Play, Learn, Tinker, Teach, Create, Make, Share

Elastic Learning Network is a next generation learning network in Melbourne.

Assisted by a Community Engagement Manager, a community of designers, educators, youth workers, mentors, parents and subject matter experts collaborate within this network. They partner with libraries, museums, galleries, youth services, schools, universities and community organisations. These organisations and individuals seek to explore new and improved ways to work together, share resources and design integrated learning experiences in and around Melbourne.

What is the purpose?

According to the the HIVE Learning Network,  the purpose a learning network is to help young people identify and integrate learning across these different formal and informal, virtual and physical sites. The goal being to create an ecology that helps youth forge competency-oriented pathways from their own interest-driven practices.

Vision

Elastic Learning Network is looked upon as a world class inclusive learning network and Melbourne as a city known for inspiring, fresh approaches to 21st Century learning. Learning is flexible, experimentation is expected, failure is accepted, young and old are strongly connected and intergenerational learning is a common experience.

Local cultural institutions, traditional education and youth service providers work together across Melbourne to ensure all learners have opportunities to explore and pursue their interests, and invent their own pathways.

Mission

We will offer the best “high-tech” and “high-touch” experiences in playing, tinkering, creating, building, for both learners and teachers in Melbourne.

We will forge stronger collaborations within Melbourne’s cultural, youth, community and education institutions. We tap into the local wisdom, knowledge, and talent from individuals who want to teach and give back.

We will work to increase young people’s digital literacy and encourage them to be informed consumers and creators of digital media.

We will focus on 21st Century skills and the learning opportunities will be being shaped around these citizen identities;

Citizen Scientist, Citizen Journalist, Citizen Designer

The citizen identity approach models authentic skill-oriented, project-based, real-world roles and authentic experiences.

We will blend all this intentional learning with core curriculum and life skills to drive awesome learning outcomes.

The Opportunity

While schools play a major role in the education of young people today, there is also great benefit in reconnecting young people with our cultural institutions and our city as a learning neighbourhood. By connecting them with mentors, experts and leaders in their fields, or with those in the wise or third age of life, they can benefit from many enriched learning experiences.

Inclusive, Flexible and Thoughtful

This extened learning or enriched, interest based learning relies on social and digital inclusion, community building and knowledge sharing within the elastic learning network. We’ll be helping children discover their interests, connect with others who share their passion, and link it back to what they are learning in school.

Learner Centred

People today are learning anywhere, anytime in structured and unstructured learning environments some physical and some virtual. These experiences and driven by learners’ personal interests and peer groups, and often young people want a try before you buy, personal learning experience. This network will be motivated by student interests, a goal being to create an ecology that helps young people forge competency-oriented pathways from their own interests.

Elastic learning starts by reinventing play and engaging the creative, physical, and technical skills that have been identified as necessary to both adapt and thrive in our complex and ever changing world. We will work to increase young people’s digital literacy and encourage them to be informed consumers and creators of digital media.

Using smart phones, iPads, iPods, tablets, GPS and social networks we will ensure participants are equipped with all the tools that they connect, create and play with already. We’ll build on that and show them how learning really can happen anywhere, anytime.

21st Century Skills

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has a great framework and resources.

We’ll blend all this with core curriculm and life skills to drive awesome learning outcomes. We will strive to recognise student work produced within our network by partnering with The Assessment and Teaching of 21st-Century Skills, (ATC21S) here in Melbourne.

Taken from the New Youth Learning Network model (now HIVE Learning Network), the learning opportunities will be being shaped around citizen identities (youth-centered) and learning competencies (21st century).

citizen science
citizen journalist
citizen designer

The citizen identity approach models authentic skill-oriented, project-based, real-world roles and experiences (authentic).

We have so many great programs and formal learning institutions here in Melbourne, but we don’t have a flexible integrated network that brings together all the stakeholders that can help facilitate 21st Century learning opportunities for all learners through collaboration.

We also have an abundance of talented people who all want to work together to bring about engaging learning experiences for young and old, we just need a network and a flexible framework that supports individuals and organisations, formal and informal who want to teach 21st Century skills.

Whole Community Approach

Parents, local business, local Government and community leaders are also important stakeholders that we want involved in the process of making our children’s 21st century learning relevant and exciting here.

Inspiration

I have identified a number of very successfull models and programs that have worked in the US and UK and we will learn from and replicate aspects of these as a starting point. Some of the models I find inspiring are; HIVE learning Network, Chicago Quest, YOU Media, Project Interaction, Shout Learning, New Learning Insitute, Small Laband Future Lab

Learning Outcomes, Pathways and Connections

We aim to offer the best “high-tech” and “high-touch” experiences in playing, tinkering, creating, building, for both learners and teachers. We focus on 21st Century skills. Participants learn collaboration, critical thinking and problem solving, communication, information and media literacy, digital citizenship, reputation management, innovation and creativity, flexiblility and adaptability, life-skills, goal setting and pathway planning along the way.