Online Learning Communities

There are many advantages to online learning and to online teaching. As an online student, I have the flexibility to engage in learning whenever and wherever I want. I have had the opportunity to learn together with people from across the globe in a range of contexts - private schools, international schools, small rural schools in Northern communities and schools in large urban centres. I have been able to learn from some of the top experts in the field from around the world.

But the sense of community and connection in online classes varies, and I've experienced this both in online classes that I've taught and online classes where I participated as a student.

Recently, I completed two long-term online classes as a student - a three year online doctoral program from Western University and the Self-Regulation Facilitators course from The MEHRIT Centre which took about 18 months. In both classes, a range of strategies helped us to build community and connections, even though we never met in person.

At the #BIT2018 conference in Niagara Falls this November, I am facilitating a Learning Spaces conversation around the topic of Building Community in Online Classrooms. I'm looking for ideas from both the perspective of the teacher and the participants about How do you build a sense of community in an online classroom?

Some strategies from my own experience:

1. Small group size. At Western, our cohort of 13 students remained together during the entire three years so it was easy to get to know one another.  At the MEHRIT Centre, when I teach the Foundations Courses, I typically have an average of 15 students. Even though the courses are only 6 weeks long, I still have time to get to know each student.

2. Online video classes. In addition to our online discussion boards, readings and assignments, our courses at Western included several video conferences each semester using Blackboard Collaborate.  Timing these was problematic, as we had students in China, Qatar, Tanzania, Alberta, and Mexico.  If the video conference was at 8 pm, then it was 3 am for the student in Tanzania and 8 am in China. But these video conferences allowed us to chat with our instructors and one another in small groups.

3. Group Work.  When I saw that we were required to do some group assignments in our courses at Western, I was hesitant.  But the group work assignments were really helpful. Even though we had to deal with time differences and technology challenges, we got to know one another.  One of our assignments was to read a section of each person's major paper, and give them feedback. My partner and I had two Skype meetings; we spent more time talking about the program and the course assignments in general than giving feedback, but that it was good to be able to have that conversation. However, not all group work assignments build community. One of our group assignments for Western had us working in a group of 7.  There were 6 questions so each of us took one question, and posted our answer on a google doc.  The last person to pick was assigned the task of editing for clarity and continuity, and then presenting our group's work to the class.  I didn't really get to know anyone in my group during that assignment.

4. Social Media. Both the Western EdD group and the MEHRIT Centre facilitators group have a Facebook page. Not everyone has joined, but those who have are able to connect informally on Facebook to share resources, ask questions and stay in touch. I also follow online colleagues on Twitter and Instagram, and share ideas there as well.

What other strategies for building an online community have you experienced, either as a student or as an instructor?

How do we build a collaborative learning community in an online environment?

Please share your ideas!  


Update:
Doug Peterson and Stephen Hurley had a very interesting conversation about this blog post on This Week In Ontario Edublogs, which you can listen to at the archives on VoicEd.ca


Their conversation prompted me to think more deeply and write another blog post on this topic.

Exploring MindMaps

I'm hoping that some of you who are far more tech savvy than I can weigh in with some helpful hints and suggestions.  Please!

My final assignment in my current online course is to create a mind map for a three chapter document that will be created as the culmination of my doctorate studies.  First, I had to decide what program to use to create the mind map.

I started with Popplet which was suggested by someone who had done this assignment last year.  I had used it just a few weeks ago with a group of Grade 3 students so I had heard of it.  It is visually very appealing and easy to use.  It was easy to insert images which helped reduce the text-heavy appearance of some samples I had seen.  But two major problems:  one, it kept crashing and it would take FOREVER to log back in. Instead it just spun and spun and spun.  Someone suggested I try a different browser and that helped.  It gave me no end of troubles in Safari but worked fine in Chrome.  But secondly, you can't add hyperlinks.  This was a deal breaker for me.

So I tried downloaded the free 30 day trial to try Inspiration.  I had used Kidspiration with students about 15 years ago when I was a learning support teacher and had fond memories of this program.  Again it was user friendly - easy to create the mind map, easy to insert graphics and you can insert hyperlinks.  But, quite frankly, I thought it was ugly.  It looked old and dated.  I'm sure that had I taken even more time and played with it longer maybe I could have made it more visually appealing but Popplet had spoiled me.  Popplet created mind maps that  looked good automatically, so I knew there had to be something better out there.

On to iMindMaps and another free 30 day trial.  It has lots of options but frankly by this time I had used up an entire morning and I really just wanted to get going so I picked out a template I liked and got started.  It looks good, it's easy to use and you can add images, hyperlinks and notes quickly.  I'm sure you can do lots of other things with it as there seems to be an infinite number of buttons and drop down menus.  Some day when I have more time, I'll explore all of those but right now I just want to finish my assignment on time.

So I've finished the mind maps for Chapter 1 and 2 and I'm hoping to finish Chapter 3 soon. But now what?  My free 30 day trial runs out shortly and then what?  It won't let me save it as anything else so in 30 days I have to pay up or lose access to my work?  I can't print it out - it's too tiny.  I've tried zooming in on sections but it's still small and it would take a whole day to zoom, cut, paste, etc.   I appreciate that this task has helped me to think about my work differently and notice connections that I hadn't seen before.  But is there a way to create a more useable document than this finished product?  Those of you who use mind maps, how do you move on from a digital format?  Or do you?

Some of my colleagues in this same class are using other programs.  One is using Popplet and has had problems with freezing and lost work.  One is using Prezi, and another abandoned the idea of electronics after spending a day exploring different programs and is using coloured pencils and paper.  I think in the future I would probably use mind maps again to help organize my work but I'm still a linear sequential, list making girl at heart.

Chapter 1 & 2 done; Chapter 3 in progress

A Week Without Wifi

Last week hubby and I were at the Occidental Cozumel Resort for vacation of sun, sand and snorkelling.  The only free wifi was on three laptop computers in the hotel lobby and, rather than pay over $80US for wifi for the week, I decided to have a week with (almost) no wifi.   I say almost because once or twice a day I took advantage of the international data plan on my husband's phone to check in with my girls at home using Messenger and do a quick Facebook check.  But no Twitter, no Facebook posts, no blogs, no online courses, not even email.

I didn't realize how much I was enjoying the break from online news until Wednesday when I decided to go to the gym instead of going for a run.  Another guest was there using the treadmill and she had the TV tuned into the National Prayer Breakfast in the US.  Trump was speaking about how Mark Burnett had been the producer of Apprentice and what wonderful ratings it had when he had been the host but now that Arnold Schwarzenegger was the host the ratings were terrible.  What????????   Then he recalled that when he was campaigning and people would tell him they were praying for him and how much he liked that.  How had Trump managed to make the National Prayer Breakfast about his TV ratings and his ego??????
(Read the White House transcripts of his speech here)

When she left, the other guest turned the TV off.  Until then, I didn't realize how much extra stress the news about Trump and his various actions had been adding to my life.  Pierre Elliot Trudeau said that living next to the US is like sleeping with an elephant - we are affected by every twitch and grunt.   We can't just ignore what is happening there; it has an impact on our lives.  And I knew that the election campaign and the results had definitely been a stressor for me.  But it wasn't until I shut the news off for a few days that I realized just how much of a stressor it was and still is.

Now that we're back home and back on wifi, I will remain an informed citizen but I will use self-reg to be cognizant of when my stress levels are rising.  I can choose to seek out positive and uplifting messages, go for a walk, head to the gym or find some other activity that returns me to a calmer state.  If only I could just live at the beach!

This little fish swam right up to my mask to say hello! 

Interview with Doug Peterson

I was tickled pink to be interviewed by Doug Peterson for his blog Off The Record.  Doug and I worked together for many years and he supported me and countless other educators in exploring how we could use technology to support our own learning as well as student learning.  Here's our interview from his blog post:

I had the honour of working with Lisa Cranston for a number of years in her role as the Early Years Consultant. Geographically, our offices were about as far apart as they could be in our area and yet her door was always open when I needed her candid advice. I was so pleased when she agreed to the interview.

Doug:  I always start by asking people where we first met.  I remember, do you?

Lisa: I believe we met on a golf course when I was invited to attend a Program Department year end golf outing just before starting with the department.  I was partnered with you and our friend Debbie.  I remember that Debbie wasn’t a golfer so she was really impressed when either of us hit a drive that went any more than about 150 yards! Is that right? 

Doug:  Bingo!  I think we did drive them more than 150 yards if you count the entire distance as they sliced.

One of the things that you always did that impressed me was staying on top of current issues and research.  Do you have a strategy for doing so?

Lisa: I try to keep current by accessing a wide range of sources.  The doctoral courses keep me plugged into academic journals and scholarly articles.  I use social media like Twitter to find links to popular articles, and follow a few blogs as well.  The thing I like about my doctoral program, the self-regulation courses I’m taking through the MEHRIT Centre and social media is that you have access to  ideas from educators around the world rather than only the local or Ontario context.  And I’m naturally curious and love to learn, so that helps too!

Doug:  The other thing that equally impressed me was that, unlike others, you aren’t constantly name/theory dropping and always approached topics practically.

Lisa: That’s only because I have a terrible memory and can remember what I’ve read but not where I read it or who wrote it!  I often want to jump to the practical application of research and theory and sometimes need to be reminded to take time to ground myself in theory before moving to application.  

Doug:  One of your first jobs in the Program Department was that of a Mathematics coach.  What was your focus when working with classroom teachers?

Lisa: My main focus as coach or consultant was on building relationships with educators. My goal was to build a reputation where I was viewed as a resource, a person with some expertise but really coming into the classroom as a co-learner with the teachers.  I tried to avoid being seen as ‘the expert from the board office’ who was coming to tell someone how to do their job.  

Doug:  Over the years, we’ve seen the results from standardized testing take a hit on the system.  What’s your theory?  Are we just that bad at teaching Mathematics?

Lisa: I think there are some fundamental problems with standardized testing and there is far too much weight put on EQAO scores.  It is only one quick snapshot, one piece of data, on student achievement.  I also think it’s terrible when the media use test scores to rank schools or judge teachers. I”m not convinced that the standardized tests accurately reflect student learning, especially in primary grades. We create a classroom culture of collaboration and then administer standardized tests that force students to work in isolation. 

Doug:  Is there a magic bullet that will make it turn around?

Lisa:  I don’t believe in magic bullets.  There’s a false dichotomy of ‘we need to teach basic facts’ versus ‘teaching math through problem solving.’  I think students need both a firm foundation in basic facts as well as a conceptual understanding of mathematics.  And teachers need to have a deep understanding of the mathematics that they are teaching and what good math pedagogy looks like and sounds like.

Doug:  One of my personal highlights was working with you and a number of Primary teachers in a technology project that involved computers, SMARTBoards, and sound pedagogy.  We created materials and led many workshops as a result.  What are your memories of this?

Lisa: I think we did so many things right with that project!  First we focused on the pedagogy first, not the technology.  The teachers looked at the technology through a critical lens – was this simply an interactive worksheet or was it good pedagogy? Second, we chose teachers who weren’t technology gurus. Some of them were quite intimidated by the technology at first, and they became huge advocates for integrating technology into classroom instruction. We had one teacher who didn’t even have her own classroom but was ‘on a cart’ providing prep coverage and going from classroom to classroom and she made it work!  

Over time, those teachers took on leadership for workshops and delivered PD to other teachers in our board and at regional conferences.  There was so much power in their presentations because they could talk about their own journey with the project and the impact it had had on their teaching and their students’ learning.

Doug:  A massive project that you took the lead on was the five year implementation of Full Day Kindergarten.  It’s now seen as the way that the school district does business.  But, it didn’t happen overnight.  Since you don’t believe in magic bullets, there has to be a story or two from that project that you can share.

Lisa:  Massive is right. It was unlike anything I’d ever done before.  On this project, I got to coordinate with people from so many different departments – human resources, facility services, business, transportation, IT, as well as with the staff from the co-terminus board and child-care facilities.  The first few years we had to open FDK in schools with existing room but in year three we started building new classrooms and renovating some older classrooms.  I got to work with architects, had input on blueprints, and work with the purchasing department to buy all the new materials.  There were nights when I would wake up in the middle of the night, thinking I had made some sort of multimillion dollar error, but overall it was a blast.  By the end of the five year roll out there was a whole team working on this project with me, and the learning was incredible.  The pedagogy in kindergarten has completely transformed since 2010 and I can see the work we did is now influencing teaching in other grades.  We have gone from teaching based on themes like ‘teddy bears’ or ‘winter’ to student-led inquiry learning inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach to education.  It’s been amazing.  Now that FDK has been rolled out in all of our elementary schools and with the ministry release of new Kindergarten documents in the Fall 2016, it seemed like the perfect time to retire and have someone else take on the leadership for Kindergarten in our board. 

Doug:  Recently, you have enjoyed the end to a distinguished formal career as an educator.  Yet, you continue to work at education.

Lisa:  I retired from my position at the board but I haven’t retired from education.  I like to keep learning and exploring topics in education that interest me.  There are so many ways to learn and collaborate online.  I’m doing my doctorate online with Western University and taking courses on Self-Regulation through the MEHRIT Centre. 

I am a member of a couple of Facebook groups like Inquiry Based Learning in Kindergarten and Math in Inquiry Learning, but I wanted a group that discussed things from a leadership perspective.  I couldn’t find one, so I started one called Leading in Education.  I recently started a blog called Opening Doors for Learning.  In the past ten years we moved away from the ‘sit and get’ style professional learning workshop to being co-learners with teachers at the school level through models like collaborative inquiry and lab class.  The title of the blog, Opening Doors for Learning, is meant to reflect that movement towards deprivatizing teacher practice.  Writing for me is very cathartic – I have all these ideas in my head and writing them down for the blog helps me to reflect on my thinking and my learning.  It’s not written from the perspective of being an expert, but from the perspective of a learner.

I’m still learning how to share the blog with others without feeling like I’m saying “LOOK AT ME!”  Self-promotion is uncomfortable for me, yet I get really excited when I see that people are reading my posts.  I had an article published in the June 2016 issue of the Journal of Staff Development and I have one in an upcoming issue of ETFO Voice.  I’ve also submitted a book proposal and an application to present at an upcoming kindergarten conference.  That’s a bit scary – you submit your work and it may be rejected, but when it gets accepted it’s pretty darn exciting!

Doug:  You shouldn’t feel badly about sharing your blog posts.  How will many know that you’ve written something new?  It only gets annoying when you repeatedly announce old posts time after time.  If you want some advice, I know a guy from St. Marys.  In the meantime, keep writing and sharing your wisdom via the various media you’re using.

As you mentioned, you are now committed towards a Doctorate.  What will be the area of your research?

Lisa: Western University has a really interesting approach to the doctorate program.  If you are in the PhD program, you do research with the long term goal of a career in academia.  But they also have the Educational Doctorate program (EdD), which I’m in, that has a focus on developing educational leadership skills by creating an Organization Improvement Plan for an identified Problem of Practice. So I’m still doing lots of reading and learning but with the long term goal of applying the learning. My Problem of Practice is focused on helping kindergarten teachers and ECEs to develop and deepen their understanding of self-regulation – how to teach it, how to document it and how to assess and report on it.  It’s a big part of the Kindergarten Program document that was released by the Ministry of Education in June 2016. 

Doug:  You have my best wishes with this endeavour.  I look forward to calling you Dr. Lisa.  As with all things, you continue to impress.  I wish you all the very best with all that you’re juggling.

Thanks for the interview.

Lisa:  Any time!

You can check out all of the interviews posted to this blog here.