Proposed Structure for Digital Leaders Network Project using Makewaves

Aim: To enable Digital Leaders and Coordinators to work collaboratively by sharing multimedia stories, blogs and feedback in a secure environment using the Makewaves Social Learning Environment.

We already have a Digital Leaders Network of Digital Leaders (DLs) and Coordinators (DLCs) contributing to #dlchat between 9.00-9.30pm on Thursday evenings and the DLN Blog –  www.digitalleadernetwork.co.uk/.  Makewaves are offering, in addition to a school joining Makewaves with the free Basic joining package, a free connection of their Makewaves site to the Digital Leaders Network Home Page and sharing of the channels.  Digital_Me is developing Digital Leaders Badges as part of Mozilla Open Badges and these will also be available to the network in the future with the first three available now.

I am using Makewaves with my DLs at Lady Lumley’s School and I am employed by NYCC to work with a cluster of North Yorkshire schools, both Primaries and Secondaries – see below.  I have been given permission to publish all the resources under a creative commons licence via my blog at www.gr8ict.com which should be just as useful for other schools within the network.

I suggest the following:

A Digital Leaders Coordinator can join their school for free on Makewaves using the Basic Package and adding “Digital Leader Network” in the Promo Code Box to be part of the Digital Leader Network.  They set up the permissions to network level to enable publishing of blogs and stories for any other members of the network to view.

The Digital Leader Network Home Page is linked from every school site. I am administering the network and this gives us:
– a list of, and links to, every DL school site; reporters, story and blog
– channels to feature stories for Projects; Conferences and reflections on being/running DLs
– links to DLN and www.gr8ict.com
– links to badges including criteria
– link to a shared forum
– featured stories

Anyone can use the home page content and the school links and channels to find out what is going on.  Newbies can ask questions on the forum, where we should build up FAQs.  DLCs can message each other via messages.  I propose that as DLCs collaborate and develop projects, they can message me and two stories is enough to generate a new Project Channel.  I propose we aim for new stories to be posted by Thursday evenings when I will feature stories and new channels in time for dlchat to start.

I will be working closely with a number of North Yorkshire schools and #DLChat regulars to develop a variety of projects including developing Senior Reporting roles for DLs to be able to publish other DLs’ work.  I would like to encourage bi-monthly reviews on being a DL; Coordinating DLs and the various projects that develop.

I welcome feedback,

Chris / @gr8ict / 9^th November 2013

Aspin Park Primary School
Dishforth CE Primary School
King James School (Secondary)
Pickering Community Primary School
George Pindar School (Secondary)
Richmond Methodist Primary School
Roseberry Primary School
Selby Primary School