EIS Learning Rep Course

I have just started the EIS Learning Rep Course at UWS. I have homework to do! Lots of it. I will include some of the links I have been given in this Blog. It is not meant to duplicate the T&L Moodle but I suspect there will be some overlap.
I liked this article on the 'Fear of Failure'. How true it is. As I stand on the tee do I see bunkers and water hazards or do I see a wide fairway and a reachable green. No apologies for the golf analogy. (Photo: MacDonalds Highland Resort Spey Valley)

Plagium Plagiarism Checker

What is Plagium?
"Plagium is an innovative, fast, and easy-to-use means to check text against possible plagiarism or possible sources of origination. Simply enter text that you would like to analyze into the text box and let Plagium do the rest of the work. You can also check the contents of an entered URL for its sources."
Useful for education perhaps?
Ref: http://janeknight.typepad.com/pick/2009/06/plagium.html

MS OFFICE 2007 Great Discount

The college still uses MS Office 2003 but you may want MS Office 2007 for home.
If you (or your student children) are thinking of getting a new computer in the near future this software deal is pretty good. If you know of somewhere cheaper let me know.

http://www.rm.com/shops/thebasement/Default.aspx

The college does not help with software for your home computer so this is the next best thing.

PUD in February 2010

No-one can say they have not had enough time to think of something to do next February. The Professional Updating Days will be repeated in 2010. I got a lot out of my day and I have lots of ideas for next year.

New PDP Procedure

There is now a new pdp procedure in Clydebank College. I was due to go to the staff dev. but took a class instead. Use the procedure to YOUR advantage. Find out things you would like to do and arrange to go. I have never been at a "College People" event at SFEU. I am thinking of going this year.

Copyright - JISC Legal

Are you breaching copyright? Do you know what you can and cannot do with images and text retrieved from the web? JISC legal has the answers. (I dont!)

Jisc have webcasts which are a good summary.
There is a massive number of publications. An oldie (2003) but goodie is Copyright in Further Education.

See how much you know by trying this on-line Copyright Activity.

The Copyright Toolkit is worth trying if you have time. Sometimes simply asking the holder of the copyright is enough. (Websense blocks it at the moment but I have requested that it is un-blocked.)

Accessibility and Inclusion in elearning

The JISC website is a vast resource of information. The section on Accessibility and Inclusion has a section on elearning. This includes using MS Word and making text more readable.

Clydebank Learning Representative

The Employment Act 2002 gives statutory recognition to union learning representatives. The aim is to encourage lifelong learning among union members. To this end the EIS is trying to establish a learning rep in every FE college. At the moment I only know what is in the EIS webite. The role of the FE learning rep is to inform lecturers of learning opportunities they may be able to take advantage of.
More information about the Learning Representative is available on TUC Education - Union Learn
Watch this space!