developing online community
DESCRIPTION
These slides can be viewed in tandem with the podcast of a live event at the ESL Educators Conference. (8/10/07) Podcast at http://michaelc.podomatic.com/entry/2007-10-08T07_51_33-07_00TRANSCRIPT
Developing Online Community
ESLE Conference Adelaide, Oct 8th, 2007
Multiple Venue Presentation (MVP)
An event that blends live online and face to face audiences
Education Development Centre (venue for live event on Oct 8th, ’07)
MULTIPLE VENUEPRESENTATIONS
(MVPs)
remote students guest
lecturer
CLASSROOM/F2F VENUE
publicspace
WHO’S ONLINE TODAY?
Community
What is it?Why?21st century life
Internet and Community- what happens?
You connect less with some of the people around you in your daily lifeYou connect with people you already know via a different medium (online)You connect with people you would otherwise have had no contact with
Online Community – what’s the appeal?
You connect less with some of the people around you in your daily life!You connect with people you already know via a different medium (online). (You get to know people differently)
You connect with people you would otherwise have had no contact with
Online Community – what’s the appeal?
You can connect with multiple people with similar interests at the same time (many to many communication.) (Group discussion)
Maybe it’s just easier?
Backdrop: Social Networking Sites
MySpace, Facebook (75% of yr 11/12 students in Australia have a MySpace site)Flickr (photo sharing)YouTube (video sharing)etc
Developing Online Community
The Webheads Experience
Where do we fit?
Face to faceCommunity
IT
CommunityIT Individuals
ITCommunity+
WEBHEADS
=
+
The Palace
Webheads - origin
Vance’s class were online after mine We decided to unite the classesObvious signs that the group wanted to stay togetherVance proposed that we call ourselves WEBHEADS
Who are the Webheads?
“an experiment in world friendship through online language learning”
300 + members
Where are the Webheads?
in approximately 50 countries
Webheads Today
In 2007, the Webheads community is alive and well (weekly meeting, daily communication, many gather each year at the international TESOL convention in March, Elizabeth and partner visited me here last summer….)
How/why has this community survived?
Webheads Drivers
Initially, the vision and enthusiasm of one person – the leader, and no #1 cat herder (Vance Stevens)Vision and enthusiasm of several key membersCommon causes:– ESL/EFL/language teaching and learning– International friendship– Interest in exploring technology
RefocusingChanges in membership
Webheads Drivers
Ongoing personal gain; “What I receive is worthwhile; what I give is valued”Synchronous meetings (always 2 per wk – a ‘student meeting’, and a ‘teachers meeting)
Synchronous Meetings
Tapped In:– Weekly regular event (Tapped In)– Instant Messengers, Virtual Classrooms > voice
interaction; webcams
Other Webhead Events
Dafne (Caracas)
Aiden (Taiwan)
Conferences/Workshops/Social
Community Roles (Wenger)
The inspirational leadership provided by thought leaders and recognized experts The day-to-day leadership provided by those who organize activities The classificatory leadership provided by those who collect and organize information in order to document practices The interpersonal leadership provided by those who weave the community's social fabric
Community Roles (Wenger)
The boundary leadership provided by those who connect the community to other communities The institutional leadership provided by those who maintain links with other organizational constituencies, in particular the official hierarchy The cutting-edge leadership provided by those who shepherd "out-of-the-box" initiatives.
Domain. Community. Practice.
Domain: This is the participants’ common ground – their understanding of the common issues and use of a common ‘language’.
Community: This is the socialising, collegiate, relationship element between the participants.
Practice: This is the processes by which participants learn by sharing skills and information, and accumulate and disseminate knowledge.
(from Marlene Manto)
The role of technology in sustaining this community
Enables communication across place and timeAffords several modes of communication (email, discussion boards, Instant Messaging, blogs, voice tools, webcams, virtual classrooms, websites)The email listserv is the lifeblood
The role of technology in sustaining this community
Activities– Teaching and learning– Trialling tools– Co-delivery of conferences and workshops– Student activity
Sustained activity has created a reputation where we are now approached to trial tools, and present at conferences (so technology is still the mechanism and in part, the purpose)The wow factor maintains……
WEBHEADS WEBSITE(S)
Collective and individual spaces (pages, blogs, wikis)Photos (people, colleges, places of work, family) Writings on individual pagesResources found and/or created by the communityAll of this can be shared via the Web
Cornerstones: Technology -
Enables regular group and one on one communicationsBrings together people who otherwise would be unknown to each otherAffords multiple channels of communicationProvides for individual and collective needsProvides shared public and permanent record for all to seeAllows everyone to contribute to this shared record
Can you build relationships... …online?Can you build social capital …online? Can community develop… …online?
THE BIG QUESTIONS……
Can you build relationships... …online?Can you build social capital …online? Can community develop… …online?
YES!!
THE BIG QUESTIONS……
Joining the Webheads
Send an email to
Annual 6 wk seminar over the Australian summer (as part of annual TESOL convention)
The Internet is….
“not about dot coms, online malls…. It’s not about routers, servers, browsers.…In fact, the Internet isn’t even about technology. It’s about us. The collective us.”
COMMONSPACE: Beyond Virtual Community: Surman & Wershler-Henry; 2001
for more information contact Michael [email protected]
THANK YOU