developing online community

34
Developing Online Community ESLE Conference Adelaide, Oct 8 th , 2007

Upload: michael-coghlan

Post on 05-Dec-2014

3.056 views

Category:

Technology


0 download

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_00

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Developing Online Community

Developing Online Community

ESLE Conference Adelaide, Oct 8th, 2007

Page 2: Developing Online Community

Multiple Venue Presentation (MVP)

An event that blends live online and face to face audiences

Page 3: Developing Online Community

Education Development Centre (venue for live event on Oct 8th, ’07)

Page 4: Developing Online Community

MULTIPLE VENUEPRESENTATIONS

(MVPs)

remote students guest

lecturer

CLASSROOM/F2F VENUE

publicspace

Page 5: Developing Online Community

WHO’S ONLINE TODAY?

Page 6: Developing Online Community

Community

What is it?Why?21st century life

Page 7: Developing Online Community

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

Page 8: Developing Online Community

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

Page 9: Developing Online Community

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?

Page 10: Developing Online Community

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

Page 11: Developing Online Community

Developing Online Community

The Webheads Experience

Page 12: Developing Online Community

Where do we fit?

Face to faceCommunity

IT

CommunityIT Individuals

ITCommunity+

WEBHEADS

=

+

Page 13: Developing Online Community

The Palace

Page 14: Developing Online Community

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

Page 15: Developing Online Community

Who are the Webheads?

“an experiment in world friendship through online language learning”

300 + members

Page 16: Developing Online Community

Where are the Webheads?

in approximately 50 countries

Page 17: Developing Online Community

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….)

Page 18: Developing Online Community

How/why has this community survived?

Page 19: Developing Online Community

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

Page 20: Developing Online Community

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)

Page 21: Developing Online Community

Synchronous Meetings

Tapped In:– Weekly regular event (Tapped In)– Instant Messengers, Virtual Classrooms > voice

interaction; webcams

Page 22: Developing Online Community

Other Webhead Events

Dafne (Caracas)

Aiden (Taiwan)

Conferences/Workshops/Social

Page 23: Developing Online Community

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

Page 24: Developing Online Community

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.

Page 25: Developing Online Community

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)

Page 26: Developing Online Community

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

Page 27: Developing Online Community

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……

Page 28: Developing Online Community

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

Page 29: Developing Online Community

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

Page 30: Developing Online Community

Can you build relationships... …online?Can you build social capital …online? Can community develop… …online?

THE BIG QUESTIONS……

Page 31: Developing Online Community

Can you build relationships... …online?Can you build social capital …online? Can community develop… …online?

YES!!

THE BIG QUESTIONS……

Page 32: Developing Online Community

Joining the Webheads

Send an email to

[email protected]

Annual 6 wk seminar over the Australian summer (as part of annual TESOL convention)

Page 33: Developing Online Community

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

Page 34: Developing Online Community

for more information contact Michael [email protected]

THANK YOU