Frances Long: October 2006 Knowplace Online Communities

For Our Time Together Ask questions, and interrupt

Learning Communities are..  Vibrant, safe and intellectually stimulating  Places where people take, share and contribute information  One class or a series of interconnected activities I want to return!

Why Should I Care?  Learning communities free the teacher  Learners more responsible for their own learning  Hallmark of a quality course

You and your Participants are ….  Happy  Want to return  Talking and sharing information  Enjoying Learning

Quick Survey (show of hands) How many people…  Teach Online?  Belong to an online Learning Community?  Have worked in peer/mentoring relationships?  Have heard of Web 2.0

What’s Knowplace? International online learning community that….  Supports people who are new and/or very comfortable working online with others  Provides various services and learning activities  In transition to smaller target specific communities (think community centres) for teachers, career coaches and moodlers

Where are we? Freeware tool:

Knowplace Environment  Rarely meet in person (if ever)  Rarely hear voices  Very few photos  Talk through typed words  Talk through Internet (VOIP)

Knowplace People are… 2/3 Comfortable Online (knowmates) 3/3 Live Online (knowmads) 1/3 New to Online (knewbies) Roles are Interchangeable

Learning Community Continuum Interchangeable Roles is Key Live Online Nervous Comfortable online Guide Others ePeers & eMentors

Knowplace… 2/3 Programs, Activities & Services 3/3 People Talking & Sharing 1/3 Online Facilities

1/3 Online Facilities

1/3 Online Facilities knowPLACE KnowCOACHKnowMOODLE KnowSCHOOLS KnowTIPS

Knowplace is in transition…. from one community to several targeted places  Knowcoach.ca: Career coaches and school counsellors  Knowschools.ca: K-12 teachers  Knowplace.ca: Mixed group of people who work online with others  Knowmoodle.ca: Moodlers in Canada  Knowtips.ca: Our annual online conference March 28 - April /3 Online Facilities

1/3 Online Facilities

2/3 Programs, Activities and Courses

Programs, Activities & Services knowPLACE Open Weekends Capilano College & knowplace Partnership Our Partners’ Courses & Communities Online Conferences KnowSKILLS KnowWEEKS

Examine Open knowplace What are they?  Free and open weekends about a variety of topics hosted by Knowmates, knowmads, our online colleagues and friends  People give back to knowplace by sharing their own skills to host an open weekend  Offered primarily… in asynchronous mode  Topics change every week and every month

Examine knowSKILLS What are they?  Learn to use an online freeware or open source tools  VERY skill oriented  Topics like Use audacity to podcast, mediawiki,  Starts in November $97.00 for 3 days online  BCED Online members = 10% discount  Contact:

Examine KnowWEEKS What are they?  Open Sunday at noon, close Friday night  Series of discussions about tools and sites to visit and use in classroom  Internationally respected online facilitators (always 2)  Offered primarily… in asynchronous mode  Topics change every week and every month Free for BCED Online members

BCED Online and knowplace offer: KnowWEEKS Oct 15 – 20 Schoogle, Elderbob Oct 22 – 27 Web Based Educational Games, David Brear Oct. 29 –, Nov. 03 Math Tools Online, Bruno Vernier Nov.05 – Nov. 10 Interactive Electronic Portfolios, Dr. Helen Barratt Nov. 12 – 17 Podcasting for the Classroom, Marian Heddesheimer Nov Safety Online, Helen Kershaw Nov. 26 – Dec 01 Exploring Online Resources for Teachers, Mike McLeod Dec. 03 – 08 ….. More to come For more information go to: (free for BCED Online members or $157 per person)

Examine Capilano College & Knowplace Partnership What is it?  2 week long courses in 5 teach and design certificate programs: Mixed Mode, Eteach, eCourse Design, eModerator, eCareer coach  Asynchronous and Synchronous mode  with 10% discount for BCED Online members Become a knowmate!!!

Examine Open knowplace What are they?  Free and open weekends about a variety of topics hosted by Knowmates, knowmads, our online colleagues and friends  People give back to knowplace by sharing their own skills to host an open weekend  Offered primarily… in asynchronous mode  Topics change every week and every month

Examine Our Partners’ Communities What are they? Knowplace supports our partners by providing space for their courses, server space, helping them to set them up and providing support behind the scenes when they have problems:  BC Centre for Disease Control  Ontario Post Secondary Education Union  Life Strategies  BCED Online  Carole Cotton Consulting

Examine knowTIPS What is it? Our annual conference that brings together educators, teachers world wide to participate with internattionally renowned discussion leaders about tips and tricks to work online successfully March 28 – April 01, 2006

3/3 The People Talking and Sharing

The People School Teachers University professors College Instructors Employment counsellors/career practitioners Workplace based trainers Small business owners Freeware tool:

Who Participates? Everyone active = success!  Technical Person  Manager  Members  Moderator

A community is MUCH MORE than tools! Rather it is an online home that people to feel safe in, cherished and cared about

Questions? Contact: Frances Long: Come Visit Us: