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Building Online Communities of Building Online Communities of PracticePractice
Teresa Almeida d'Eça19th APPI Conference
Creativity: A Password to SuccessLisbon, 20 April 2005
Aim of the session
show tools that help
build online communities of practice (CoPs)
carry out online professional development (PD)
have an impact on students
bring a "breath of fresh air" into the learning process
Meet some Webheads in Action
Webheads in Action Yahoo Group
Michael Coghlan
(Australia)
Susanne Nyrop
(Denmark)
DafneGonzalez (Venezuela)
Rita Zeinstejer
(Argentina)
Buthaina Al-Othman (Kuwait)
Barbara Dieu
(Brazil)
Sharon Holdner (USA)
Hala Fawzi (Sudan)
See where they are in the world!
What is a community of practice (CoP)?
a group of people
with a common interest
and different levels of expertise
who communicate synchronously and asynchronously
and learn collaboratively, constantly scaffolding one another
The Webheads in Action community of practice
a worldwide group of EFL/ESL teachers
with a common interest: technology-enhanced EFL/ESL
and different levels of expertise: newbies to experts
who communicate daily through email and chat
and learn collaboratively, constantly supporting one another, as is happening today!
What types of tools do we use? 1
synchronous tools: live, real-time communication
chat / instant messengers (IMs): Yahoo Messenger / MSN Messenger
learning communities: Tapped In
basic virtual classroom: Alado
fully-featured vClass: Elluminate at Learning Times
What tools do we use? 2
asynchronous tools: delayed mode, not in real time
web pages email voice mail: HandyBits / Horizon-Wimba / SitePal
(with animated avatars) learning management systems (LMSs): Yahoo
Groups / Moodle blogs / photo blogs / audio blogs
What uses can these tools have?
presentationsprofessionaldevelopment
peer &student
mentoring
exploration &experimentation
of tools
teamteaching
meetings
socializing
discussionswith
students
TEACHERS
What uses can these tools have?
languagepractice
fluency
communication
group work
webcastingpresentations
for guestteachers
socializing
STUDENTS
How the Webheads have used these tools 1
professional development (PD)
(webcasting) presentations
BaW Yahoo Group BaW Website
Belnate Blogs: 1 (Learning Times)
BaW05 Aiden
(recording) (Alado)
Recording of Michael Coghlan's presentation at Yahoo Messenger
How the Webheads have used these tools 2
team teaching planning & participant
chats at YM
socializing... Sunday chats at TI, at
12:00 GMT
TESOL PP 104 Website
Tapped In
How the Webheads have used these tools 3
synchronous and asynchronous discussions with students
webcasting students' final projects (Buth Al-Othman and Dafne Gonzalez)
• Happy Online (a joint project organized by Aiden Yeh, with guest speaker Michael Coghlan)
Alado
Live / synch session
Asynch discussion
How the Webheads have used these tools 4
voice mail HandyBits
SitePal (with animated avatars)
Bruno, 6F (17Mar05)
Guilherme (8Apr05)
Aiden Yeh (14Apr05)
How the Webheads have used these tools 5
blogs Blogger
LiveJournal
Bravejournal
Xanga
Custom-made
• Bee-coming a Webhead• goin' upstream• On The Trail• Webhead Fiesta
• Blogging my thoughts away
• BelNATE blog
• Sus Nyrop's K-log
• Have Fun with English
How the Webheads have used these tools 6
photoblogs
Buzznet
audioblogs (Audio)Blogger
• Fabulous trips
• Webheads• Cake Baking
• Adelaide, Education and Life• World Around Webheads
Ingredients for creating and sustaining a CoP
HIGH TOUCH
human contact
distributed CoP =
high tech
+
high touch
TI
YG
YM
LT
Alado
moderator/s
members
collaboration
socialization
friendships
f2f meetingsBlogs
HIGH TECH
comm. tools
Conclusion
Creating and sustaining a community of practice is a form of Creativity and a password to success!
It has been so for many Webheads in Action and their students for more than three years.
Join us and take part in the fun and F.U.N. (Frivolous Unanticipated Nonsense) of online collaborative teaching and learning.
You will enjoy it... and so will your students!
Thank you!
References
Jones, Chris. What is a Community of Practice? TESOL 2003.
Stevens, Vance. Voices having heard F.U.N. in online communities of practice. TESOL 2004.
Webheads Index Page
If you have any comments or questions, please email me [email protected]
