Tapped In Newsletter: November 2008
...On the Tapis
November 2008
Issue 132
In This Issue
[1] Member Perspective: Lynne Wolters
[2] Collaboration - by BJ Berquist
[3] Tips and Comments from the Experts
[4] News Nuggets
[5] Tapped In Technology Tip
[6] About ...On the Tapis
Quote of the Month - "Do not confine your children to your own learning for they were born in another time." - Hebrew Proverb
[1] Member Perspective: Lynne Wolters
Lynne Wolters is a learner and teacher, with a history of technology use ranging from ditto machines and rotary adding machines to Web 2.0 Tools for Schools. Teaching assignments include a community college professional web master program, and as a Professor of Educational Technology. Lynne is fluent in creation of learning environments online via instructional blogs, wikis, or course management systems. Lynne is the group owner/facilitator for "Web 2.0 Tools for Schools" and "E-Portfolios Discussion Group".
Lynne's Perspective
I first came to Tapped In as a Pepperdine Ed Tech graduate student. Total immersion and high motivation are excellent factors for quickly learning the ins and outs of Tapped In. All of my classes and small group work were completed in TI. What an amazing experience!
Who knew it was possible and probable to make lasting and intimate relationships online? Who knew you could have class members from across the country and around the world? Who knew you could have high quality, demanding curricula delivered in a place like Tapped In? Who knew you could continue growing, learning, and leading in this very same online community, for more than a decade?
Read the rest of Lynne's Perspective.
[2] Collaboration - by BJ Berquist
If you go to the TI homepage and click on the About tab, you will see, "Research has shown that student achievement is directly linked to teacher quality. State and national teaching standards provide a framework for teachers' professional growth that requires teachers to engage in ongoing professional development throughout their careers. The increasing demand for continuous professional development means that providers must expand face-to-face programs to include online activities and content that engage teachers anytime, anywhere. The growing recognition that no single organization can satisfy teachers' ongoing professional development needs requires that educators and providers form communities to share strategies, resources, and support. Tapped In was developed to support this vision." In other words, educators need to collaborate!
In writing this article, I thought I'd try to find out how members of the TI community view this noble vision of Collaboration as stated by the creators of TI. Is this vision being realized? Do educators understand and value the many collaborative opportunities provided by the TI community? In my research (prodigious use of the search tab) I learned that 12 member perspectives contain the word "collaboration." Bill Brewley's Member Perspective states, "I use Tapped In because I'm a strong believer in the benefits of communication and collaboration technologies in teaching and learning. I also believe that teachers are among the most isolated of professionals, with few opportunities to share lessons learned and new ideas with colleagues, a problem TI helps solve." You can read more member perspectives here.
My "research" also included scrolling through over 600 discussion posts dating from 2003-2008. (My eyeballs are still scrolling!) The following are some of the gems buried in those discussion archives:
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"Collaboration where everyone knows what is going on also opens the door for different perspective and ways to go about things."
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"Share any ideas you have to be a supportive resource to not only your cadre but other cadres."
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"The only collaboration that I have is to assist new and puzzled teachers to the best of my ability."
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"Technology in the classroom can provide effective communication, collaboration, and plenty [of] support. The internet can also help students and teachers with the learning objectives and student collaboration in a unit."
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"The Kezar article, [Kezar, A. (2006). Redesigning for collaboration in learning initiatives: An examination of four highly collaborative campuses. The Journal of Higher Education, 77(5), 804-838] although not specifically focusing on outcomes of collaboration, offers excellent suggestions for environments that promote or encourage collaboration. Kezar found that such things as the mission or philosophy of the institution, intentionally created campus networks, rewards, and external pressures contributed to providing an environment that encouraged collaboration among departments. A list of ten recommendations is also included for those interested in creating change and developing collaboration on a college campus."
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"An important aspect of a desirable learning environment is one of sharing knowledge rather than competing for knowledge. For example, Pepperdine encourages collaboration and promotes the activity of building on existing knowledge to further the scholarship of the profession."
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"Collaboration includes ideas that involve group work and community building."
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Are you realizing the full potential of this 'noble vision' for collaboration? If not, why don't you try participating in the calendar events for their intrinsic rewards instead of the extrinsic requirement of an online class; have your special interest group collaborate with another group to expand the group topic (Social Studies Forum collaborates with American Indian Studies, Reflective Work for PD collaborates with Teachers-in-Training); have your K-12 Student Group collaborate with another class for literature circles, to do research in a resource group like NASA, or to participate in global projects. Join the Tapped In Group Collaboration Community. The Tech Tip this month shows you how to collaborate with another group.
[4] Tips and Comments from the Experts
I just wanted to take a moment and thank the TI folks again for you wonderful and extremely useful site. I chair the National Art Education Association Web Site Advisory Committee (Kevan Nitzberg, Craig Roland, Mike Gettings, Jim O'Donnell and Harold Olejarz) and we have continuously made good use of Tapped In for our chat sessions, file reviews, and documentation efforts, including the development of the rubric for assessing state art education association web sites. This information then gets sent onto the National Art Education Association for dissemination. It has been approved and will be used this coming year by NAEA for review of state associations' web sites worthy of recognition.
We also continue our ongoing work with the NAEA web site and Tapped In has allowed us to gather thoughts and summarize key points in an efficient manner. We are into year three of our work and Tapped In has been with us all three years. I sent you a message about a year and a half ago thanking Tapped In. We felt it was time to let you know again that your good efforts are truly appreciated.
On behalf of the entire NAEA Web Site Advisory Committee, Cris Guenter, Ed.D., Graduate Coordinator, Dept. of Education, California State University, Chico
TI member Mac Carlton sent this message to the Tapped In community: I've been a member of Tapped In for over 10 years. The idea that it is a place where you can find renowned educators from around the world and connect with colleagues worldwide is unique and invaluable. I don't know how you do it all. It's great.
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I visited the Tips and Tricks virtual field trip of Tapped In [led by Dianne Allen]. After the initial sign in, I was greeted by the staff of Tapped In with great surprise. Not being computer proficient, it was great to have help there waiting to assist in the navigation of this web site. It was informative as well as enjoyable. Learning how to maneuver through the doorways in search of other educators with similar interests and issues was enlightening. I found this to be yet another avenue for providing educators with help with ideas. There are many sites out there to visit and one can spend hours looking for something new, a different way of teaching, or a new twist on an old idea. This site however, for me, will be one I will visit in the future. What is so overwhelming about other web sites for me, is that there is usually no one there to help you or answer your questions. Two thumps up!! - Leslie Meiners
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If you have a comment or experience to share with the Tapped In community, please submit the information to BJ Berquist at bjb@tappedin.org or post how you use TI here.
[5] News Nuggets
TI member and discussion leader Patricia Chen was bestowed the honor of teacher of the year for Dr. David L. Anderson Middle School, Stuart, Florida.
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Next Vista had its first Awards Night on Monday, October 20th. In addition to very nice desserts done by the culinary arts program at the school where TI member and discussion leader Rushton Hurley teaches, Next Vista celebrated several of the contributors with the first round of Distinguished Content Creator Awards. Visit the Next Vista Group room to view some of the award winning sites.
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Author: Margaret Farren, a member of TI, presented a webcast on e-Learning and Action Research as Transformative Practice on November 6, 2008, during an Innovate-Live webcast, produced as a public service by, ULiveandLearn
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Do you have a News Nugget about yourself or another member of the Tapped In Community? Send your News Nugget to BJ Berquist at bjb@tappedin.org.
[5] Tapped In Technology Tip
Collaboration Between Groups
To collaborate with another TI group go to your group room and select Settings at the bottom of the blue menu on the left of the web window. Then select Member Management and scroll down to Collaborating Groups. Invite the group with whom you would like to collaborate. That group owner will get an email with your request. They will go to their group room, select Settings and Member Management and accept the invitation. When the invitation is accepted a featured passageway to the invited group will automatically be added to your group room. The invited group will need to add a featured passageway in their group room to your group room. These passageways will allow all members of both groups to enter both group rooms, share resources, post to the discussion boards, and collaborate!
[6] About ...On the Tapis
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