Involving the local community in e-learning experiences

Involving the local community in e-learning experiences.

Successful schools make regular and effective use of a wide range of organisations to enhance the learning experience of their pupils. Yet often they find it difficult to transfer these excellent relationships into their use of e-learning. This post reflects on a project that I’ve been involved in that has made good use of ICT, engaged pupils from more than one school and involved members of the wider community in a safe but highly engaging and effective manner.

Hidden Keighley is a great example of schools and local organisations working together to produce some resources. 6 local schools (1 Secondary, 4 Primary Schools and a Special School) worked on projects of specific interest to the pupils in each school. These ranged from looking at one of the towns fantastic Victorian Mills to ghost stories connected with a local pub and a fun project based on rock concerts held in the town during the 1970′s.

Pupils shared information about each schools project via their websites, for example:

Hidden Keighley: Our Lady of Victories

St Anne’s RC Primary School Hidden Keighley Project

Older pupils also made use of Facebook as a means of engaging with parents, former pupils and the wider community – with a group established under the supervision of teaching staff.

In addition to the work of pupils and staff in each of these schools a number of organisations were approached. A request went out to the Local History Society and use of glogster was picked up by the Historical Association. Use of some Creative partnerships funding allowed a number of local advisors to be brought in to help deliver high quality resources and partnership. For example through utilising the multimedia and film talents of Mark Waddington.

The results of this project were amazing – and are still being followed up 18 months later! Pupils continue to engage with members of local societies; there are community helpers involved in answering questions about the local area (Geography, History and Citizenship) via discussion forums within VLE’s and the resources created by pupils have been displayed around the local area and also at the British Museum. The project received a lot of publicity in the press, for example in the Keighley News and the Telegraph and Argus which not only promoted a really positive image of the participating schools but also led to even more interest in the project and additional local organisations becoming involved.

In a nutshell this project worked because of a few very simple ingredients:

- hard working pupils and teachers
- selection of topics that are of general interest in the area
- selection of appropriate tools for the job
- approaching the right people

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History

Personalised Learning