From sparks to wildfire: social learning stories around Navitas

Australia/Sydney 2.30pm | Tues 8th November
America/New York 10.30pm | Mon 7th November
Europe/London 3.30am | Tues 8th November

Presenters:
Lucy Blakemore – Head, L&T Communities and Networks – L&T Services
Sue Valdeck – EFS Manager, Digital Innovation – EFS

When problems and questions arise, teachers naturally turn to trusted contacts for help. With a connected and engaged community, problems are more efficiently resolved and new ideas receive the necessary kindling to develop. Over the last 5-6 years at Navitas people have experimented with a number of ‘social learning’ approaches, from small Ning networks to global Yammer communities. We’ve learned a lot already about how teaching staff connect, even when time and geography get in the way.

This interactive session takes you on a brief journey across the macro trends influencing how we learn together, then dives into some different types of learning networks which have had tangible impacts for both students and teachers. Come along and start building your own learning community!

Sue Valdeck has worked as an English Language teacher since 1992 and a Teacher Trainer since 2004 in Germany and Australia, in both online and face to face contexts. In 2013 she began working alongside teachers to support digital collaboration and classroom innovation in her role as Manager, Learning and Teaching Innovation, and more recently Manager, Digital Innovation. She has a Master in Applied Linguistics from Macquarie University and a BA Communications from Charles Sturt University.

Lucy started her career in 2002 as an international qualitative researcher in London, working with industries from pharma to finance, charities and chocolate makers. After moving to Sydney in 2009, she worked as a teacher for Navitas English and has since worked across various learning and teaching roles at Navitas. She studied German and Italian and holds a CELTA and a Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing.