Using Groups in EL Commons A Tutorial January 26, 2012
Slide 3
Welcome to learning in a new way in our network... Groups is
the newest component of EL Commons its a networking feature that
supports discussion, resource sharing, and communication about
events that pertain to a specific group of people in the network,
small or large, near or far. Its purpose is to improve teaching and
learning across the network and to be a place where community is
built through collaboration and conversation.
Slide 4
Learning Targets This PowerPoint will help you with the
following target: I can interact in Groups. This means I can:
Manage my account Navigate around my Groups home page Respond to
posts Create a new post or event Manage my Groups The target were
after over time is: I can use Groups to improve teaching and
learning and to build community.
Slide 5
Why Groups? Groups supports Expeditionary Learnings strategic
goal of building a network of schools that are consistently
excellent in implementation quality and results. Our theory of
action is that by using EL Commons, network members and schools
will improve their implementation of the model, leading to student
achievement scores that outperform their non-EL peers.
Slide 6
The Power of Informal Learning Informal learning through Groups
is another way for all network members, regardless of their role,
to direct their own learning, supported by other quality resources
already housed in EL Commons in the Library, Planner, and Student
Project Archive. 80% of our learning is done informally Informal
learning is the unofficial, unscheduled, impromptu way most of us
learn to do our jobs. Informal learning is like riding a bicycle:
the rider chooses the destination and the route. The cyclist can
take a detour at a moments notice to admire the scenery or help a
fellow rider. - From Jay Crosss Informal Learning Blog:
http://www.informl.com/the-informal-learning-page/http://www.informl.com/the-informal-learning-page/
Slide 7
Managing Your Account Getting Ready to Join Groups The first
step is to check your account for accuracy and upload a profile
image. Since we are a nationally-distributed network, its important
to use the real thing. Please use your full name instead of a
nickname or email address, and choose a real picture of yourself as
your profile image, so that if others users click on your name,
theyll be able to say, Thats him! Thats her!
Slide 8
Click here first Then click Edit Ensure that your user name is
your real, full name
Slide 9
Now click on Profile Have a picture of yourself saved to your
desktop. Click Choose File, Upload, and then Save.
Slide 10
Voila! When you see your real name and your profile image,
youre done with the first step.
Slide 11
Code of Conduct When you use Groups in EL Commons, and whenever
you use the Comment feature built into other aspects of EL Commons,
we assume agreement to our Code of Conduct. The complete document
can be found as a post in the EL National Group as well as in the
Library (Under EL Commons > Groups). Heres the upshot: Treat
people with kindness and compassion. Seek to understand and be
helpful. Assume positive intent. If you follow these basics, the
details of the policy won't need more than a cursory mention.
Slide 12
Navigating around your Groups Home Page Latest Activity Access
your Groups Home page the same way you get to other components of
EL Commons There are two parts to your Groups Home Page. The TOP
section shows you Latest Activity, which lists the 5 most recent
posts from ALL of your groups. To read the whole post, see
comments, or reply, click on the title which in this example is
Economics anyone? Heres how you can tell which Group(s) the posting
was made to. You can click on the name of the Group to see all the
activity in that particular Group.
Slide 13
Navigating around your Groups Home Page My Groups There are two
parts to your Groups Home Page. The BOTTOM section shows you My
Groups. Here, you have sub-tabs that make it easy to: Get an
overview of your Groups Check unread posts Manage your posts
(update, check replies, delete), See upcoming Events across for all
of your groups at a glance. There are two parts to your Groups Home
Page. The BOTTOM section shows you My Groups. Here, you have
sub-tabs that make it easy to: Get an overview of your Groups Check
unread posts Manage your posts (update, check replies, delete), See
upcoming Events across for all of your groups at a glance.
Slide 14
Responding to a Post You can reply to the original post by
clicking Add new comment. You can reply to someone elses comment by
clicking Reply
Slide 15
Creating a New Post or Event Once you are inside of a
particular Group, you will see two entry points for creating a new
post or event in the blue toolboxes on either side of the
page.
Slide 16
Creating a New Post Start by creating a title and selecting
which of your group(s) you want to post to. You can include text,
embed links, add large or small images, and attach files to your
posts. Once finished, hit Save!
Slide 17
Creating a New Event Enter the name, date(s), description,
location, and Group(s) you want the event posted to. Then hit Save.
Once youve saved, events show up on the top of the Groups page.
Events disappear after the date has passed. Want to remind your
Groups about upcoming events, gatherings, professional development,
meetings, or more? Youre ready to Create an Event.
Slide 18
Joining a Group On the Join Groups tab, you can search for a
specific group or browse through the list. On the Join Groups tab,
you can search for a specific group or browse through the list.
When you browse existing groups, you will see a list of public
groups; private groups dont show up here. Some groups you can join
instantly; for others you request membership. You can quickly see
the size and activity of the group. Dont see the group you were
hoping to find? You can start the group yourself by clicking on
Suggest a Group. (Havent you always wanted to be an Administrator?)
Dont see the group you were hoping to find? You can start the group
yourself by clicking on Suggest a Group. (Havent you always wanted
to be an Administrator?)
Slide 19
Joining a Group If you click on one of the Group names in the
browse list, youll be able to see the longer purpose statement for
the group and join it, or not. If you click on one of the Group
names in the browse list, youll be able to see the longer purpose
statement for the group and join it, or not. Once you join a group,
youll have several options in your toolbox, and youll be able to
see all posts and events. Once you join a group, youll have several
options in your toolbox, and youll be able to see all posts and
events.
Slide 20
Managing Your Groups On the Manage Groups tab, youll see a list
of your groups with descriptions. Click on Edit membership to leave
a group. If you are an administrator of a group, you can manage the
groups members. You can also suggest a Group from this tab (and
from the Join Groups tab). On the Manage Groups tab, youll see a
list of your groups with descriptions. Click on Edit membership to
leave a group. If you are an administrator of a group, you can
manage the groups members. You can also suggest a Group from this
tab (and from the Join Groups tab).
Slide 21
Managing Your Groups Adding and Inviting Members If you have
started a PRIVATE group, click on View x members to add members.
Members will automatically be joined, but can always choose to
leave. If you have started a PRIVATE group, click on View x members
to add members. Members will automatically be joined, but can
always choose to leave. If you are part of a PUBLIC group, click on
Invite a colleague to send out invitations to others to join. If
you are part of a PUBLIC group, click on Invite a colleague to send
out invitations to others to join.
Slide 22
If you choose to start a Group, or if you are a Group
administrator We WANT people across the network to start and manage
groups that they are passionate about, and therefore willing to put
some energy toward. If you Suggest a Group, the EL Commons staff
will immediately receive an email and approve the Group as quickly
as possible our role is just to ensure that duplicate Groups arent
created. Youll receive an email once your Group has been approved.
Then, youll be able to add members (if its a private group), invite
members (if its a public group), and create posts and events. Once
your group is approved, please take care of it. Seed, feed, and
monitor the conversation.
Slide 23
FYI - Your Starter Kit of Groups and Email Notifications The
system is designed to automatically link you your school(s),
region, and the EL National Group. You can leave groups, join
public groups, or create new groups as you wish. This is why its
sometimes referred to as organic groups the groups morph to suit
the needs of the network and reflect how people really work. You
will be receiving one update email per day to the account you
registered with on EL Commons. This email will inform you about the
activity in all of your groups and provide you with links so that
you can immediately access a post, catch up on a conversation, and
see new events. To change any of your settings, go to the Manage
Groups tab.
Slide 24
Health and Care of Groups When a Group is BORN, give it energy.
Help us create community and improve teaching and learning through
participating. Ask questions. Create posts. Communicate about
events. Share your thinking. Take a risk. Celebrate. If you are an
administrator of a Group If a Groups purpose has RUN ITS COURSE,
please delete it. (There are several choices about what to do with
the content once you hit Delete.) If a group should LIVE ON, but
you can no longer manage it, please transition the administrative
duties to someone else.
Slide 25
The Invitation... Really give groups a try. This functionality
is just like having empty rooms in a big ol house; they are not
very interesting until people get there and bring them to life.
Remember that its about improving teaching and learning, AND we
value community and relationships as a part of that mission not
everything needs to be serious. Feel free to have fun, get
creative, and be innovative! Help make all of EL Commons the go-to
place by using it, contributing to it, and teaching others about
it. Its our collective space.