Hi there,
Things have been very hectic in my life and I am writing this blog prior to flying off to oz with my family for a much deserved break. I am wishing for dry and sunny weather (it has been very wet here!). I have attended the midwifery conference recently in Rotorua and am suitably inspired now.
I have managed to work through the course schedule for online facilitation. There are times when it all makes sense and I feel I really understand the importance of facilitation and its applicability to me but other times I have the realisation that I am such a beginner in all of this and doubt that it will be ever something that I am able to do sucessfully. I wonder whether I have a natural ability to weave networks? Some of these readings seem to fly over my head.
However I have been thinking about how I could start a network for the already formed community of student midwives in my class in Palmerston North. Perhaps start one for next year? We currently get together once a week face to face and catch up via email. But I am wondering whether we could use things such as skype, facebook and elluminate as well. I had a student who contacted me and wanted to go over some individual assignment work. I initially said we could meet up face to face, but she had said she had a cold and might just leave it for the next week.. And then I thought...aaahhha. We could use skype! I would then be able to discuss her concerns and it would be more resource friendly as both her and I wouldn't have to leave our homes and I wouldn't risk catching her lurgys...
I have joined skype and have had a few conversations (one with a very experienced student skyper who showed me the basics). It was fun and I think I took about a hundred photo shots of myself pulling faces for just the novelty factor.. And I told my partner it was work related. Ha. I can see the advantages of a facebook account as I am sure that all 8 of my students feel reasonably confident and comfortable with facebook. It almost has its own culture and im sure they use it daily. This could be a quick and easy way to communicate and post new learnings etc. However the down side could be that facebook is such a SOCIAL network. Professional boundaries could be blurred and ground rules broken. Also security and privacy issues may arise especially when discussing the nature of our training.
Sarah has asked me to facilitate a session in a few weeks. Eek. Sorry Sarah that we have missed each others calls so often. Kind of like playing phone tag! But I can see that this will be a great opportunity for me. And even better when Sarah is there to hold my hand and help me along. I actually don't know why I would be nervous as I have learnt that I should actually have little input and simply encourage participation. I have taken tips from http://synchfacilitation.wikispaces.com/. I need to ideally meet with the presenter before hand, audio check, be familiar with my environment (easier said than done), let people speak, have ground rules, watch chat and lurkers, have fun. Take notes for summarising later, finish on time, thank everyone and discuss how to access the recording. (oh, and tell them they are being recorded). Does that sum it up? Have I missed something? Will keep you posted.
Here ozzie ozzie ozzie!!
Jade
Monday, September 13, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
IMHO
Welcome!
Over the past few weeks I have developed more of an understanding of what online facilitating actually is. It is not necessarily and soley focussed on teaching. It has been described as being the 'conductor'. Almost like a chairperson in a business meeting.
A great facilitator listens, supports, summarises, keeps time, creates a safe environment online and encourages participation.
To build an online community one needs to first develop a plan, a goal and an aim. Then consider the software or online tool that will best meet this need. For example if I simply want to keep in touch with the students and discuss specific learning attainments, then a discussion board may be appropriate. Once I advertise and motivate the students regarding this, then this will in turn create the community. Really it is about creating the place and the community follows. Hopefully the students will then take ownership. I have also learnt some tips to get students engaging appropriately on discussion boards and forums.
Although I am not lecturing face to face and the current move is away from the tradition teacher centered model this does not mean that 'teachers' or 'facilitators' are now obsolete. I have learnt that the facilitator holds the key to sucess by the way in which they structure the learning experiences.
I have learnt some things about appropriate nettiquette too. Such as;
BTW, THIS MEANS I"M SHOUTING, but if it sounds like I am being hostile I could always add a
to show I am happy or smiling and a 
to show I am angry. If you say something funny and I respond that I am ROTFL that might be appropriate.
I will not want to say anything that might cause offense as I might start a flame war and that would be
.
Thanks guys, I will BRB.
Jade
Over the past few weeks I have developed more of an understanding of what online facilitating actually is. It is not necessarily and soley focussed on teaching. It has been described as being the 'conductor'. Almost like a chairperson in a business meeting.
A great facilitator listens, supports, summarises, keeps time, creates a safe environment online and encourages participation.
To build an online community one needs to first develop a plan, a goal and an aim. Then consider the software or online tool that will best meet this need. For example if I simply want to keep in touch with the students and discuss specific learning attainments, then a discussion board may be appropriate. Once I advertise and motivate the students regarding this, then this will in turn create the community. Really it is about creating the place and the community follows. Hopefully the students will then take ownership. I have also learnt some tips to get students engaging appropriately on discussion boards and forums.
Although I am not lecturing face to face and the current move is away from the tradition teacher centered model this does not mean that 'teachers' or 'facilitators' are now obsolete. I have learnt that the facilitator holds the key to sucess by the way in which they structure the learning experiences.
I have learnt some things about appropriate nettiquette too. Such as;
BTW, THIS MEANS I"M SHOUTING, but if it sounds like I am being hostile I could always add a
to show I am happy or smiling and a to show I am angry. If you say something funny and I respond that I am ROTFL that might be appropriate.I will not want to say anything that might cause offense as I might start a flame war and that would be
.Thanks guys, I will BRB.
Jade
Thursday, August 12, 2010
On line quiz disaster
Hi there again!!!
It has been a very busy few weeks for me. I have been on holiday briefly up to Taupo and Auckland, which was great and just what I needed. I have worked my two hospital shifts at the beginning of the week and have had to sort a bit of a mess out with my other job at Otago. And tried to fit in somewhere being a mum and a partner..
I am the course coordinator for a nutrition paper that had an online quiz as part of the assessment. It was a complete disaster....The students went into the quiz to then find that they could actually have multiple attempts to get the right answer. As I am very new to the quiz set up and moodle I had to lump this problem onto other colleagues. The quiz ended up being stopped and a resit date had to be established. However with the help of the IT dept. it ran smoothly the next time. I have learnt however now a lot more about loading questions onto moodle and how the adaption mode needs to on no to prevent this from happening again...Phew.
Therefore with dealing with all of this, my study got put a little bit on the back burner, but hopefully I'm back on track now. I have had so much fun (and spent so much time) playing on line. I have now subscribed and downloaded Skype (wasted half an hour taking and retaking photos of myself), created a twitter and myspace account and having been playing with google toolbars. All loads of fun. I need to remember that I should be applying this to online learning, but sometimes it just is so fun to muck about..(couldn't think of anyone to follow on twitter, so choose Pink as she had made a comment about NZ wine..) Contemplated following Justin Beiber before thankfully sanity caught up with me.
Although I haven't managed to get onto the elluminate meetings I have listened to the recorded posts and worked through the videos for the weeks activity. I feel like I now understand much more on what facilitating these meetings entails and the 7 skills for being an online facilitator. Initially when Sarah asked me to facilitate an online meeting I thought I needed to know all about the topic but now thankfully I see my goal is quite different. A facilitator is much more like a conductor, to ensure the outcome is achieved, to provide a safe environment, to summarise and problem solve a little What I found great in the elluminate session was when it all went wrong! When all of this scretchy noise occurred and then Sarah explaining what she did to correct it! That was great. I hope I could have the skills to know how to do this for my students in the future. I just need more experience. So I should really take up Sarah's offer to facilitate a meeting. Hopefully she will hold my hand.
I need to know more about elluminate though. How to upload photos and files quickly and easily,
how to set up multiple talkers, how to create and clear polls, how to record the session?
Anyway enough for now, must go and catch up with what Pink is tweeting about!
Jade
It has been a very busy few weeks for me. I have been on holiday briefly up to Taupo and Auckland, which was great and just what I needed. I have worked my two hospital shifts at the beginning of the week and have had to sort a bit of a mess out with my other job at Otago. And tried to fit in somewhere being a mum and a partner..
I am the course coordinator for a nutrition paper that had an online quiz as part of the assessment. It was a complete disaster....The students went into the quiz to then find that they could actually have multiple attempts to get the right answer. As I am very new to the quiz set up and moodle I had to lump this problem onto other colleagues. The quiz ended up being stopped and a resit date had to be established. However with the help of the IT dept. it ran smoothly the next time. I have learnt however now a lot more about loading questions onto moodle and how the adaption mode needs to on no to prevent this from happening again...Phew.
Therefore with dealing with all of this, my study got put a little bit on the back burner, but hopefully I'm back on track now. I have had so much fun (and spent so much time) playing on line. I have now subscribed and downloaded Skype (wasted half an hour taking and retaking photos of myself), created a twitter and myspace account and having been playing with google toolbars. All loads of fun. I need to remember that I should be applying this to online learning, but sometimes it just is so fun to muck about..(couldn't think of anyone to follow on twitter, so choose Pink as she had made a comment about NZ wine..) Contemplated following Justin Beiber before thankfully sanity caught up with me.
Although I haven't managed to get onto the elluminate meetings I have listened to the recorded posts and worked through the videos for the weeks activity. I feel like I now understand much more on what facilitating these meetings entails and the 7 skills for being an online facilitator. Initially when Sarah asked me to facilitate an online meeting I thought I needed to know all about the topic but now thankfully I see my goal is quite different. A facilitator is much more like a conductor, to ensure the outcome is achieved, to provide a safe environment, to summarise and problem solve a little What I found great in the elluminate session was when it all went wrong! When all of this scretchy noise occurred and then Sarah explaining what she did to correct it! That was great. I hope I could have the skills to know how to do this for my students in the future. I just need more experience. So I should really take up Sarah's offer to facilitate a meeting. Hopefully she will hold my hand.
I need to know more about elluminate though. How to upload photos and files quickly and easily,
how to set up multiple talkers, how to create and clear polls, how to record the session?
Anyway enough for now, must go and catch up with what Pink is tweeting about!
Jade
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Akoranga?!!
Hi everyone!! (gosh are there people out there?)
It's Maori language week and I wanted to have an interesting title to this my second blog. I believe that Akoranga means learning, so the aim of this blog is to outline what I'm learning and what I want to learn.
Anyway, I managed to get onto our elluminate classroom this week for our online facilitating course. Elluminate is not brand new to me. I have a new job and role this year with Otago polytechnic as a midwife practice facilitator . I am based in Palmerston North so we use elluminate for our staff meeting. The students also use elluminate for their virtual classroom tutorials (I have yet to teach on them however, but my time will be coming soon.). Also I did a flexible learning course this year and was required to give a short presentation on elluminate. So I know how to get on there, I know a little bit about how it works, but there a lot of features that I have not mastered...so that is my goal. Be a master of elluminate! I have a tutorial to give on elluminate in October I think, so how fantastic would it be if I was a pro...Can see my name in lights!!
This week I was introduced to words and terms in the course that were very foreign to me. Google reader, i google, wikipedia?? Hmmm. Will have to look into them. I am thinking it might be a little bit like when I first heard of facebook. I was like, ???WHAT?? For me, I think I really just need to get in there and have a play and then I can fully understand. Honestly I do not know what google reader even is... Watch this space.
This week I've learnt about synchronous vrs asynchronous learning (look that one up Dad!). I was interested to learn about the positive side effect of on line learning being the breakdown of barriers that possibly inhibit participation and learning. When teaching and learning on line, it doesn't matter about you age, your race, your big pimple on your nose...everyone is the same. So I guess that face to face is always great, but that online has it's own benefits.
So basically I want to master elluminate, but I also want to know (a little bit even) about all these other terms. Skype, twitter, i google, citrix..I want to know what is possible for me to teach and offer my students in regards to using online materials or the computer. Next year I could have and offer smaller elluminate sessions for our local group, or record sessions or use blog or ??? what else?
I do have a student who asked me if she went to America for 5 weeks could we use skype to include her in our weekly face to face tutorials. I hope she couldn't read my poker face...or my blank brain.
How do I do this then? Well I'm not sure. Be enrolled in this course. Utilise the very knowledgable participants in this course to give me a hand, let me know where to go, what to do..
That's a bit lazy isn't it. But seems the easiest to do right now. Blogging off. Over and out!
It's Maori language week and I wanted to have an interesting title to this my second blog. I believe that Akoranga means learning, so the aim of this blog is to outline what I'm learning and what I want to learn.
Anyway, I managed to get onto our elluminate classroom this week for our online facilitating course. Elluminate is not brand new to me. I have a new job and role this year with Otago polytechnic as a midwife practice facilitator . I am based in Palmerston North so we use elluminate for our staff meeting. The students also use elluminate for their virtual classroom tutorials (I have yet to teach on them however, but my time will be coming soon.). Also I did a flexible learning course this year and was required to give a short presentation on elluminate. So I know how to get on there, I know a little bit about how it works, but there a lot of features that I have not mastered...so that is my goal. Be a master of elluminate! I have a tutorial to give on elluminate in October I think, so how fantastic would it be if I was a pro...Can see my name in lights!!
This week I was introduced to words and terms in the course that were very foreign to me. Google reader, i google, wikipedia?? Hmmm. Will have to look into them. I am thinking it might be a little bit like when I first heard of facebook. I was like, ???WHAT?? For me, I think I really just need to get in there and have a play and then I can fully understand. Honestly I do not know what google reader even is... Watch this space.
This week I've learnt about synchronous vrs asynchronous learning (look that one up Dad!). I was interested to learn about the positive side effect of on line learning being the breakdown of barriers that possibly inhibit participation and learning. When teaching and learning on line, it doesn't matter about you age, your race, your big pimple on your nose...everyone is the same. So I guess that face to face is always great, but that online has it's own benefits.
So basically I want to master elluminate, but I also want to know (a little bit even) about all these other terms. Skype, twitter, i google, citrix..I want to know what is possible for me to teach and offer my students in regards to using online materials or the computer. Next year I could have and offer smaller elluminate sessions for our local group, or record sessions or use blog or ??? what else?
I do have a student who asked me if she went to America for 5 weeks could we use skype to include her in our weekly face to face tutorials. I hope she couldn't read my poker face...or my blank brain.
How do I do this then? Well I'm not sure. Be enrolled in this course. Utilise the very knowledgable participants in this course to give me a hand, let me know where to go, what to do..
That's a bit lazy isn't it. But seems the easiest to do right now. Blogging off. Over and out!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Beginning to blog....
WELCOME!!!
I'm Jade and I have made my first ever blog... As I write this, I am drawn into thoughts of the movie Julie and Julia..Hmmm, without the cooking.
Anyway I am a midwife in Palmerston North, New Zealand, and work at our local hospital. I also work for Otago polytechnic with training of student midwives in our area. I love my job!! Yes it's work and I guess I'd rather be in Rarotonga, but there is never a time I don't like providing midwifery care. I feel very priviledged to be a midwife.
So, as part of my job for Otago polytechnic I have been enrolled in a graduate teaching and learning course. I have so far this year done an online paper on providing flexible learning and now my second paper is one on facilitating online. I was really excited about this paper as I am really dyslexic when it comes to computers and online stuff! But hey, I'm getting there. And for this course we are to create a blog. ... SO HERE I AM.. BLOGGING.
I'm Jade and I have made my first ever blog... As I write this, I am drawn into thoughts of the movie Julie and Julia..Hmmm, without the cooking.
Anyway I am a midwife in Palmerston North, New Zealand, and work at our local hospital. I also work for Otago polytechnic with training of student midwives in our area. I love my job!! Yes it's work and I guess I'd rather be in Rarotonga, but there is never a time I don't like providing midwifery care. I feel very priviledged to be a midwife.
So, as part of my job for Otago polytechnic I have been enrolled in a graduate teaching and learning course. I have so far this year done an online paper on providing flexible learning and now my second paper is one on facilitating online. I was really excited about this paper as I am really dyslexic when it comes to computers and online stuff! But hey, I'm getting there. And for this course we are to create a blog. ... SO HERE I AM.. BLOGGING.
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