VLE
MLE
Learning Platform?

secondly, where does local PC based software eg
special needs access & switch software fit into
any and all of these models?

what about local access devices eg IWBs,touchscreens,
switches?

thanks
David

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