[senit] MLEs\VLEs

I think "should" is the key word in your message

hi I did post this other day but don't think it made
it.
Question is- as looking at fronter and other VLEs they
seem suited to mainstream primary/secondary use for
homework.(which can of course be about current
classwork)
What is the pedagogic approache/es suggested for using
them in school? for in-school learning? 
David
--- Adrian Higginbotham
<adrian.higginbotham at becta.org.uk> wrote:

> I think "should" is the key word in your message
> Sean.
> 
> Would we we want all suppliers - Becta approved or
> otherwise to be able to? - yes of course.
> 
> Must they? No - you can't force any supplier to
> offer you the goods and services you want,
> unfortunately all you can do is tell them what you
> want and ask if they have it.  The more people who
> raise these kinds of expectations the more likely it
> is that commercial outfits will offer them.  We
> putting quite a lot of work at the moment in to
> helping institutions and local authorities make the
> kinds of expectations you're talking about more
> explicit in their 'shopping list'.
> 
> In our LP framework we lay down a minimum
> expectation based on accepted and proven open
> Standards and guidance.  These unfortunately arent'
> as broad in scope as we might hope especially in
> respect of meeting the needs of learners with
> cognative learning difficulties so we are relying on
> communities such as this to help us identify good
> products and the desirable features they contain so
> that we can look at how we can promote replication
> of the functionality more widely.
> 
> The tasks which the service must support for all
> learners on the Becta framework (those which are
> mandatory in the functional specs can be found at
>
http://schools.becta.org.uk/index.php?section=re&&catcode=&rid=12884
> Others are optional.
> 
> 
> Adrian Higginbotham
> Project manager: Learning services
> Becta
> Tel: Direct dial 024 7679 7333 - Becta switchboard
> 02476-416994.
> Email: Adrian.Higginbotham at becta.org.uk
> Web: http://www.becta.org.uk/
> BECTA, Millburn Hill Road, Science Park, Coventry,
> CV4 7JJ 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: senit-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk
> [mailto:senit-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk] On Behalf
> Of Sean O'Sullivan
> Sent: 06 March 2008 22:32
> To: senit at lists.becta.org.uk
> Subject: Re: [senit] MLEs\VLEs
> 
> You've picked up on a crucial point David. Suppliers
> of any Learning Platform should be able to
> demonstrate that they can offer tools that enable
> pupils with cognitive learning difficulties to do
> the kinds of things in your list.
> 
> Form what I've seen so far, very few indeed can do
> so, including many on the Becta approved list.
> Special schools need to shout very loudly to make
> sure our pupils' needs are taken into consideration,
> as there are real risks that the choices made now
> commit LAs and RBCs and individual schools to
> several years with a commercial supplier, who, once
> they have our contract, have minimal incentive to
> focus on positive developments for our comparatively
> large population of pupils who could do a lot for
> themselves despite little or no practical literacy
> skills.
> 
> Given the right tools such as symbols (and built-in
> symbol writing), photos, integral options to record
> sound and video clips built-in at every appropriate
> level, these pupils could be sharing messages with
> each other, commenting on each other's work,
> collaborating on projects within and beyond their
> school and home - essentially doing many if not all
> of the tasks you list. Many of the pupils would of
> course need to learn how to handle the tools, but as
> we all know, these children can and do learn some
> amazing things, our job is simply to keep the
> barriers to a minimum and use technology to give
> them a voice in the world, and to help them feel
> valued.
> 
> It will be fascinating to see if anyone turns the
> disability discrimination legislation against any of
> the software developers, or even against the LAs and
> RBCs who may commission a solution that ignores the
> needs and rights of their disabled students, should
> the VLE chosen prove to be inaccessible for them.
> Apparently, in our educational world now, every
> child matters.
> 
> Happy days,
> 
> 
> Sean O'Sullivan
> sean.frankwise at easynet.co.uk
> Headteacher
> Frank Wise School, Banbury
> http://www.frankwise.oxon.sch.uk
> 
> http://www.parkroadict.co.uk
> 
> 
> 
> On 6 Mar 2008, at 21:44, david fettes wrote:
> 
> > hi these are supposed to provide
> > students with the ability to;
> > o	Create safe personal web pages and link to
> friends.
> > o	Enrol and collaborate in personal interest
> groups
> > and online courses.
> > o	Subscribe to receive news on interests /
> concerns.
> > o	Publish work on line.
> > o	Save work in e-Portfolio.
> > o	Access timetable.
> > o	Access learning materials for
> > courses and assignments.
> > o	Check on assignments / targets.
> > o	Submit work for assignments.
> > o	Communicate with peers, mentors and
> > teachers using email / messaging system.
> >
> > How does this translate to students who can not
> read or write any text 
> > but may be able to read or write symbols , or if
> not symbols- photos?
> > David
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 


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