Barbara Dieu

Hi Carla and Maggie,

As you mentioned, it is a slow process. People must be aware there is change and you cannot impose or force it on others. So the first step is awareness, then acceptance and willingness to get involved in it, step by step.

I love this quote by Howard Zinn because it illustrates well how all these social tools, conversations and connections can help teachers, long restricted to their own classrooms and problems, find support from the communities they belong to and make their voices heard .

"People are practical. They want change but feel powerless, alone, do not want to be the blade of grass that sticks up above the others and is cut down. They wait for a sign from someone else who will make the first move, or the second. And at certain times in history, there are intrepid people who take the risk that if they make that first move others will follow quickly enough to prevent their being cut down. And if we understand this, we might make that first move. "
Howard Zinn

the benefits of storytelling in the development of relationships in online groups. The 12 month study involved a co-operative inquiry with a group of 18 facilitators from 7 countries across 12 time zones. I'd love to share some of my key findings if it fits in with the programme and where we go as a group.

Please do, Stephen. I would be very interested in reading your reflections and findings.

Off topic: thanks for keeping me company on Venice Island  and for the lovely ride on the gondola along the many canals of the City of Water last Friday - pity I did not think of taking a pic - I went back there on Sunday and did not find the gondola anymore - but a gentle lady gave me a beautiful blue dress for the Renaissance ball which was about to start on the Piazza. I slid, floated and spiraled on the herringbone pavement. Also sat down on one of the piazza benches to eat a gelatto, enjoy the orchestra playing, the other couples dancing and stared at the star speckled sky above the palace roofs and city lights.

BTW, Nick - you could open a thread where we could post our stories, impressions and encounters in SL. Goes along with the story-telling and memories bit, I suppose.

How about?  (letting my imagination fly)

A Tag cloud with the main topics for the cover of the book :-)

• Intro page with names of authors, photos and URLs  to personal blogs + creative common license
• Index
  
• Definition and History
• What makes blogs different from other platforms
• Main Platforms (software applications - comparison chart)
• RSS and Aggregators
• Webpublishing tools (thinking of other social tools which can also be used with a blog, like Flickr, the 43trio, videoblogging, moblogging)
• Pedagogy or advice of best practice
• Student interaction and teacher feedback
  
• Evaluation
• Issues (privacy, plagiarism, copyright, etc)
• Case studies or example of activities in:
  
  • K-12
  • Chidren with disabilities
    
  • Adult
  • Social Justice
  • Corporate
  • Non-Profits
  • Government
  • Other
    
• Literature and Resources
• References
• List with links to edubloggers and blogging projects
  

I have found David Warlick's site an easy tool to standardize the citations
http://citationmachine.net/

The book could be published online in pdf format but also available for print for those who want it at http://lulu.com

A wiki would be the best place to write (each one of us with a page) because we can see what each other is doing and eventually give suggestions or collaborate.

Silvia,
Could we open a wiki to plan the structure of the book?
I find it easier to see all on one page than to chase the info on the forum.
What is the deadline ?

I have lots of things ready so just need to rehash but I am quite busy until the end of April.

My area is K12 blogging (high school -  foreign language learning)

Some time ago, I prepared a list of resources on moderation and communities of practice for an online workshop on weblogging. Maybe some of the material may be useful for you.

Main topics:

COMMUNITIES AND HOW THEY WORK
ENCOURAGING PARTICIPATION
GROUPS AND LEARNING
ACTIVITIES TO PROMOTE E-LEARNING
Being an effective MODERATOR

There is this as well:

Online Learning: Social Interaction and the Creation of a Sense of Community