My Learning Junior

Learning platform! What’s your reaction to hearing those words? Healthy curiosity? Confusion? Dread? Probably a little bit of each, which is why learning platforms are causing consternation for many teachers across the country. However, the My Learning Junior learning platform is here to show you the way out of the technological fog.

Learning platforms are still a relatively new technology and schools have been using them with mixed success. They are essentially a secure online space that can be filled with learning resources, activities, tools and documents, which can then be accessed from any location with an internet connection. However, what makes the difference to their effectiveness as a learning tool is how accessible they are for the average user. Some are, for want of a better word, clunky and too geared towards the very technologically minded. My Learning Junior has been expertly designed by an experienced teacher who felt the frustrations of such technology first hand, and so created a learning space that is both friendly in appearance and intuitive in structure.

The team at My Learning is obviously very familiar with busy teachers and eager children. The icons are chosen to clearly depict their purpose; the common principles of ‘drag and drop’ to manage all files have been applied; embedding video, audio and images has been simplified to a few simple clicks and the home-screen design has been clearly categorised into three areas - My Learning, My Media and My Messaging. On the surface it is as simple as that. Yet below this carefully realised and easily accessible starting point lies a myriad of effective learning tools, which can enhance teaching and learning in any classroom.

Within the My Learning area of the platform, the children can easily create their own documents using universally recognised text editing tools. They can upload files in any of the commonly used formats (with those less common formats being automatically converted into usable files where necessary), share documents and also access structured learning courses and resources that have been catalogued by the teacher. As a school, it is also possible to purchase bundles of commercially available software from companies such as Sherston, which can then be stored within the learning platform for immediate access by authorised users. This area of the learning platform is essentially the hub from which the children can manage their own learning and share it with their peers, adults in the school or family members.

The My Media tools allow children and adults to create, capture and catalogue their own ever-growing collection of images, video, audio and electronic art, which can all be utilised in their own creative works. In addition, the tools within the My Messaging area support another important application of a learning platform; empowering children to communicate with others. Protected by the high security settings and the moderation of their teacher, the children can talk to friends, give feedback to adults in the school and find out more about the interests and hobbies of their peers.