Building Niche Virtual Communities

A5 Blogging – New Literacies (R)
Heather Blakey

Using a storyteller, Heather will present a Blooms Taxonomy of Curriculum activities, and then show how the responses to this can be blogged by different users on one blog.

Audience: all levels and subject areas.

Heather Blakey is a milliner’s best friend having worn many hats throughout her varied career. She has over 37 years teaching experience at both the school and organisational level. Most recently she was Head of English at LaTrobe Secondary College and worked on the ‘writing for well-being program’ and ‘Melbourne Citymission Bereavement Program’. She is currently webmaster of The Soul Food Cafe, a “quirky, interactive” web café (http://www.dailywriting.net/).

Eden Seed’s aim  is to distribute Old Traditional Open pollinated varieties of vegetable seed, preferably old Australian varieties and organically or bio-dynamically grown where possible.

Eden Seeds have led the way and has donated seeds to be planted in the first schools to participate in this project.

The SLAV branch gather at Beaconshill Village College for an inservice about using blog as a publishing tool. Cora Zon tells the story of the Magic Garden and then Heather Blakey demonstrates how outcomes can be published on a constellation of exciting, target specific blogs. In this situation staff, students, administrators and parents can not only see outcomes published within a very short amount of time, but can comment directly on the work. We are witnessing a significant revolution in the delivery of engaging curriculum.

“Cover Design: The Magic Garden“
a response to a visual activity in the Magic Garden Project

Lori Gloyd (c) 2007

Working together! Grade 6 Hawkesdale
The Magic Garden

THE MAGIC GARDEN

The Magic Garden is a project designed to show educators and their students how good curriculum can be delivered and the outcomes published, using new technology such as blogs, writeboard, photo board and many other exciting applications.

Cora Zon, a professional storyteller and Heather Blakey, an experienced web publisher and webmaster of the Soul Food Cafe, work collaboratively and demonstrate how educators can marry the ancient craft of storytelling, apply current curriculum and publish using state of the art blogging software. Cora tells the enchanting Kazakha story of the ‘The Magic Garden’ while Heather Blakey delivers a curriculum package that climaxes with self publication on a constellation of Global Teacher, Global Student blogs. Watch, in wonder, at the way this virtual garden is growing as staff, students and the wider community contribute by responding to the activities within the Magic Garden Project.