ConnectLearn 21 is a collaborative initiative to identify best practices in helping educators and students find high quality learning resources and connect with each other for effective, compelling 21st-century learning. The website was developed as part of an environmental scan project sponsored by the Educational Resources Acquisition Consortium (ERAC), a consortium of public school districts as well as independent schools in British Columbia, Canada.
ERAC had developed a digital learners vision in Phase I of this project and now for Phase II wanted to see what other jurisidictions were doing, to help implement the programs in British Columbia in a well informed manner.
ERAC, on behalf of its public sector K-12 School Districts and independent school members in BC, is now starting to implement this vision. Rather than having a traditional, static report, the idea was to have more of a living account of what different jurisdictions are doing and what thought leaders in this space feel are the best ways forward so that the best practices and lessons learned can be shared widely and can be continued beyond this environmental scan.
About the project leads for Phase II – Environmental Scan
Cyri Jones, is a faculty member at BCIT and Capilano University, and founder of ZEN Portfolios, an e-portfolio and group collaboration tool. Jay Collier, founder and executive director of The Compass LLC, serves as a digital strategy consultant to the Maine Department of Education. Cyri and Jay met at a conference in Boston in 2011 where they realized they were both involved in similar, regional initiatives to support online communities of practice for teaching and learning. They then began working together to identify resources and analyze trends supporting the evolution of connected learning.
Submissions of, and comments on, resources and analysis are welcome and encouraged.
