EDC 664 : Learning Portfolio
Learn | Make | Use | Join | Teach | Publish | Reflect
Goal:
Identify collaborative learning strategies that can be used in an online class;
Share that information with distance ed colleagues at my college.
Result: I was able to learn more about using discussion in an online environment, creating and using learning circles as a strategy for collaboration, and online community building techniques. I will be able to share this information with online instructors at the college and hopefully throughout the California Virtual Campus region 4. The demonstration of my learning can be seen through the website I created.
Goal:
I will construct a website
for faculty that describes online learning strategies and gives concrete examples
of activities that work; I will incorporate one or more strategies into my
advanced web design class that will be taught online for the first time in
the spring.
Result: I created a website hosted at Porterville College Online. This site lists several ice-breaker ideas, information on creating and using learning circles, and suggestions for facilitating discussion. It also includes a page of resources if instructors are interested in further reading. Each of the areas contains links to web resources on the topic.
Learning Circle Activity: My beginning and advanced web design students each have to complete several projects, some independently and some collaboratively. The beginning class is f2f and the advanced class is online. In the first few weeks of the semester, I will organize groups into small learning circles of 3-5 students and explain the benefits of doing so. I will give each group its own board on my class discussion board and encourage them to journal their experiences working through the exercises and projects. I will develop a handout with guidelines to distribute to the classes so they are aware of my expectations and their responsibilities. The learning circles will help provide support to the students as they work through to their final web design projects.
Goal:
Dreamweaver MX; Fireworks MX; HorizonLive to view webcasts
Result: I was able to extend my current knowledge of Dreamweaver by incorporating the behaviors menu into some of the site design. I was able to view several tutorials and video tips on the Macromedia website that helped me learn about how to be more efficient with Dreamweaver and Fireworks.
I was able to view an archived webcast of Rena Paloff and Keith Pratt discussing learning communities through HorizonLive. I have access to this software through the California Virtual Campus and am thinking of ways I might be able to use this in my own online classes. HorizonLive allows a live video feed to supplement a slide presentation. It also gives a space for participants to type in questions. I think it has value as a way to archive "lecture" segments as well as a two-way communication medium. I wouldn't want to use it as a "talking head" presentation, but if I am trying to discuss something that would benefit from a video display, HorizonLive would certainly be useful.
Goal:
Communities of Practice YahooGroup; Global Educators' Network (GEN); Distance
Education Online Symposium (DEOS); Learning Times
Result: I actually ended up joining several other communities as well. It seemed like GEN was inactive for the time being, probably the result of being the holidays. DEOS is a fairly active list with several threads that have been interesting. A current one that I am watching asks the following questions that I am also interested in:
- What makes a successful student online community?
- Do distance education students want an online community?
- Lessons learned from past attempts to foster/create a student online
community.
I have also recently joined a couple of YahooGroups that seemed relevant:
- com-prac: This is an "online space for conversations on how to build and support Communities of Practice." John Smith and Melissie Rumizen are the moderators/facilitators. This is a large, although only moderately active list that gives the opportunity to discuss topics relevant to practitioners and others interested in CoPs. John Smith works in collaboration with Etienne Wenger to faciliate workshops on communities of practice.
- onlinefacilitation: "The onlinefacilitation listserv is for discussion about the skills, techniques and issues around online facilitation in a variety of Internet online environments and virtual communities." This group is moderated by Nancy White, of Full Circle Associates, and John Smith, of Learning Alliances. This is a large and active list with a very diverse membership. My introduction message prompted several personal replies, including one from John Smith who mentioned that he has done some work with Linda Pollin and refered me to some of his online writing on CoP workshops.
- webcommunities: This is mostly an announcement-type list. The moderator, Cynthia Typaldos, send out periodic emails containing articles about online communities, social software, and other items of interest. Members are invited to participate, but it doesn't appear that many do.
Of the three YahooGroups, the OnlineFacilitation (OF) seems to be the most welcoming. OF was the only one that sent a welcome email explicitly inviting me to introduce myself to the group. I didn't think much about it until I was reading through some of the messages. That is the only list that I did actually send an introduction to and I have spent several hours reading through the archives to get a feel for the community and topics being discussed. Something as simple as an invitation to participate has drawn me into their community.
This simple observation is something that I can use in my online
teaching. It is important to make the students feel like they are a welcomed
member of the group, and that getting to know them is something that I want
to do. It doesn't have to be an elaborate scheme to get them involved. Perhaps
extending the invitation can be enough to get them started.
Goal:
I will create a website that can be used as a resource for distance education
instructors at my campus. This will be shared with them upon completion before
the semester begins. I will use the subject of collaboration and community
as a topic for a brown bag lunch meeting once school begins in mid-January.
Result: The website has been created. I am planning on sending out an email to all online instructors during the first week of January to inform them of beginning of semester procedures. I will also share the site with them at this time and encourage them to pick one or two ideas to use for their own classes. The focus of my brown bag lunch series this semester will revolve around the topics listed on the site: building community, encouraging discussion, and learning circles. I have the opportunity to closely mentor several faculty members this semester, so there will be many opportunities to share and teach what I have learned.
Porterville
College Online: Collaborative
Learning Website. I also published a journal
of ideas, notes, and reflections as I discovered new material online and in
print.
Email: dlkilbur@pepperdine.edu
AIM: kilburnkrew OR fourhweb 
ICQ: 127174826
Tapped In: DebbyKi / office 1018