Drape's Takes

I'm speechless, really.

Last night's inaugural OpenPD session went so smoothly that I wasn't even sure we were attempting the same thing we did back in the fall. In a word (or two):

As a result, conversation was engaging, educational, and very refreshing. Throughout the night, nearly 60 participants joined in on the action - with Ustream numbers hovering around 35-40 throughout - as we discussed several issues related to the inclusion of social software in one's curriculum and instruction. Click here to see for yourself.


To recap (and reflect on what we still need to improve):

• Ustream worked great. Audio and video quality was surprisingly good.
• Skype audio was also great. In fact, Jeff Utecht really did sound like he was in the next room. On a funny side-note, I'm still not convinced that one of the teachers present actually believes that Jeff was chiming in from China! : )
• The 9-person Skype limit is still a pain. Without moving to an Elluminate-type virtual classroom setting, what else is out there that compares? The quality of Skype is amazing. It would be nice to have more quantity.
• Meebo was nice. Or was it? Kicking out the occasional sexbot was interesting (just like high school - lol), but here's a huge bummer: We couldn't save the chat. Perhaps if I create a room associated with a Meebo account? I haven't been able to play with it enough to know the best scenario but will find a solution before our next session. And yes, I love the fact that you can participate in the chat without creating an account. See our "Get Connected" page to experience it first-hand.
  
• Robin stays pretty busy managing the Skype call while teaching. It would also be nice to have a person in the call that focuses on the chat conversation. You know, someone that could verbalize what was written in the chatroom. I think that would help every participant feel more involved. Any volunteers?
• I need to do a better job at switching the camera. You know, get the camera off of me while Robin is teaching. It's well documented that I'm an excellent multi-tasker so I'm not too worried about getting this done (pledging to do my best).
  
• If we can't archive the chat (or chose not to), it would also be very helpful to have someone record the links that are shared. After all, that's the best part about archived chat. Any volunteers?
  

Anyway, a huge thanks to all that joined us last night. This has been an exciting adventure and I look forward to next week's class!

Technorati Tags: openpd socialsoftware08 skype meebo ustream professionaldevelopment

If you are a teacher, administrator, or technology specialist that would like to learn more about the many free, online tools that can be used to enhance your teaching, then consider yourself personally invited to join us for round 2 of Open Professional Development - Social Software in the Classroom. Round 1 was such a success that we'd love to have you learn with us and look forward to an exciting, open, and collaborative experience.

• When - Class will be held once a week (for five weeks) beginning Wednesday, January 23rd. Class sessions will be held from 4:30-7:15 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time. Click here to translate these times to your time zone.
• Skype - If you don't have a Skype account, you will want to create one ahead of time (free), as Robin Ellis will be moderating a Skype chatroom throughout the class. To join in, send her a quick message through Skype: robin.ellis1. We recommend you use a headset for the conversations throughout the course, using one will minimize the echoing effect you may experience.
• Class Wiki - Our class wiki (with schedule and future participant portfolios) will be available here: http://openpd.wikispaces.com/. To join in on the action, please join our class wiki.
• Attendance - For teachers not receiving in-service credit, perfect attendance is not required.
• Come One, Come All - While this class is intended to help newbies learn more about the educational uses of Web 2.0 technologies, experienced users are equally welcome (and appreciated, as the sum of our knowledge is what truly makes these new technologies so appealing).
• If you are a teacher in the Jordan School District, you may also register here to receive JSD lane change credit.

Hopefully, I'll see you soon!

Technorati Tags: openpd socialsoftware07 socialsoftware08 classroom professionaldevelopment education technology

To technology professional developers (and social software enthusiasts) worldwide:

Social Software '07 ended on such a high note that Robin Ellis and I are ready (and preparing) for rounds two and three.


One thing we'd like to change in rounds two and three is how you (and your teachers) participate. While we want the class to remain open to anyone around the world, we think it would be more effective if we could get multiple sites to participate in the teaching, as well as the learning - you know: we'll rotate teaching. With five sites, each site can teach one week.

Below are the details as they have been established. Some details can change, some can't.

Round 2 - Social Software Overview

Details That Can't Change

1. Wednesday nights, consecutive from Jan 23 to Feb 20. At my site, we will be meeting from 4:15pm to 7:15pm (Mountain Standard Time).
   
2. This class will be held on Wednesday nights, for five consecutive weeks.
3. In this class, we will be covering a wide range of social software tools and how to use them to teach (much like we did in our Social Software '07 class).

Details That Can Change

1. I must meet for 3 hours each night with the teachers in my district. We can decide as a group, however, at exactly what times we want to connect with each other (from 4:30pm to 7:00pm, for example - or shorter if preferred).
2. The curriculum can change - in fact, Robin and I would like to work with YOU to design the perfect curriculum.

Round 3 - Blogs & Wikis in the Classroom

Details That Can't Change

1. Wednesday nights, consecutive but with one jump: Feb 27, Mar 5, 19, 26, and April 2. Again, we will be meeting from 4:15pm to 7:15pm (Mountain Standard Time).

Details That Can Change

1. Again, the content. In this third round we wanted to focus on a few specific social software applications (like blogs and wikis), really get down and dirty with the details.
2. Again, we'd like your input in designing the curriculum.
   

Technorati Tags: socialsoftware07 socialsoftware08 education technology professionaldevelopment open