Hi Chris,
Sounds like you have a good director; encouragement to participate and information sharing from a director is important. Thanks for sharing these reasons -- I can relate to them. Cheers, Jo Ann
Jo Ann Hammond-Meiers
Posts made by Jo Ann Hammond-Meiers
Hi Paul,
I concur that this article makes me think about the "sociocultural activities which support collaborative professional development in and among various groups, and "in-service training" (Ryymin, Lallimo, & Hakkarainen, 2008, Abstract, as you stated in your post. Thanks
"Scope's online community" for me, is a "social" and "cultural" activity opportunity (Yeah!) which definitely supports collaborative PD for an active online community, in my humble opinion -- and it would be fairly easy to research if this is the experience of others - say through a poll, collecting information if others think this way generally and how specifically do they think this way or differently. Scope participants find their way here -- somehow -- and it would be interesting to hear how they (we) got here and what keeps them coming back, if anything. The above article indicates variables like collegial support (in specific communities of interest -- perhaps professional learning within various organizational interests, PD and interdisciplinary challenges, learning made accessible, and safety in the process. I think these are huge factors for me.
I like the sharing, but I get a lot of intellectual stimulation, I like the networking, and I get energized by knowing there are others that are working online too. I initially joined because of the PanCanadian online conference, but I am interesting in the fast growing sense of world community.
Jo Ann
I concur that this article makes me think about the "sociocultural activities which support collaborative professional development in and among various groups, and "in-service training" (Ryymin, Lallimo, & Hakkarainen, 2008, Abstract, as you stated in your post. Thanks
"Scope's online community" for me, is a "social" and "cultural" activity opportunity (Yeah!) which definitely supports collaborative PD for an active online community, in my humble opinion -- and it would be fairly easy to research if this is the experience of others - say through a poll, collecting information if others think this way generally and how specifically do they think this way or differently. Scope participants find their way here -- somehow -- and it would be interesting to hear how they (we) got here and what keeps them coming back, if anything. The above article indicates variables like collegial support (in specific communities of interest -- perhaps professional learning within various organizational interests, PD and interdisciplinary challenges, learning made accessible, and safety in the process. I think these are huge factors for me.
I like the sharing, but I get a lot of intellectual stimulation, I like the networking, and I get energized by knowing there are others that are working online too. I initially joined because of the PanCanadian online conference, but I am interesting in the fast growing sense of world community.
Jo Ann
Hi Curtis,
Good to see you again.
Here is a current journal article from e-leed (e-learning and education).
I thought the group might like the abstract.
Good to see you again.
Here is a current journal article from e-leed (e-learning and education).
I thought the group might like the abstract.
Teachers' professional development in a community:
A study of the central actors, their networks and web-based learning
urn:nbn:de:0009-5-12510
Contributions by authors:Essi Ryym in has collected and analysed the data, interpreted the results and wrote the manuscript. Jiri Lallimo and Dr. Kai Hakkarainen have provided theoretical and methodological guidance during the research process.
Abstract: The goal of this article was to study teachers' professional development related to web-based learning in the context of the teacher community. The object was to learn in what kind of networks teachers share the knowledge of web-based learning and what are the factors in the community that support or challenge teachers professional development of web-based learning. The findings of the study revealed that there are teachers who are especially active, called the central actors in this study, in the teacher community who collaborate and share knowledge of web-based learning. These central actors share both technical and pedagogical knowledge of web-based learning in networks that include both internal and external relations in the community and involve people, artefacts and a variety of media. Furthermore, the central actors appear to bridge different fields of teaching expertise in their community.
According to the central actors' experiences the important factors that support teachers' professional development of web-based learning in the community are; the possibility to learn from colleagues and from everyday working practices, an emotionally safe atmosphere, the leader's personal support and community-level commitment. Also, the flexibility in work planning, challenging pupils, shared lessons with colleagues, training events in an authentic work environment and colleagues' professionalism are considered meaningful for professional development. As challenges, the knowledge sharing of web-based learning in the community needs mutual interests, transactive memory, time and facilities, peer support, a safe atmosphere and meaningful pedagogical practices.
On the basis of the findings of the study it is suggested that by intensive collaboration related to web-based learning it may be possible to break the boundaries of individual teachership and create such sociocultural activities which support collaborative professional development in the teacher community. Teachers' in-service training programs should be more sensitive to the culture of teacher communities and teachers' reciprocal relations. Further, teacher trainers should design teachers' in-service training of web-based learning in co-evolution with supporting networks which include the media and artefacts as well as people.
The article is long and good.
There was an access message at the bottom of the article reading as below:
Licence
Any party may pass on this Work by electronic means and make it available for download under the terms and conditions of the free Digital Peer Publishing Licence. The text of the licence may be accessed and retrieved via Internet at http://www.dipp.nrw.de/lizenzen/dppl/fdppl/f-DPPL_v1_de_11-2004.html
I hope you all like it and perhaps some will comment or relate.
Jo Ann
Hi Paul and Nellie,
I think that there are a couple of tugs on me here.
I really appreciate when there is access to whatever articles, audio, or video formats and as I get more involved with some of my areas of interest and being -- a "too busy" person, I feel like there is a lot of scattered information in journals, from my e-mails (audio visuals people kindly send me) -- but I feel like I almost stumble upon really great things as I do my searches in my limited time. I'm not a librarian -- by any means. Though I discover interesting information on my zig zag journeys, I would really like to see complete search engine links to topical articles, audios, and videos. This has me thinking that there could be employment for students -- "links for specific topics" -- get the latest for your papers. Surely I'm not the only one who spend hours on the net. The only improvement is that I don't spend as many hours in the library.
Jo Ann
I think that there are a couple of tugs on me here.
I really appreciate when there is access to whatever articles, audio, or video formats and as I get more involved with some of my areas of interest and being -- a "too busy" person, I feel like there is a lot of scattered information in journals, from my e-mails (audio visuals people kindly send me) -- but I feel like I almost stumble upon really great things as I do my searches in my limited time. I'm not a librarian -- by any means. Though I discover interesting information on my zig zag journeys, I would really like to see complete search engine links to topical articles, audios, and videos. This has me thinking that there could be employment for students -- "links for specific topics" -- get the latest for your papers. Surely I'm not the only one who spend hours on the net. The only improvement is that I don't spend as many hours in the library.
Jo Ann
Hi Nalin,
Thanks. As a Canadian living in Western Canada, I have been a pioneer in the Expressive Arts area as a specialization of psychology since my training in the early 80's. I have seen the expressive arts therapies grow -- especially in art therapy and the more general category of expressive arts therapy -- but dance/movement therapy -- although strong internationally -- has been slow to get the numbers in Canada -- although there are about 20 of us practicing and spread across Canada.
By teaching online -- I hope to increase the numbers as well as take a proactive leadership in making the educational information available to more people. I also like the idea of offering more professional development and continuing education. I have been keeping an informal going -- which struggles -- between the dance/movement therapists. Often we meet at the American Dance/Movement Therapy Conference in the US once a year -- attended by people who make it to the rather expensive conferences. I hope to offer more online -- partly for these reasons. Jo Ann
Thanks. As a Canadian living in Western Canada, I have been a pioneer in the Expressive Arts area as a specialization of psychology since my training in the early 80's. I have seen the expressive arts therapies grow -- especially in art therapy and the more general category of expressive arts therapy -- but dance/movement therapy -- although strong internationally -- has been slow to get the numbers in Canada -- although there are about 20 of us practicing and spread across Canada.
By teaching online -- I hope to increase the numbers as well as take a proactive leadership in making the educational information available to more people. I also like the idea of offering more professional development and continuing education. I have been keeping an informal going -- which struggles -- between the dance/movement therapists. Often we meet at the American Dance/Movement Therapy Conference in the US once a year -- attended by people who make it to the rather expensive conferences. I hope to offer more online -- partly for these reasons. Jo Ann