Role of the eModerator Frances Long Alberta Online Consortium November 10, 2006

Quick Survey (show of hands) How many people…  Teach Online?  Have designed an online course?  Work in a team environment?  Are comfortable learning from your students?  Are committed to life-long learning?

For Our Time Together Ask questions, and interrupt often!

Topics  The Environment  Your Role  Attitude  Keys for Success  Continuing Your Learning

The Environment

Your Online Environment has 3 Parts

1/3 Space

1/3 Space

My Simplistic Definitions Open Source? Free and available programming code that permits others to download the code, install the program and change the code to suit your interests Freeware ? Programs that are free to use but usually contain ads

Open Source?  Free and available programming code that permits others to download the code, install the program and change the code to suit your interests = FLEXIBLE  Need an active programming and user community to support the software eg: Moodle  Many upgrades to meet community needs Freeware ?  Programs that are free to use but usually contain ads eg: Yahoo, MSN Proprietary ?  Programs that cost, and you can’t change the code or manipulate them eg: MS Office

2/3 Talk and Share Asynchronous Communication = Talk in delayed time Synchronous Communication = Talk in real time

Asynchronous Communication  Write …..  Hit send….  AND someone (or everyone) reads what you have written 2/3 Talk and Share

Synchronous Chat programs typed words in real time, video, pictures sound! 2/3 Talk and Share

2/3 Talk and Share Talking asynchronously Use a whiteboard while you talk over the Internet New ways of working together

You communicate to…..  One person to one person  One person to many people  Many people to one person  Many people to many people 2/3 Talk and Share

Constructivism Construct knowledge Ask Questions Get Answers Jerome Bruner Father of Constructivism Theory, /3 Talk and Share

Watch your boundaries For some reason…. People share very personal information online, The online world is very intimate, Contrary to popular opinion online is very social 2/3 Talk and Share

3/3 People Everyone active = success!  Technical Person  Manager/Principal  Members/students  Moderator/teacher

The Continuum -- Interchangeable Roles is Key Live Online nervous Comfortable online Guide Others ePeers & eMentors 3/3 People

Your Role

Guide on the side ~ NOT ~ Sage on the stage

4 Roles 1.Technical  Use different tools  Try new activities  Learn with members 2.Social  Welcome and encourage members  Guide your members 3.Intellectual  Provide content and intellectual information 4. Organize  Discussions and information

Technical Role 1.There will always be PROBLEMS 2.Don’t be afraid to say you don’t know something 3.Let your students take the lead, 4.Experiment with new tools (eventually you’ll figure out they are all basically the same) 5.Make MANY Mistakes, 6.Keep your sense of humour Visit 3 or 4 times every day !

Social Role You’re the gracious host. You:  Are likely the only person they’ll know  Create the safety  Foster enjoyment for learning  Connect similarities and differences between people  Provide a climate to make mistakes Visit 3 or 4 times every day !

Intellectual Role You ….  Supply most of the content  Engage others to contribute  Direct them to find more content  Guide them to be responsible for their own learning Visit 3 or 4 times every day !

The Organizing Role People ask…  Where’s …  How do I find ….  How do I …. Organize:  Posts,  Content,  People Visit 3 or 4 times every day !

To organize YOU…. Time Management  Cultural shift (you teach in small spurts of time 7 days a week)  3 – 4 times a day: M – F  2 x day on weekends  Work in teams  Use a variety of active learning strategies (appeal to different learning styles)  Answer posts and s rapidly (an hour being frustrated is a long time online and things can blow up!)

Attitude

Keep your Sense of Humour

Be able to say… ~ I don’t know the answer ~ It all changes too quickly Ask for help from your students

Be committed: check in to the course…  3 or 4 times a day Monday through Friday  2 times a day on weekends

Keys to Success  Relationship 1st / information 2 nd  Moderator is the Guide not the expert  Everyone contributes to the health of the course  Teach by team

Continuing Your Learning

Knowplace Family of Sites  for K-12 teachers  for ecareer coaches  for Moodle enthusiasts  for all people who work online with others  our practical online conference: March 28 - April

Continue Your Learning… Open Weekends (free online professional development) KnowWeeks (free for BCED Online members, for others) CapCollege Teach and Design online certificate programs and courses (2 weeks) KnowTIPS online conference (March 28 – April 01)

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

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)

Frances Long Come Visit Us: