BWP_LEADERS_0607

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Online SI

Have we considered the creation of an online Summer Institute where the participants get the credit for the training but not the graduate credit?  This could be done through free software called Joomla.  The in-person SI participants can log-in at set times and use the discussion boards to discuss and collaborate with the online participants.  Those online can post their work in the discussion forum for sharing, and they could also download free software like Skype or the newest AOL IM which would allow them to participate occasionally in the discussion virtually with audio and/or video.  It would be easiest for those with high speed Internet, but it could be done without it as well.  Just a thought.  I know it would expand the reach of our group to areas like mine which is unserviced.


It would take some work to put together initially, but it would work.  Podcasts and vodcasts for presentations would be accessible for the online folks (and vice-versa).  Is this even a possibility with NWP?

By the way, I do have a student teacher on campus that says she is interested in the summer 07 SI.  I'll keep her contact info for future reference.


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posted by Scott S. Floyd @ 10:01 AM  

7 Comments:

  • At 9/20/2006 8:47 PM, Blogger Katherine said…

    It sounds like BWP SI would be a perfect place to start this format!

     

  • At 9/20/2006 9:30 PM, Blogger Janelle said…

    What a great idea. I wonder if a district might like this as staff development....

     

  • At 10/01/2006 5:29 PM, Blogger Kinderbeanie :) said…

    I think that this is good, but I have to play devil's advocate here...isn't the face-to-face part of the community that is built. I have taken 6 week courses online before and it is a course...not the community that we are looking for.

    If we merely want numbers, or convenience, it might be the way to go...otherwise, I think we HAVE to have some of it in person.

    The largest difference I saw in SI 05 and SI 06 was that there was more technology and less personal "contact". I realize that a group is going to be different, just like our classes each year, but we have to maintain and build that trust and MODEL it for the teacher's to really replicate this in their own classrooms.

    Just my 2 cents worth...


    Joyce :)

     

  • At 10/02/2006 10:49 AM, Blogger Jeannine Hirtle said…

    I agree Joyce. I never want the SI not to be face to face. I think we need to lace it with technology, but the daily writing and sharing and desire to learn writing pedagogy as well as write within a community are the key ingredients of the writing community.

    What I was suggesting is that for some of the staff development we offer that online. There is a market niche for that and after 3 years we've made almost no headway into the staff development market and that is part of our charge from NWP. We have to get into that market to make a difference with teachers and I'm just looking for a way.

    I'm quite willing to continue to do face to face if that ever takes off but so far we've not had any luck with it.

    Also, I need to say that even though we had a great deal of technology, so far, we've had more people return even to one continuity than we've had with the past two SIs.

    We have to make that continuity a welcoming space where tcs get what they got from the SI. Rebecca Sandle's remark about how the stress just left her as she got off the elevator and headed toward the BWP suite was just what we want everyone to feel! I was so glad she experienced and voiced that.

    Hey, I was grading last night--sorry I missed the meeting! But I'm glad y'all had one.

    Technology is a literacy and it is here to stay. We are ahead of that curve, but it never, never replaces personal contact.

     

  • At 10/02/2006 10:50 AM, Blogger Jeannine Hirtle said…

    Katherine and Janelle--I meant it for staff development--not SI!

     

  • At 10/02/2006 10:54 AM, Blogger Jeannine Hirtle said…

    BUt Joomla WOULD work GREAT for staff development through the village, as Janelle suggested.

     

  • At 10/02/2006 7:21 PM, Blogger Kinderbeanie :) said…

    Thank you for the clarification. I thought it was being suggested that we have Si as an online "course".

    I totally agree that we need to mesh technology into the SI, but it should not be the only focus. There are so many wonderful educators who do not have technology---I'm talking a COMPUTER--in some of the larger school systems, and it would be easy to lose them because they will not see how this applies to them.

    I know that most of the educators on my campus feel lucky to have one classroom computer and if they have Internet, it's a BONUS!

    Sad but true...

    Joyce

     

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