[mailto:eportfolios-and-plts@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of John Pallister
Sent: 08 July 2008 07:16
To: ePortfolios and PLTs
Subject: {ePortfolios-and-PLTs} Learning, Personalisation and New
Technologies and Tools

Dcsf expect schools to "have the confidence to innovate and develop
approaches to personalising learning"  and to  "put personalising
learning at the heart of their vision for transforming teaching and
learning"  http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/personalisedlearning/about/

Learning has always been a personal 'thing'; economics has, before
ICT, meant that it was often packaged up as a group activity. The big
question that we appear to be struggling to answer, is, can new
technologies and tools put the personal bit back into learning?

Common threads from discussions about Personal Learning Environments
identify a requirement for an environment:
.       where learners take more control of their own learning and, by
taking more responsibility for the management of their own learning,
become more independent learners;
.       where learners set their own learning goals, manage their learning
and communicate with others;
.       that provides learners with access to information sources and a
common interface for communication and collaboration with others;
.       that encourages the learner to explore, develop and learn;
.       that encourages the learner to recognise, reflect on, share and
celebrate their achievements;
.       that is centred around the interests of the learner, their learning
needs and provides the learner with opportunities to learn by 'doing';
.       that will enable learners to develop plans in terms of their
competencies, skills and progression routes;
.       that supports any where any time learning + lifelong learning;
.       Helps learners to find things (information and things they have
created) and other learners;
.       That supports a way of learning that gives greater value to the
individual as a learner and moves the focus away from what is being
taught towards what is being learnt.

Are we making progress? Are we 'creating' environments that satisfy
these requirements?  Are we witnessing innovation? Are we
'harnessing'  technology to support personalised learning?

Can the ePortfolio help? can this environment be created without using
the ePorfolio Process?