Help & FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Getting Started

The attached Getting Started PDF is an easy tutorial to help you become familiar with the basics of the new Lawfield Learning Network! The tutorial includes setting up your profile and creating content (including blog posts, group posts, and how to create a group). Please download the PDF copy.

Other tutorials that provide directions on creating groups and group posts follow.

• Setting up a group (only Teachers and Staff can set up a group)
• Note that when you are inside the group where you want the message to be posted, you simply fill in your Title, Body of Post, and click Save. Outside the group blog, you will need to tell the LLN where to display your message. The tutorial, Creating Group Posts, will show you how to do this!

Check out the following to assist you in creating engaging posts with a professional appearance:

• Using copy/paste from MS Word into the LLN message post
• Embedding video clips from YouTube or TeacherTube in a LLN message post
• http://www.brocku.ca/lawfield/sites/default/files/creating links to files_urls.pdf">Creating links to attachments, pages or text
• http://www.brocku.ca/lawfield/sites/default/files/using a wiki page.pdf">Creating a wiki page--an excellent tool for building collaborative sign-up sheets

Lawfield Learning Network Rationale
Previous research has noted that teachers often lack ongoing opportunities to engage in discussion, and reflect on their practice (Darling-Hamond, 1995). As a result, teacher professional isolation is quite common and teachers sharing pedagogical strategies is infrequent (Barab et al., 2001). The Lawfield Learning Network attempts to overcome this isolationism by creating a unique opportunity for educators from a broad range of instructional roles to interact and share ideas and resources. More important than simply reducing professional isolation the formation of a community of practice can enhance teacher knowledge and improve teaching practice (Klinger, 2004).

Granting access to the site for parents will provide parents with a unique and innovative way to deepen their connection to the child’s school. Research has documented that good schools become better schools when there is a strong connection with parents as part of the learning community. The positive results of a genuine partnership between parents and schools include improved student achievement, reduced absenteeism, better behaviour, and restored confidence among parents in their children's schooling (Ministry of Education, 2007).

Research has indicated that facilitating greater parent engagement begins with the improved dissemination of school information (Debbie Pushor, 2007). The opportunity to be a member of the Lawfield LearningNetwork will provide greater parental access to the information related their child’s learning experience. Further enhancing the parental experience will be the opportunity to connect with other parents and the school community as a whole. These features will enable Lawfield elementary school to reap the academic benefits of greater parent interaction while directly supporting recent school board and Ministry of Education initiatives to increase parent engagement.

The Lawfield Learning network, with its many web 2.0 features, will allow students to develop 21st century learning skills while providing them with increased opportunities to connect with their teachers, fellow students and educational materials. In addition to facilitating student engagement by increasing student connections to the learning process, the network has the potential to foster authentic learning as student work can be shared with the school community as a whole.