tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581931605568455763.comments2017-04-25T16:42:18.013-07:00Clarify Me ArchivedClaire Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07469996081279966976noreply@blogger.comBlogger469125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581931605568455763.post-62015378695076077082010-08-24T21:27:02.215-07:002010-08-24T21:27:02.215-07:00Sarah, I know what you mean! I've pondered th...Sarah, I know what you mean! I've pondered this move for more than a year. Once I made the leap it was surprisingly straight forward. It does take time though, so I wouldn't do it until you know that life will be a little slower for awhile.Claire Thompsonhttp://www.claireonline.canoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581931605568455763.post-89754728298009329662010-08-24T21:16:06.485-07:002010-08-24T21:16:06.485-07:00This process you've just taken on is one I hav...This process you've just taken on is one I have been thinking about for a while but I just haven't plucked up courage to do it. I really feel I need soemone to hold my hand as I do it...I am also very reluctent to leave Blogger because I like it so much...so back to procrastinating yet againSarah Stewarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00480597227427423793noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581931605568455763.post-49595869160453530342010-08-20T19:50:44.148-07:002010-08-20T19:50:44.148-07:00I agree Sarah. Moodle adds another hurdle for peo...I agree Sarah. Moodle adds another hurdle for people and it prevents content from being as open as many would like it to be. I have not had any experience with Facebook Fan Pages--but a quick glance at the VIDM one indicates that it is a pretty good way to get information out and allow for discussion.Claire Thompsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07469996081279966976noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581931605568455763.post-76445918771483239152010-08-20T18:50:31.853-07:002010-08-20T18:50:31.853-07:00Thanks Claire, just getting ideas for VIDM next ye...Thanks Claire, just getting ideas for VIDM next year.<br /><br />I don't think I could be bothered with Moodle when we have a Facebook fan page that we can use for ongoing discussion, but it may be worth thinking about...I want to keep things as simple as possible for the midwives who have little experience of this sort of stuff,Sarah Stewarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00480597227427423793noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581931605568455763.post-6176754047457562202010-08-20T08:54:33.788-07:002010-08-20T08:54:33.788-07:00This past spring I attended a conference that was ...This past spring I attended a conference that was similar, with the exception that it was not open; you had to pay and register. The conference was called <a href="http://knowevents.ca/" rel="nofollow">21st Century Learning & Sharing: <br />Engaging for Success! Spring Online Conference 2010</a>. For economic reasons it replaced an anual face-to-face conference geared towards teachers (K-12 and post secondary) in distributed learning (online learning) or who use technology in their classrooms. This was where I first saw Nancy White present!<br /><br />The conference ran Monday to Saturday with Monday being an open day (no fees). The speakers presented in Elluminate and each day there was a keynote speaker followed by were concurrent sessions. And as all sessions were recorded you didn't have to miss out if two great looking sessions were on at the same time. Each session also had a 'course' set up in Moodle to facilitate further discussion. I didn't present, but I did volunteer to help with the Moodle portion of the conference. I was paired with a presenter and I helped him with the the Moodle course by suggesting content to have there, answering questions he had about Moodle and helping to facilitate discussions in the discussion forum.<br /><br />All of the staff at my (small) school attended. We knew that if we tried to attend sessions from our workplace we probably would not be able to participate as much as we'd be constantly pulled away by other tasks, so for one of the main days we went off site and met up with another distributed learning school in our region. I had used Elluminate and Moodle quite a bit, so I was quite comfortable with the technology end of things. For some of the others who were not as familiar with Elluminate there were definitely some tense moments as they worked out how to do things. <br /><br />Not all of the presenters took advantage of the tools in Elluminate to try and stimulate more audience participation. To be fair though, for many it was their first time presenting in Elluminate. The conference organizers paired Elluminate presenters with volunteers who were skilled in using Elluminate and encouraged the pairs to use their Elluminate practice room prior to their session to get in some practice. The organizers also ran some sessions for presenters new to Elluminate on the basics of using Elluminate in the role of moderator. <br /><br />Prior to the conference presenters and volunteers were put into the conference Moodle site and various discussion fora were set up. The organizers did a really good job, but based on some of the discussions many volunteers and presenters were (at times) a little frazzled with trying to sort out when they would have access to the practice Elluminate room, when they could upload slides etc. The organizers asked all presenters to forward slides (in ppt or pdf I think) so that they could be loaded for them into Elluminate in advance. Some found this a challenge as their slides had to be ready about a week before they presented; not good if you are a procrastinator like me!<br /><br />The Moodle area to support further discussion was a great idea, however for the sessions I attended presenters either chose not to use the Moodle area, or their was very little discussion in the Moodle area.<br /><br />From a participants point of view I thought it went fine, though for those new to Elluminate there were clearly some connection issues. As a volunteer with a view behind the scenes it definitely looked to be a huge undertaking! <br /><br />Phew--that was a longer response than I had intended! If you have any other questions about this please let me know :-)Claire Thompsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07469996081279966976noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581931605568455763.post-62161280732587846932010-08-20T00:53:03.905-07:002010-08-20T00:53:03.905-07:00Hi Clare
Have you ever been involved with an onli...Hi Clare<br /><br />Have you ever been involved with an online conference like this? If so, what were your experiences...either as participant or facilitator?Sarah Stewarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00480597227427423793noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581931605568455763.post-86775318642432952022010-08-19T12:09:17.118-07:002010-08-19T12:09:17.118-07:00Hi Katherine,
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a...Hi Katherine,<br />Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment :-) I agree with you that sometimes we just have to let students make their own decisions as they are the ones who need to live with the consequences of their actions. I would have issues if what they are choosing to do is disruptive or preventing other students from accomplishing their work. This would also depend on the age of the students--you are in a post secondary setting so all of your students are old enough that they *should* be able to handle the level of freedom they are being allowed. <br /><br />As teachers though, I think we also have to take a look at our lessons and ask ourselves if the off task behaviour is a result of things within our control? Is it because the lesson is not engaging? Should we be offering more opportunities for collaboration and modelling how to do this? Or is it just that our students have a lot on their plates (or haven't the skills yet to manage their time effectively) and so are just doing what they have to do.<br /><br />As for an analogy for the creative chaos that Nancy facilitated the other day... I look forward to what you come up with ;-)Claire Thompsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07469996081279966976noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581931605568455763.post-83759410305907567712010-08-18T22:33:35.538-07:002010-08-18T22:33:35.538-07:00But... this wasn't your point was it. Your com...But... this wasn't your point was it. Your comments on chaos related more to patterns of interaction within the class; to how the teacher faciliated this communication. I loved the way Nancy demonstrated this with such flexibility... (am working on an analogy to match - any ideas?).Katherinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10319899525930563157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581931605568455763.post-13976119605741463692010-08-18T22:23:37.503-07:002010-08-18T22:23:37.503-07:00What particularly resonated with me in this wonder...What particularly resonated with me in this wonderfully thorough overview is your comments around the area of 'chaos'. You talked of a wingman in an eClass. Yes - indeed! Have always had a wingman in my technology lessons. But back to chaos... have had to develop a tolerance of chaos with technology-moderated classes. (This is part of the "letting go" theme I was trying to express a few weeks ago in my blog but didn't quite get there.) In a technology classroom the students (inevitably) have more autonomy. Over in that corner a student is in her email, here another doesn't have access for some reason, (forgotten password, some other breakdown), there a student uses the lab session as an opportunity to quickly finish another teacher's assignment... and through it all I'm teaching my curriculum content. Those students, the emailing student and the student doing another assignment, the blogging student, the student on fb... they have all set their own priorities and made deliberate decisions about using the time and place for their own purposes. I'm not convinced I should challenge those decisions and therefore have to be prepared for the potential of chaos; of students all at different places in the material needing different levels of assistance. A wingman is essential, and also (I believe) a willingness to let go of your agenda. Some teachers struggle with this. They've been taught to have tightly ordered logical lessons following a prescribed plan, and have been criticised by their trainers if any student is not 'on-task' for 3 minutes. Conducting a class that has the potential to reflect badly on their schema of what a good teacher is, especially in such concerning economic times... whoah! Thoughts on this?Katherinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10319899525930563157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581931605568455763.post-91712804206418322132010-08-18T19:50:04.460-07:002010-08-18T19:50:04.460-07:00Thanks Carolyn for your kind words! This was the ...Thanks Carolyn for your kind words! This was the first session where I noticed the profiles in Elluminate (though they were probably there before). Not everyone had one so I'm interested in finding out more about this.Claire Thompsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07469996081279966976noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581931605568455763.post-74495203665049176872010-08-18T13:39:07.032-07:002010-08-18T13:39:07.032-07:00Hi Claire, thanks for this review of the session. ...Hi Claire, thanks for this review of the session. You have done a beautiful job of weaving the elements together. I found your post interesting and engaging to read. You had exactly the right mix of personal and process information. I didn't realise that a profile of each participant was available during the Elluminate session. I can see how having that available does foster connection and community building. I'll have to figure out how to do that too!Thinkbirthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09813359204378047414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581931605568455763.post-21977181126905642892010-08-17T16:37:36.528-07:002010-08-17T16:37:36.528-07:00@Karen, thanks for your comment. I'm glad you...@Karen, thanks for your comment. I'm glad you've found my post helpful!<br /><br />@Sarah, when I'm in an online session I want to know who else is in the room with me, and I want people to know that I'm me and not some other Claire. Lots of times I've attended sessions where people only give their first names so then I spend part of the time texting "Hey are you Heather Wilson or Heather Johnson?". Knowing who is there builds up trust and allows the learning/collaborating to really take off. I think an Elluminate profile should include your name or 'handle' (as long as it allows people to know who you are) and a photo of yourself or the avatar that your online network would recognize you by. For example, most of us in the course know who Coach Carole is. If she were to use her proper surname and no 'Coach', many of us might be confused. A short 'what I do' description might be helpful too. Now I just have to figure out how to set up my profile in Elluminate!Claire Thompsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07469996081279966976noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581931605568455763.post-21930901341744420752010-08-17T04:49:08.910-07:002010-08-17T04:49:08.910-07:00This whole idea of using a profile is a good one b...This whole idea of using a profile is a good one because it helps you connect to people , so I think its worth taking time to do that properly...which then takes u back again to online identity. What information do you think is important to include in a profile like that in an Elluminate meeting?Sarah Stewarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00480597227427423793noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581931605568455763.post-55008562252732367272010-08-16T22:41:55.166-07:002010-08-16T22:41:55.166-07:00Appreciate your thorough rendering of the last Ell...Appreciate your thorough rendering of the last Elluminate session with Nancy White particularly as I was not able to make it and have not yet found my way to the recording. I definitely will now!Karen Humberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16624838483283423092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581931605568455763.post-3431817972086698432010-08-09T21:10:01.334-07:002010-08-09T21:10:01.334-07:00Hi Sarah,
Thanks for the links! You've been g...Hi Sarah,<br />Thanks for the links! You've been great in helping different participants in this course link up. I just went and read Cal's posts (and added him to my feed reader) and will take a look at the session from Jo Hart.Claire Thompsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07469996081279966976noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581931605568455763.post-52691784151524034122010-08-09T21:08:13.403-07:002010-08-09T21:08:13.403-07:00Jo Hart uses Elluminate a lot with her distance st...Jo Hart uses Elluminate a lot with her distance students and her blog is full of tips and tricks for how to use it: http://johart1.edublogs.org/<br />Here is a recording of a session in which she demonstrated various lesson plans: http://suewaters.com/2008/11/16/tips-for-making-virtual-classroom-sessions-more-interactive<br /><br />The other person you might to talk to about maths is Cal Armstrong, who is also a maths teacher on FO2010: http://fo2010.posterous.com/Sarah Stewarthttp://sarah-stewart.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581931605568455763.post-86961049980778995532010-08-07T16:47:50.139-07:002010-08-07T16:47:50.139-07:00Hi Errin,
You do not have to have a YouTube accoun...Hi Errin,<br />You do not have to have a YouTube account to use Screenr--you just have to have a Twitter account. They have a very easy way to upload to YouTube so I chose to do that so that I have a copy there and because I find it easy to deal with embedding YouTube vids.<br />Cheers!Claire Thompsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07469996081279966976noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581931605568455763.post-85826250671044174162010-08-07T16:41:25.670-07:002010-08-07T16:41:25.670-07:00Hi Claire,
I haven't used Screenr before. Do y...Hi Claire,<br />I haven't used Screenr before. Do you need to have a Youtube channel to upload your videos to or is that the easier way to keep your content organized and accessible online?Errinhttp://justathought.edublogs.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581931605568455763.post-17707005224891587082010-07-31T07:26:44.771-07:002010-07-31T07:26:44.771-07:00Hi Gloria,
I'm glad that you found the screenc...Hi Gloria,<br />I'm glad that you found the screencast useful :-) Because the computers I use at home are shared with the rest of my family, I do sign in each time I'm on the computer. If I had a computer that I was the only one using I think I would just stay signed on.Claire Thompsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07469996081279966976noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581931605568455763.post-4105824099110110522010-07-30T22:53:31.832-07:002010-07-30T22:53:31.832-07:00Thanks so much, Claire. I've made some notes ...Thanks so much, Claire. I've made some notes as you were talking and will see what I can do with organizing:<br />TASKS<br />GOOGLE READER with folders for different interests<br />NEW TABS if I have too much on one page.<br /><br />Do you just leave yourself signed in all the time or do your re-sign in each time? Gloria Lemay, Vancouver BCWiseWomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10339841433199041747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581931605568455763.post-14004497260178193562010-07-30T21:15:43.710-07:002010-07-30T21:15:43.710-07:00@Sarah, yes, Jing is definitely not as seemless as...@Sarah, yes, Jing is definitely not as seemless as Screenr. I look forward to using Screenr again--I have lots of little screencasts I need to create for my online courses.Claire Thompsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07469996081279966976noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581931605568455763.post-44432402099410138562010-07-30T17:40:32.286-07:002010-07-30T17:40:32.286-07:00I prefer Screenr...I have never got the hang of us...I prefer Screenr...I have never got the hang of using Jing for video...I always have problems storing the video after I have made it.Sarah Stewarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00480597227427423793noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581931605568455763.post-2556747134760301022010-07-29T07:36:10.858-07:002010-07-29T07:36:10.858-07:00@winterz Thanks for your comment! It is good to m...@winterz Thanks for your comment! It is good to meet someone in the course who is doing what I'd like to do :-) Looking forward to learning with you!Claire Thompsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07469996081279966976noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581931605568455763.post-17405245142238921192010-07-29T01:19:21.699-07:002010-07-29T01:19:21.699-07:00Hi Claire - great to read your posts. I am involv...Hi Claire - great to read your posts. I am involved with PD for teachers here in New Zealand. It will be interesting to compare your experience through the course...winterzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01570356968624043335noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581931605568455763.post-39609110540686725082010-07-28T09:22:23.929-07:002010-07-28T09:22:23.929-07:00Good question Karen. In BC the Ministry of Educat...Good question Karen. In BC the Ministry of Education has negotiated a province-wide license with Elluminate that gives all BC educators (not sure if it is just K-12 or post-secondary too) access to Elluminate. It is *wonderful* and I hope that the province is able to continue with this. BC educators can go to <a href="http://www.learnnowbc.ca/lnbcresources/elluminate/default.aspx?u=2" rel="nofollow">Learn Now BC</a> to request an Elluminate 'room'.<br />Cheers!Claire Thompsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07469996081279966976noreply@blogger.com