Tell us something about yourself-- where do you live? Do you teach, if so, what level? Or do you work with teams or other collaborative groups? On or offline?
I look forward to getting acquainted!
Janet
Hello Janet
I live in the Vancouver BC area. I don't teach, other than facilitating the occasional online session. In the past couple of years I have enjoyed expanding my horizons and developing distance friendships.
I am interested in virtual organizations and collaborating to accomplish something such as working virtually on a project, marketing a product or finding solutions to social issues. I have been involved in several projects and over the years it has been good to see some of these projects grow and come to fruition. The learning curve along the way has been even more valuable.
I look forward to the insights that will be offered in this session.
Therese
I live in the Vancouver BC area. I don't teach, other than facilitating the occasional online session. In the past couple of years I have enjoyed expanding my horizons and developing distance friendships.
I am interested in virtual organizations and collaborating to accomplish something such as working virtually on a project, marketing a product or finding solutions to social issues. I have been involved in several projects and over the years it has been good to see some of these projects grow and come to fruition. The learning curve along the way has been even more valuable.
I look forward to the insights that will be offered in this session.
Therese
Hello, Janet.
My name is Jeffrey Keefer, and I am an instructional designer in New York City. I work for a large non-profit homecare nursing organization and I am an adjunct instructor of management communication at New York University. My background is in adult and organizational learning, and I as more and more of my professional work is becoming project-based (with yours truly as the project manager), I will be increasingly working and collaborating with teams and individuals from a distance.
Working with existing and new colleagues within the SCoPE community is a valuable experience, especially as I never know where I may meet one F2F. I suppose online collaboration can both prepare for as well as maintain those relationships.
I am really looking forward to this session.
hi Janet, hi all,
I am a coordinator of eLearning at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium. I teach IT and social media courses to (for the most part international) post-graduates and phd students and scientists in both human and veterinary tropical diseases. These interactive courses are given (or organised) to allow them to get a good picture on collaborative learning and team projects. My background is computer sciences and didactical approaches.
To keep up with all the web2.0 developments and knowledge management that is inheritably linked to the change process, I am a member of some online discussion groups. To keep track of the things I learn and to exchange ideas I blog at ignatiawebs.
I am a coordinator of eLearning at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium. I teach IT and social media courses to (for the most part international) post-graduates and phd students and scientists in both human and veterinary tropical diseases. These interactive courses are given (or organised) to allow them to get a good picture on collaborative learning and team projects. My background is computer sciences and didactical approaches.
To keep up with all the web2.0 developments and knowledge management that is inheritably linked to the change process, I am a member of some online discussion groups. To keep track of the things I learn and to exchange ideas I blog at ignatiawebs.
Hello Janet and everyone ~
I've been away from SCoPE sessions for awhile and miss the interactions and relationships built from the discussions. I live in Toronto and am a consultant on training strategies, development of quality and certification programmes for training department staff and competency modeling. I'm also an adjunct at George Brown College teaching a class called Trainer's Toolkit for the Classroom of the 2010s for their adult learning programme.
Collaborative work online is an important discussion to have especially in global workplaces. One of the ways I connect with friends, students, colleagues, etc. is through blogging. There are many many other options and I'm looking forward to discussions on tips and tricks in creating and ensuring loyalty and trust when your team members are on opposite sides of the continent.
Hi All
I am an Editor/Instructional Designer for Saint Francis Xavier University's Continuing & Distance Education department. One task is to work with faculty as they build their new on-line and distance courses, especially in the B.Ed. and M.Ed. programs. I am new to the role and come from a background of teaching in the public, univesity, and adult systems.
I am particularly interested in how to develop community in a virtual environment.
Wendy
Hi Wendy, you might want to join the new instructional designer's group at http://instructionaldesigners.ning.com/
I just did. Thanks for the link!
Hi Deirdre,
I went to the link you provided for Wendy (as I too am an instructional designer) but couldn't see who was running the site and what the scope was before I signed up. Can you tell me who the intended audience would be?
Any instructional designer anywhere in the world? Is it sponsored by your institution using ning?
I have memberships on so many different sites so that I can test them for our instructors...it's made me a little hesitant to join more unless they have a specific purpose for me (or the folks I work with).
Thanks!
Sylvia
I went to the link you provided for Wendy (as I too am an instructional designer) but couldn't see who was running the site and what the scope was before I signed up. Can you tell me who the intended audience would be?
Any instructional designer anywhere in the world? Is it sponsored by your institution using ning?
I have memberships on so many different sites so that I can test them for our instructors...it's made me a little hesitant to join more unless they have a specific purpose for me (or the folks I work with).
Thanks!
Sylvia
In the last SCoPE session, a need for designers to get together was expressed, so I suggested a ning group. Not very surprising when I went to set one up there was a site already there, so I suggested we join it. There are 25 people as of yesterday from all over the world. At the present time, the site is basically an empty shell.
I think its emptiness is a great opportunity to start sharing resources such as that UTube video about students today. I also hope that it will provide designers with a place to talk about design issues and strategies. I believe that more research needs to be done in the area of design, so it might also provide some collaborative opportunities for research.
Run with some of the ideas from this session and build a support team.
Thanks!
I agree that this is an area where more research could be done. Certainly most of the instructional design I see (where the designer actually thinks about how and why) is still informed by Gagne et al.
I've seen some interesting constructivist design out of BCIT (a couple of years ago now) but I haven't read that much about it.
Sylvia
I agree that this is an area where more research could be done. Certainly most of the instructional design I see (where the designer actually thinks about how and why) is still informed by Gagne et al.
I've seen some interesting constructivist design out of BCIT (a couple of years ago now) but I haven't read that much about it.
Sylvia
Hello Janet and all;
My name is Allan Greenberg, I am an adjunct instructor like Jeffrey Keefer at New York University in Business Communications and Digital Media. I am also an adjunct at Brooklyn College in the Computer Information Sciences. I teach both F2F and online using varied methods. Collaboration is very important to me and I do find it a little difficult getting my students to collaborate. So this session will be especially helpful.
I am also a doctoral student specializing in Online Adult Education, so again this will really help me to setup my dissertation based on Adult Learning Styles.
I hope to learn quite a bit from this group and hopefully be able to put my "2 cents" in.
Hi, I'm Carolyn Campbell. I'm an instructional designer at the Nova Scotia Community College on the east coast of Canada -- just a rock's throw from Wendy at St. FX. (Hi Wendy!)
Like Jeffrey, collaboration is an important part of my work. It's not always easy. Communication can be a challenge especially among people with a wide range of comfort levels with technology. It can also be a challenge to support learners when they work as members of collaborative teams in online courses.
How do you lay the ground work for collaboration ... either at work or with learners? How do you facilitate collaboration once you start?
I'm looking forward to hearing from everyone.
Carolyn
Like Jeffrey, collaboration is an important part of my work. It's not always easy. Communication can be a challenge especially among people with a wide range of comfort levels with technology. It can also be a challenge to support learners when they work as members of collaborative teams in online courses.
How do you lay the ground work for collaboration ... either at work or with learners? How do you facilitate collaboration once you start?
I'm looking forward to hearing from everyone.
Carolyn
Hi Janet & fellow SCoPERs
I live in Cranbrook (Rocky Mtn. area of Canada), where I support online- & other distance learning deliveries for a small rural community college. I work with lots of collaborative groups, both on- & off-line. Probably half the people I work with on a regular basis are not situated anywhere near me.
I am especially interested in how our participation in virtual communities affects our involvement in more 'proximal' communities. According to Dunbar's number, there's a limit to how much real collaboration any one individual can do. So I'm interested in finding out how to effectively incorporate collaborative activities in teaching-learning, without overwhelming existing community structures. Something like that.
Looking forward!
Gina
I live in Cranbrook (Rocky Mtn. area of Canada), where I support online- & other distance learning deliveries for a small rural community college. I work with lots of collaborative groups, both on- & off-line. Probably half the people I work with on a regular basis are not situated anywhere near me.
I am especially interested in how our participation in virtual communities affects our involvement in more 'proximal' communities. According to Dunbar's number, there's a limit to how much real collaboration any one individual can do. So I'm interested in finding out how to effectively incorporate collaborative activities in teaching-learning, without overwhelming existing community structures. Something like that.
Looking forward!
Gina
Alice Macpherson from Kwantlen University College (Metro Vancouver area) where I am the PD and PLA Coordinator. Thre is so much information and so much to do for most faculty members, I am looking for ways to streamline and entice folks to partake online.
I've been reading along on all your sessions and it's been great conversations. I'm a faculty associate working with 350 teachers in a grad diploma, TLITE, focused on teaching and learning with tech. i'm trying to foster greater collaboration on line in our Scope space and am looking forward to sharing and hearing your ideas on this.
Julia
Julia
Welcome everyone! Wow, what a fantastic group!!! 
I hope I'll see you online for the live webinar tomorrow. As soon as the link to the archived session is online I will post it here.
In the two Elluminate sessions I will be first introducing the Taxonomy of Collaborative E-Learning, and in the second session, discussing ways to use various electronic tools to carry out the kinds of processes described in the Taxonomy.
The premise for the Taxonomy is that "collaboration" is not one process or activity. There are a variety of ways people organize collaborative work; by identifying and understanding them we can better match the collaborative project with an approach. The Taxonomy of Collaborative E-Learning is meant as framework for making those choices. It is a tool for designing, planning, organizing and/or assessing collaborative projects. While designed with e-learning projects in mind, it can also apply to organizational learning or workplace collaborations. You can see the Taxonomy online here.
After the session tomorrow I will answer any questions about it. Then I hope we can use it as a conceptual framework for a discussion of some of the issues and situations you've mentioned in your introductions.
I will also set up a resource exchange area where we can all post links and relevant references.
All the best,
Janet
Alright, I'm done lurking! I've followed the last couple of discussions on Scope with great interest but haven't found the time to participate but this one is close to my heart and I'm hoping to learn lots from all the other participants.
I'm a curriculum designer/course developer (whatever term you use), instructor at times and currently working part-time with Yukon College's Distributed Learning department assisting instructors in integrating technology (from videoconferencing to blogs to wikis to Web 2.0 technologies) in their practise.
I moved to the Yukon nine years ago from Burnaby, BC and found that online forums such as SCOPE (I was a member of its predecessor GEN) saved my sanity during -40 degrees C times in the small community I was in at first.
I have a particular interest in collaboration (facilitated by technologies) because of the environmental constraints of living in the North (albeit with wonderful bandwidth) and because I was lucky enough to work for three years with the Yukon Community Learning Networks project. During that project, I (we) tried all kinds of ways to support, engender, maintain productive collaboration. Although we had some successes, I was often distressed by how limited in time the collaborative work was...
Anyway, I hope to participate tomorrow in the Elluminate session (at least for part of it). I'm looking forward to hearing your experiences and suggestions!
Sylvia
I'm a curriculum designer/course developer (whatever term you use), instructor at times and currently working part-time with Yukon College's Distributed Learning department assisting instructors in integrating technology (from videoconferencing to blogs to wikis to Web 2.0 technologies) in their practise.
I moved to the Yukon nine years ago from Burnaby, BC and found that online forums such as SCOPE (I was a member of its predecessor GEN) saved my sanity during -40 degrees C times in the small community I was in at first.
I have a particular interest in collaboration (facilitated by technologies) because of the environmental constraints of living in the North (albeit with wonderful bandwidth) and because I was lucky enough to work for three years with the Yukon Community Learning Networks project. During that project, I (we) tried all kinds of ways to support, engender, maintain productive collaboration. Although we had some successes, I was often distressed by how limited in time the collaborative work was...
Anyway, I hope to participate tomorrow in the Elluminate session (at least for part of it). I'm looking forward to hearing your experiences and suggestions!
Sylvia
I just have to jump in with a big wave for Sylvia Riessner. I saw your name and it rang bells from GEN days. :-)
If anyone is wondering, GEN = Global Educators' Network and ran for 5 years starting in 1999. The archives are still available, and can be an interesting browse to see how things have changed in such a short period of time, and also how things have stayed the same. Log in as Guest, Guest.
While I'm at it, I would like to welcome all of the newcomers to SCoPE who are here to learn more about Janet's work. You're in for a treat!
Hope to see you all at tomorrow's session. I just checked and see that there are only 11 seats left. If you haven't registered, go on over to the Elluminate site and click sign me up for Janet's session.
If anyone is wondering, GEN = Global Educators' Network and ran for 5 years starting in 1999. The archives are still available, and can be an interesting browse to see how things have changed in such a short period of time, and also how things have stayed the same. Log in as Guest, Guest.
While I'm at it, I would like to welcome all of the newcomers to SCoPE who are here to learn more about Janet's work. You're in for a treat!
Hope to see you all at tomorrow's session. I just checked and see that there are only 11 seats left. If you haven't registered, go on over to the Elluminate site and click sign me up for Janet's session.
Greetings everybody, I too have lurked for quite a while! I am a senior lecturer at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand (lord of the rings country). I work within Teacher Education( Visual Art/ Professional Studies and practice) and graduate diploma ICT (online teaching and learning). I have a particular interest in online collaborative approaches, and ways to successfully scaffold these within bounded courses....have developed a range of strategies within my fully online courses (visual art and OTL). I passionate about community building (F2F and online), like to use blogs and WIKI's ...and I possibly drive other academic staff mad because I want to convert them all (sigh...)
May not be able to join in live but will follow up with enthusiasm!
Arohanui
Nicki
May not be able to join in live but will follow up with enthusiasm!
Arohanui
Nicki
My name is Judy Southwell, and I work in the Teaching and Learning Centre of Malaspina University-College in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, Canada. I've also been lurking for a while and look forward to these sessions.
I'm not teaching at present, other than in our professional development offerings, most of which are face-to-face with additional online sessions planned for the future. Some of our programming includes inter-disciplinary teamwork. There's more we'd like to do to bring folks at our outreach campuses in contact with those at our main campus.
Hello! I am Hai Zhang. I am now in japan and interested in this discussion. I am educational technology researcher and now not teach anyone. I am pursuing a PhD degree in educational technlogy in Osaka.
I am not sure how to join in the discussion and what is the most important rules in here.
It is great to see that this session has drawn out the lurkers... I look forward to our discussions here. Thanks to Sylvia and SCoPE for setting up this place for us to come together. I look forward to being able to go more deeply with this experienced group.
A little more introduction from me...I'm an e-learning evangelist. My eight plus years on the online faculty of Capella University School of Business and Technology has provided the opportunity to see the potential. In addition to teaching, I have a consulting practice called Vision2Lead.I've worked on curriculum, course, and instructional design and offered faculty development for a number of institutions. I am a regular presenter at online conferences and give webinars through various online venues.
Along the way, I could see that e-learning could easily be as dry and unengaging as face to face lectures. Learning management systems seem oriented toward an "I post the question, you post the answer" approach. *yawn* Seemed to me a missed opportunity for developing skills in online communication, group and team process, cross-cultural awareness-- the very skills people need in today's (and tomorrow's!) workplace. I started experimenting and researching the ways people can work and learn collaboratively.
I did a qualitative study, using in depth interviews conducted online, to explore practices used by online instructors. Right now I am in the middle of a follow-up study, interviewing learners about the strategies they use in online team projects. I am also currently editing a book, A Handbook of Research on Electronic Collaboration and Organizational Synergy. Next, I'm working on a book that will focus on the Taxonomy of Collaborative E-Learning.
I work from my home office in Boulder, Colorado, where I can see the foothills of the Rocky Mountains from my office window.
Later today I will start another thread where we can discuss and follow up on the live session. For those who cannot attend, a link to the archive and a copy of the slides will be posted.
Janet
Janet, your work seems really interesting. Three questions about this:
- Is any of your research or work in this area available to read?
- When you stated "I started experimenting and researching the ways people can work and learn collaboratively" were you looking at what successful teams / groups doing and then aggregate the information for your model, or did you create the model in reaction to people who were simply struggling along?
- How did you transition from the boring lecture-oriented one-to-many e-learning to team and seemingly project-oriented assignments? I am asking this from the teaching perspective (how to improve teaching) rather than from the learning perspective (which is what this entire SCoPE session is about).
I am glad you are asking us these questions in this seminar, as they will only increase in use.
In answer to your questions:
- Is any of your research or work in this area available to read?
Thanks for asking! A number of things are coming soon:
- A chapter titled “Taxonomy of Collaborative E-Learning” is included in the forthcoming Encyclopedia of Information Technology Curriculum Integration , edited by: Lawrence Tomei. This chapter discusses the research findings and the Taxonomy. See http://www.igi-pub.com/reference/details.asp?id=7304.
- A chapter titled “ Expect Originality! Using Taxonomies to Structure Assignments that Support Original Work” is included in the forthcoming Student Plagiarism in an Online World Problems and Solutions, edited by Tim Roberts. This chapter discusses ways to foster original, creative work through collaborative online assignments. See: http://www.igi-pub.com/reference/details.asp?id=7031.
- I am editing the Handbook of Research on Electronic Collaboration and Organizational Synergy with Lynn Wilson. It will be published in 2008. This reference book will include sections on inter- and intraorganizational collaboration involving Education, Business and Government and Social Sector. We are in the final review stage but it appears that will include around 50 chapters, representing around 20 countries. See: http://www.vision2lead.com/html/esynergy.html .
Two other books are in the works, with these working titles:
- When the Table is a Monitor: Using Synchronous Communication Technologies for Qualitative Interviews. This research methods book will explore the use of synchronous communication technologies for scholarly research.
- A Taxonomy for Electronic Collaboration and E-Learning. This book will expand on previous work about the Taxonomy, and integrate findings from the study I am conducting now to explore online collaboration from the perspectives of learners.
I continue to present at online conferences and to offer webinars such as the ones in Elluminate Events. Due to publication deadlines on the above projects I expect to schedule the next webinar series in March or April. Check my website/blog for updated information...or email me directly.
2. Were you looking at what successful teams / groups doing and then aggregate the information for your model, or did you create the model in reaction to people who were simply struggling along?
Here is the short story of the Taxonomy's evolution. First, I observed the ways people worked collaboratively and ways they organized their work, and read everything I could find about shared decision-making, teamwork, collaboration etc. I developed a prototype three-level Taxonomy to describe what I'd observed and experienced. Next, I presented this model at several conferences and discussed it with people to get feedback. Based on this input and continued observation I expanded the Taxonomy to five levels. Then I conducted a qualitative study with an international sample of research participants who teach online in higher education, with collaborative methods. These research participants did not suggest any additional levels to the model. As mentioned, I am continuing this research now with a qualitative study of learners' perceptions.
Other related models, not being discussed in this series are: The Typology of Learning Milieux, which describes collaborative activities within and outside the course's learning management system; and the Typology of Assessment Strategies, which describes individual and collective assessment for collaborative learning activities.
3. How did you transition from the boring lecture-oriented one-to-many e-learning to team and seemingly project-oriented assignments?
I didn't start with a "boring lecture-oriented" style . My pre-e-learning work involved developing live, interactive scenario-based training, experiential, intergenerational, field and practicum-based learning. I organized diverse collaborative projects that involved higher ed, K-12, arts and community organizations, governmental agencies and/or big/small business. When I discovered the online world, I looked for ways to make it interesting... and will keep looking and experiementing as new technologies become available.
My underlying belief is: if people and organizations benefit from connecting and exchanging knowledge, bridging gaps, crossing disciplines and of course collaborating-- then people should have those experiences as learners. I think we can learn process and content together-- and hope that instructors and instructional designers who use the Taxonomy will be able to develop online activities that encourage learners to meet learning goals for content, team/group process, and ICT literacy.
I'm in upstate New York with more cold and snow than usual. I've been away from SCOPE for a while and got pulled in by this topic. The collaboration I do is one-to-one both online and by telephone. I am interested in learning more about how to do this online.
Nancy
Nancy
Where in upstate NY? I lived in Ithaca for a long time before coming to Colorado for the sunshine. Love the area though and miss that Finger Lakes wine!! 
I am very familiar with the Catskills area; are you around there?
Sorry for the late introduction.I am Nalin Abeysekera,Sri Lankan.Lecturer at Open UNnversity of Sri lanka.I have been working with e-learning since 2005.I have 3 courses in moodle.My ara of lecturing is marketing .
Hi, I'm Marsha West - and I've been hanging around SCoPE since the old GEN days. (Good to see some friends here from that time, including Sylvia Currie and Nancy Riffer.)
I live in northwest Washington State on the Olympic Peninsula - with my husband Don and our two Irish Setters, Jack and Finn.
I've created some net courses and worked extensively as an online facilitator - primarily with PBS TeacherLine. Most of my work is oriented toward training others to be online facilitators, and I've written some courses that are designed to do that. I also belong to several online communities which deal with online facilitation. One of these is F.U.N. (Facilitators United Network) which is PBS TeacherLine's place where facilitators collaborate, problem solve, and come up with creative ideas for delivering online professional development courses for K12 teachers.
I'm looking forward to the discussions that will take place in this seminar. Things move so quickly in our field, and if you don't check in with groups like this, it's easy to get left behind..
Best regards,
Marsha
I live in northwest Washington State on the Olympic Peninsula - with my husband Don and our two Irish Setters, Jack and Finn.
I've created some net courses and worked extensively as an online facilitator - primarily with PBS TeacherLine. Most of my work is oriented toward training others to be online facilitators, and I've written some courses that are designed to do that. I also belong to several online communities which deal with online facilitation. One of these is F.U.N. (Facilitators United Network) which is PBS TeacherLine's place where facilitators collaborate, problem solve, and come up with creative ideas for delivering online professional development courses for K12 teachers.
I'm looking forward to the discussions that will take place in this seminar. Things move so quickly in our field, and if you don't check in with groups like this, it's easy to get left behind..
Best regards,
Marsha
Hello all,
I am from Turkey. I am research assistant in Ege Uni. (www.ege.edu.tr) in Computer Education and Instructional Technologies Department. I will finished my MA dissertation until 30th Of December. I am studyin about Online Collaborative Learning and effecttiveness of Social Skills.
i think it will be good to share our experiences.
Firat
I am from Turkey. I am research assistant in Ege Uni. (www.ege.edu.tr) in Computer Education and Instructional Technologies Department. I will finished my MA dissertation until 30th Of December. I am studyin about Online Collaborative Learning and effecttiveness of Social Skills.
i think it will be good to share our experiences.
Firat
HI,
I am Cristina. I used to be an EFL teacher but I now work at the University of Salford as a Learning Technologies development officer. My main goal is to engage staff and students alike in the use of the collaborative web. Recently I have given an workshop here at the Uni about blogs and wikis as tools to aid teh research writing process.
It was a good experience, but there still is a lot to do in this field. There still is a lot of resistance and some narrow-minded perspectives about the online world, amazingly not only by some member of staffs, but also by students.
Slowly we are getting there though. The key is not to give up! :-)
I have finished my masters dissertation about communities of practice and teaching training and will start my PhD soon around collaboration among supervisors and PhD students sometime soon.
REally looking forward to catch up with this conversation now.
I am Cristina. I used to be an EFL teacher but I now work at the University of Salford as a Learning Technologies development officer. My main goal is to engage staff and students alike in the use of the collaborative web. Recently I have given an workshop here at the Uni about blogs and wikis as tools to aid teh research writing process.
It was a good experience, but there still is a lot to do in this field. There still is a lot of resistance and some narrow-minded perspectives about the online world, amazingly not only by some member of staffs, but also by students.
Slowly we are getting there though. The key is not to give up! :-)
I have finished my masters dissertation about communities of practice and teaching training and will start my PhD soon around collaboration among supervisors and PhD students sometime soon.
REally looking forward to catch up with this conversation now.
Hi
I'm from Portsmouth, in the UK. (It's on the South Coast, about 60 miles SW of London).
I am a lecturer in the School of Computing at the University - though I'm currently seconded 50% of the time as a Faculty eLearning Co-ordinator. (For those outside the UK - a Faculty here is a division of a University, not a person - I'm in the Faculty of Technology - as well as computing, we've got the various engineering departments, etc.
I came into Higher Ed from a Special Ed background, and I've become increasingly interested in how people can learn collaboratively over the years.
At the moment, part of my role as eLearning co-ordinator involves helping staff get going with WebCT, though in my research I'm looking more at social networking, blogging, wikking, and generally that ever changing world that's often called "web2.0" (think what you may of that term).
I also teach on a couple of Education related Computing Units.
I'm from Portsmouth, in the UK. (It's on the South Coast, about 60 miles SW of London).
I am a lecturer in the School of Computing at the University - though I'm currently seconded 50% of the time as a Faculty eLearning Co-ordinator. (For those outside the UK - a Faculty here is a division of a University, not a person - I'm in the Faculty of Technology - as well as computing, we've got the various engineering departments, etc.
I came into Higher Ed from a Special Ed background, and I've become increasingly interested in how people can learn collaboratively over the years.
At the moment, part of my role as eLearning co-ordinator involves helping staff get going with WebCT, though in my research I'm looking more at social networking, blogging, wikking, and generally that ever changing world that's often called "web2.0" (think what you may of that term).
I also teach on a couple of Education related Computing Units.
I'm a ex-diver, ex-researcher, ex-prof, ex-librarian + online research methods tutor, and unredeemed rabble rouser currently working for several NGOs in community dev and eco-activism. Living in Montreal. Just got back from BC, Mexico and Guatemala, enroute to Halifax to visit friends and relatives. See
Wow, this is such a fantastic group assembled here, I decided to jump in too.
My name is Tia Carr Williams, and I work as a Social Media Consultants, facilitator/ moderator for online communities and Im working with the Novum Institute to bring education online to a global audience whether business or institutional. I coach developing entrepreneurs and business owners who are using web technologies to grow and develop client, customer and staff engagement.
Sorry to be late. I missed the elluminate session, but watched it after the fact and it was really excellent. Thank you, Janet! I wish I could paricipate in the next one, but I have a meeting with a client. I will be waiting for it to be posted, though.
I am Communities Manager with Knowledge in the Public Interest, where I facilitate (online) and support online communities and coach folks in organizations or groups of organizations (public sector - education, government, foundations, etc.) who want to work collaboratively online. Homebase is Brooklyn, New York.
Welcome everyone-- I hope you will contribute ideas and approaches, questions and dilemmas you see from your various organizations!
Hi,
I am coming very late to this discussion. I responded to Deidre yesterday but I have realised that I haven't introduced myself. I am an educator in the city of Port Elizabeth, South Africa. My day job is teaching grades 1 to 3 computers in an elementary school. (I actually integrate computers into the classroom curriculum). The real fun for me begins after school when I tutor some teachers doing a university course on integrating IT into the curriculum. http://ace.schoolnet.org.za/docs/course_credits.htm That's done entirely by email - with the teachers working on the course material on CD. I also facilitate the Intel Teach course for educators. http://www.school.za/teach/ I was facilitating a face to face group last week hence the lack on interaction in this forum so far. It is also the end of our school year so things have been very pressured. I enjoy exploring online tools and communities. I had the priviledge of doing Nancy White's CoPs course a few years back. I tend to lurk on SCoPE but I am learning so much. I am a firm believer in learning all one can and be ready for the moment when one's skills can be put to good use. I look forward to the rest of this seminar.
Welcome Brenda!
I'm Deirdre Bonnycastle and I'm a regular here. I am a faculty developer for the College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan. I'm feeling very overwhelmed by the online world as medical practitioners expand into networking and I receive daily requests to join new groups.
As well, I write regularly for three Blogs and four wikis, the one of most interest to this community is The Active Learning Blog Carnival which is published at the beginning of each month and is a journal for submitted articles. November will be the 1 year anniversary and it has had 3,639 separate readers. This blog carnival was created as the result of a SCoPE session.
I can't even begin to count the number of groups I've joined and left because of lack of participation from members.