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Keynote presentation given at ACE elearning showcase. Melbourne, 20/3/09
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Reaching a Bigger Pond:
tools and technologies for forming community
Community Engagement Showcase Melbourne, March 20th, 2009
INTERNET = NETWORKThe task is to shape part of it into your own community.
INTERNET = NETWORKThe task is to shape part of it into your own community.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27126314@N03/2956992219/
Community?
What are the essentials of COMMUNITY? (thoughts from audience)
Support
Friendship
Shared vision
Connection
Purpose
Safety net
People
Belonging
Common interest
Red wine!
PHONE FEEDBACK
Phone in your thoughts on Technology and Community:
Text 22556 and your message to +61429883481
I asked my Twitter network, “Do you think you can create community with technology?” (see replies on slides 39 – 41)
Community or Network?
I believe what happens online is connection—not community.…at times online connections can be more life-giving than many of our offline relationships, but they are not the same.
Online connections are good. They can be deep and good for our souls. But when we turn them into an online community, they can, and do, impact our face-to-face interactions. When we spend more time staring at a glowing monitor than we do into the eyes of those we love, it might be time to shut off the computer.(Anne Jackson http://blog.christianitytoday.com/outofur/archives/2009/02/the_social_netw.html)
Community or Network?
COMMENTS IN REPLY TO ANNE JACKSON:
… there are many disconnected people out there who have no particular community that would be enhanced by their going offline. For them, for right now, the connection is their community.Let's not cheapen any act of intentional, good-willed human-to-human outreach as something less than an expression of authentic community. I doubt Paul wrote his (virtual) letters with anything less than a profound sense of community in his mind and heart. Communication builds community.I'm surprised at the number of people framing this conversation in stark binary thinking. Physical = community. Virtual = something else. In reality, any definition of "community" must embody nuance and color and deeply shared imagination.
Community or Network?
DOES COMMUNITY HAVE TO BE FACE TO FACE?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/maiac/711198150/
Community v Network
Group A (Community) Group B (Network)
Domain (professional focus)
PLUS
Personal (support, encouragement, friendship )
Domain (professional focus) is the subject of all activity and communication
http://www.flickr.com/photos/choconancy/161004139/
Internet and Community- what happens?
You connect less with some of the people around you in your daily lifeYou connect with people you already know via a different medium (online)You connect with people you would otherwise have had no contact with
Online Community – what’s the appeal?
You connect less with some of the people around you in your daily life!You connect with people you already know via a different medium (online). (You get to know people differently)
You connect with people you would otherwise have had no contact with
Online Community – what’s the appeal?
You can connect with multiple people with similar interests at the same time (many to many communication.) (Group discussion)
Some simply prefer communicating online
Types of Community
Face to face group starts to communicate online (eg Appetite For Success, TAFE SA)Group who live in close proximity meets online and decides to meet f2f (Twitter in WA and Victoria)Geographically dispersed group meets online
Purpose of Community?
Professional developmentConnecting remote learnersTrying to establish a sense of togetherness with f2f learnersModelling a way of learning for the 21st century (lifelong learning; networked learning)
Learning in the 21st Century
“You’re going to need a gang!” (Mike Seyfang)
..that can assist educators and learners filter, make sense of, and
manage the incessant flow of information” (Siemens and Tittenberger)
One of My Gangs - the Webheads
“an experiment in world friendship through online language learning”
300 + members
Webhead Origins - The Palace
Where do Webheads fit?
Face to faceCommunity
IT
CommunityIT Individuals
ITCommunity+
WEBHEADS
=
+
Where are the Webheads?
in approximately 50 countries
Webheads Today
In 2009, the Webheads community is alive and well (weekly meeting, daily communication, many gather each year at the international TESOL convention in March, several met for the first time in Argentina a few weeks ago….)
How/why has this community survived?
How/why has this community survived?
HUMAN FACTORS
TECHNOLOGY FACTORS
Which tools for what task?
Home Base (portal)– Communication Channels– Collaborative Workspaces– Artefact Storage– Resources– Promoting Events
What would my community look like?
The Communication Channels
Several modes of communication (email, discussion boards, Instant Messaging, blogs, wikis, voice tools, webcams, virtual classrooms, websites, parallel universes, micro-blogging)THE EMAIL LIST IS STILL THE LIFEBLOOD
Synchronous Meetings
Tapped In:– Weekly regular event (Tapped In)– Instant Messengers, Virtual Classrooms
> voice interaction; webcams
Virtual Classrooms(Web Conferencing)
Big BucksElluminate (free 3 person vroom @ http://elluminate.com/vroom/)(Or free inside EdNA Groups)
Very affordable:iVocalize (http://ivocalize.com/)Discover-e (Australian) http://www.compued.com.au/discovere/
FreeWiziq – new, but seems good http://www.wiziq.com/DimDim – integrated with MoodleVet Virtual – Framework initiative; still unstable; worth watching http://vetvirtual.external.utas.edu.au/default.aspx?page=32
The Role of Voice
ImmediacyMore personal contact
TOOLS:Yahoo Messenger, Skype, Virtual Classrooms
Image courtesy of mosmanlibrary
http://btresource.flexiblelearning.net.au/index.html
http://mediaonthemove.flexiblelearning.net.au/
Free Tools for (asynchronous) Spoken Conversations
Chinswing (now Voxopop)– example (advanced EFL listening)
VaestroVoiceThread– Voice Thread example (LearnScope) – Webheads anniversary
WEBHEADS WEBSITE(S) – the Artefacts
Collective and individual spaces (pages, blogs, wikis)Photos (people, colleges, places of work, family) Writings on individual pagesResources created by the communityAll of this can be shared via the Web
Which tools for your community?
Matters
http://www.flickr.com/photos/infomatique/1387269271/ Licensed under Creative Commons
CHOICE is
affected by
CONTEXT
Other possible complementary tools:
Twitter/YammerGathering your Tweets eg http://twemes.com/accessaceLive Polling (Poll Everywhere)Survey Tools (Zoomerang, Survey Monkey)Mobile Phones – audio/picture blogging– Net to SMS (SMSpup [free], Telstra)
Maps: Frappr, Google, Flickr
Responses to Live Poll (Poll Everywhere): on Technology and Community:
the y generation don’t see a difference between the online and offline communities. They go home from school to My space. One person can be connected with many communities. Online places can strengthen your existing connections. Find like-minded souls wherever you can. each technology has social & political direction built in. accepting technology without critical evaluation is unscientific & dangerous it works well if combined with f 2 f. emotions are complicated and not clear on line Religious communities begin with someone they can't see...can't hear...and can't touch. Maybe God needs a Facebook profile Good in its place, but what's its place? can be a way to continue a face to face community which you have physically left behind
Responses from my Twitter Network
In response to the question , “Do you think you can create community with technology?” people replied:
JoHart: @mikecogh #accessace absolutely isn't that we are doing right here in Twitter?marudelcampo: @mikecogh #accessace Of course you can create communities using technology. Twitter, Ning and YH Groups are some examples. All the best Mike DishMopTop: #accessace I rely on Web 2 for my community as work in solitude. Takes some time to build it up though
Responses from my Twitter Network
leogaggl: @mikecogh #accessace without tech they would probably never meet - so in the words of Barack 'YES WE CAN' :P leogaggl: @mikecogh seems to be lots of 'communities ' starting IRL due to twitter - tweet-meets such as @SATUB #accessace StonyRiver: #accessace - For Sure - in both Quality and Quantity - With technology we may have One Human Race rhysatwork: @mikecogh of course you CAN create it. But can also use tech to aid in improving community. now using Ning 4 Kindy committee :) #accessace
Responses from my Twitter Network
@mikecogh #accessace certainly you can but it seems to be that they don’t stay alive for a long period of time.@mikecogh #accessace tech communities allow you to reach out further to include 'distance' members@mikecogh #accessace talking about communities come and join http://tinyurl.com/5jz27o, http://tinyurl.com/6p4coo & find out for yourself
Flickr Maps
Survey Tools Eg ZoomerangSurvey Monkey
More at http://users.chariot.net.au/~michaelc/mfo/zoom/results.htm
Community Home(s)
EdNA Groups (Moodle)Own Moodle ($1000/yr approx)
Google or Yahoo GroupsFacebook, NingProtopage (eg http://www.protopage.com/elearning07)NetvibesSecond Life
Second Life
Image courtesy of Jo Kay http://www.flickr.com/photos/jokay/3354082811/
Cornerstones: Technology -
Enables regular group and one on one communicationsBrings together people who otherwise may be unknown to each otherAffords multiple channels of communicationProvides for individual and collective needsProvides shared public and permanent record for all to seeAllows everyone to contribute to this shared record
The Internet is….
“not about dot coms, online malls…. It’s not about routers, servers, browsers.…In fact, the Internet isn’t even about technology. It’s about us. The collective us.”
COMMONSPACE: Beyond Virtual Community: Surman & Wershler-Henry; 2001
“The Read/Write Web”(Tim Berners Lee)
Original photo by Hummanna
Can you build relationships... …online?
Can you build social capital …online? Can we develop community … …
online?
YES WE CAN!!
THE BIG QUESTIONS……
Webheads Theme Song
CHORUS
Webheads – all over the worldWebheads – we’re all over the world
24/7 – we’re onlineIt doesn’t really matter – whatever the timeSomeone’s there to answer the CALL
CHORUS
You want to know how to do it rightOr maybe you’re lonely in the middle of the nightSomeone’s there to answer your CALL
CHORUS
You want to join your class up across the worldOr you want an expert to talk to them liveSomeone will answer your CALL
CHORUS
You’re going on a journey to a foreign landWant to meet a friend there to show you aroundThere’ll be someone there to answer your CALL
CHORUS
Learning together – sharing our viewsLiving together – sharing our newsAlways someone there – on the same wavelength
CHORUS
Audio at http://webheadstheme.wikispaces.com/
