media in education

A week-long course entitled ‘Using Video to Support Lifelong Learning’ is being organised in the Leuven Institute for Ireland in Europe in Belgium from 14 February 2011. This course will provide participants with the basics of video capture and editing as well as training on how to publish video materials online.

Aimed at enthusiastic newcomers, this course will also address issues to do with video as a learning tool and how best to use video at all levels of teaching and learning.  One of the goals of the course will be for participants to create their own educational video resource during the week-long workshop.

Almost 400 people attended the EDEN annual conference held in the beautiful city of Valencia from 9 - 12 June. The theme of the conference this year was 'Media Inspirations for Learning' and so a presentation of the MEDEA Awards given by Sally Reynolds from ATiT turned out to be a popular choice for lots of participants.

This presentation provided a snapshot of how the MEDEA awards scheme has been growing since its launch in 2007 and a description of the types of entries it receives.  It was also a timely reminder that the closing date for receipt of entries this year is 31 July.

EDEN also provided a good opportunity to promote the Media and Learning conference being held in Brussels on 25 - 26 November in collaboration with the Flemish Ministry of Education, where themes related to to how best to utilise the impact of media will be the main focus of discussion.

This month's newsletter includes an introduction to EuroCreator, which is offering video resources to European teachers. It also gives an insight into an innovative special interest group on educational podcasting and tells the story behind the MEDEA 2009 Finalist, Studiecoach, produced by the Dutch Open University. 

Readers of the May issue can read about KlasCement, offering video resources to Dutch-speaking teachers, learn about several calls for related competitions such as the EUROPRIX Multimedia Awards and the JAPAN PRIZE and find out more about what is happening in the field of media and education through the articles and announcements about recent developments and publications contained in the May edition.

Read the newsletter on the Media in Education website.

The April edition of the Media in Education Newsletter is now available and includes a report about EdReNe's recently held strategic seminar on repositories of learning resources.

It also includes an article about Planet SciCast, an online video-sharing repository which was one of the finalists in the MEDEA Awards 2009, articles about two different IPR-related websites and an introduction to the MEDEA National Contact Point in Malta which is the Centre for Literacy at the University of Malta. 

The April edition also includes information about the call for submissions to the Media and Learning conference being held 25/26 November in Brussels.

This edition is available on a dedicated newsletter website where you will also find issues of this monthly newsletter dating back to September 2009 as well as information about how you can sign up to receive the newsletter every month.

ATiT has also recently launched a website dedicated to the MEDEA:EU project which supports the organisation of the MEDEA Awards and which is partially funded under the European Commission' s Lifelong Learning Programme.

The MEDEA Awards team has been busy with redesigning the MEDEA website and producing a media gallery with best-practice showcases that, thanks to the MEDEA:EU project, includes recorded interviews with the 2009 award winners, finalists and participants in the Highly Commended category. These interviews are now available on the  MEDEA YouTube Channel.

Visit this channel to see excerpts from 2009 winners and interviews with the representatives of Know IT All for Primary Schools, Daisy and Drago, Traditions across Europe, Eyes on the Skies, Planet SciCast, INgeBEELD and Neu in Berlin. You can embed the interviews on your own website or blog and by logging in you can subscribe to our channel, rate the interviews and let us know what you think of them by adding your own comments!

WEBstroom, a Special Interest Group of the Dutch SURFfoundation that focuses on streaming media in higher education, organised a meeting in the Netherlands on 11 February 2010 about user generated content. Among other highly interesting and relevant presentations about best-practice examples, Nikki Cortoos presented the MEDEA Awards and included a selection of online showcases featuring user generated online video.

WEBstroom is a MEDEA National Contact Point in the Netherlands and has recently moved its discussion group to LinkedIn.

The MEDEA Awards 2010 have been launched with the publication of a brand new website which features samples and stories from winning entries in 2008 and 2009.

Online submissions are welcome up to the closing date for receipt of entries which is 31 July 2010. This European awards scheme recognises, rewards and encourages excellent use of media in education and attracts entries from all education and training sectors. Last year more than 250 entries were submitted and they included cartoons, videos, media repositories and animations.

Mathy Vanbuel gave a presentation about the pedagogical framework and the approach to teacher coaching being undertaken by the EduTubePlus partners at the recent BaKaFORUM held 30 Jan – 1 Feb in Karlsruhe.

This annual event brings together educational broadcasters and others interested in educational and societal TV and Media and provided a good opportunity to find out more about what educational broadcasters around the world are up to.

The forum was made up of a mix of screenings and workshops and included many excellent examples of educational video material as well as documentaries on a several highly emotive topics like the racist attacks on migrant communities in South Africa in 2008 and people trafficking in the Ukraine.

On 15 January 2010 EUscreen launched its website (www.euscreen.eu) where all public documentation produced within the EUscreen project will be made accessible, along with links to specific sites and documentation about EUscreen technological issues. An important role of the website is also to capture and publish the social dynamic of the EUscreen user community and to enable sharing data and expertise with the targeted user communities and with the public at large. The site also provides links and information about activities related to the eContentplus Programme as well as articles, fact-sheets, project descriptions and specific PowerPoint presentations related to project activities and results.