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For schools the concept of a learning organisation should make perfect sense, after all learning is our core business, or it should be. Perhaps that almost three decades after Peter Senge identified the importance of learning within organisations the idea is only now gaining traction in schools tells us something about the approach taken to learning and teaching within schools. With an increased focus on the development of professional learning communities as a response to the complex challenges that emerge from a rapidly changing society, it is worth looking at what a learning organisation requires for success.

 Embedded in the very weave of the organisation, culture is the most difficult aspect of an organisation to change and the hardest form of change to sustain 'That's because transforming a culture requires influencing people's deepest beliefs and most habitual behaviours' (Rogers, Meehan & Tanne 2006 p5). Rogers et al indicate that as little as 10% of all organisations that set out to develop a high performing culture achieve their goal.

There is a great deal that I like about this description of humanity at its best from Ryan & Deci. It is both a goal to be achieved and an indicator of conditions which are required for us to fulfil our potential. While the focus of this statement is on the actions of the individual we can see how society might act to deny individuals the opportunities to lead such an inspired and agentic life. I like to imagine what a school might be like if every individual who plays a part in its functioning strove to extend themselves, master new skills and apply their talents responsibly.  Maybe schools would be like the 'learning organisations' described by Peter Senge. 

As Australia's peak professional organisation ACEL is a forward thinking, relevant and responsive agent of change and innovation.  ACEL is a not-for-profit company and a 21st Century learning organisation that is continuously improving its practices to harness national and global opportunities. As the premier provider of resources and experiences for educational leaders, ACEL's membership continues to grow with over 6500 members actively connecting and participating in regular professional learning opportunities.

Two quotes by Albert Einstein point to the importance of creating a culture within our schools (and organisations) that encourages experimentation, innovation, tinkering and indeed failure. If we are serious about embracing change, exploring new approaches, maximising the possibilities of new technologies, applying lessons from new research and truly seek to prepare our students for a new work order, we must become organisations that encourage learning from failure

"OLPC Australia is a dynamic, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to helping children enjoy learning. By making technology an integral part of education, we've already opened up a world of opportunity for countless children. And the best part? We've only just begun. "

"OLPC Australia is a dynamic, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to helping children enjoy learning. By making technology an integral part of education, we've already opened up a world of opportunity for countless children. And the best part? We've only just begun." "

"So today, I thought I would start by going through some services on-line of productivity that I wouldn't be able to live without and that make my life so much more refined and organised. "

"COPYRIGHT AGENCY is a not for profit rights management organisation. We enable the use of text and images in return for fair payment to writers, visual artists and publishers. This includes managing the Viscopy business: services to artists and users of images."

The potential for reliably predicting the outcome of any change effort is surely difficult if not even impossible once the number of influences becomes large. Acknowledging the complexity that exists and seeing the potential for growth, creativity and innovation that can exist within an organisation at 'the edge of chaos' are useful strategies as schools face a period of unprecedented change. 

 A lot of sites mentioned. Organised under headings: Writing Prompts and Starters; Grammar; Reading & Writing; Poetry; Literature; Shakespeare; Spelling; Vocabulary English as a Second Language (ESL); Other ELA Resources; Blogging & Website Creation; Citation; Web 2.0 Tools - Material Creation; Web 2.0 Tools - File Sharing, Hosting, Viewing and Collaborating; Web 2.0 Tools - Gathering Feedback/Creating Quizzes; Web 2.0 Tools - Document Annotation; Free eBooks and Audio Books

Rememble is a organises your digital bits and pieces. Thread together texts, photos, videos, sounds, scribbles, scans, notes, tweets. The website allows you to upload text, pictures, video, and audio clips from a PC or mobile phone (by texting the multimedia to Rememble's number), then saves the information in a timeline. Users can collaborate with other users and share their Membles

"We know how important it is to protect and educate young people on using the Internet and want to provide all of our users with a safe experience. When it comes to family safety, we aim to: * Provide parents and teachers with tools to help them choose what content their children see online * Offer tips and advice to families about how to stay safe online * Work closely with organisations such as charities, others in our industry and government bodies dedicated to protecting young people "

We need to store knowledge in our outboard brains - not only in databases, intranets and on the Internet, but also in the experience and insights of our co-workers, colleagues and people networks. Knowing who to ask when confronting a challenge is absolutely vital in our interconnected world.

CSIRO, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, is Australia's national science agency and one of the largest and most diverse research agencies in the world.

Information for educational institutions (including schools, universities, colleges, TAFEs, training organisations), teachers and academics.

Another web 2.0 List - looks to be well organised and set out.

The Web 2.0 Projects book contains nearly 60 projects using Web 2.0 tools, organised in age groups

This is a great post from Tom Barrett as part of his reflections on using Google Docs in the classroom and beyond.

This great post from Tom Barrett is a great take on what is the best way to give feedback on a piece of work produced in Google Docs? What formatting tools are most appropriate to use when leaving comments? How do you organise 30 to 60 pieces of work handed in to you? How do children hand in work? What new possibilities does this process uncover?

A resource for teachers, literacy organisations and anyone interested in reading and education, created in collaboration with LitCam, Google, and UNESCO's Institute for Lifelong Learning.