The Culmination

Today marks the end of this course. With my question ‘to sink or swim? The answer : (None of the above) to surf . In this course I have seen and was introduce to different software it is quite overwhelming at first but with the help of the star facilitator Sarah Stewart. I think I could say I survived.

These are some topic we discussed in the Unit Facilitation on line :

. What is an online community? As for me to make it simple, online community is a group of people with common interest, unity develop with that interest, through the use of ICT tools.

. Facilitating, moderating, or teaching

. Discussion forums

. Blog networks


. Virtual Worlds

. Social networking platforms

. Reflecting on the different kinds of online communities

. Facilitate an event for the course mini conference

. Evaluate the facilitation of an online event

Discussion forum

I felt a bit guilty of discussion forums, I am quite passive about this. I grew up in a culture where small children are not allowed to discuss things with adult. As I child I was ordered to listen. I think until now I still carry this culture. With this course, I should be able to exchange information with CoEds –to have a Collaborative learning with them. I admit that this is my waterloo. I usually shy away from discussion. I don’t want to post just to comment on that other participants just to say…I agree or I disagree…I wanted to add more information but I always lost a word or sometime I lost time…I may not be able to add to the discussion but there are lots of things I learned from other participants.

Of Second Life

To be honest,until now I could not get around my head using second life - a virtual world. I tried joining my second lifes' name is Ilecs Cooperfield. Just to change the avatar took me heaps of time. My children gathered all around me as they are attracted to animation. I was so frustrated using it while they wanted to try it out. My son pleaded to try it...to my amazement with just a couple of minutes he went places traded ad really explored the virtual world. I should be sitting with my children and play on the second life this coming holiday.

Of Blogging

To blog or not to blog?

My first thought about blogging is that it is only for the good writers. But as I read several blogs in different cultures it seems that it does not apply any rule….Wrong grammar or wrong spelling it does not matter as long as you ‘voice’ out what you feel. At first site it looks like a diary or journal of what ever topic you want to write.

This is not my cup of tea, I thought. Why on earth should I shout to the world what I feel/think…who cares…I am a very private person…

Then comes the eLearning which compelled me to write a blog. Here I realized that Blogging is a good tool for education. It is an open notebook(traditional) to the world. My perspective was changed…big time.

In some seminar I joined it states that when I read some of the information of blogging, it would be wise if you make your own blog intellectual specifically for eportfolio. Which is a wise advice.

Like the traditional magazines blogs come in all sort of sizes and categories. It is used in different ways.

Reflections: An Evaluation for ePortfolio Mini Conference

I was so relieved when the mini conference I facilitated was over. There were no major technical glitches, it went smoothly. I am very much indebted to ‘THE’ Facilitator of this course Ms. Sarah Stewart for being so supportive. I was in the verge of giving up the course because It seems that I am overwhelmed with the information that I have to imbibe…I was drowning with information…but our wonderful facilitator pulled me from the flood of information and showed me not only to swim but she thought me how to surf…Isn’t that cool…I was able to surf in the wave of techno world….To you Sarah, my Heartfelt gratitude , hats off to you.

The secret of the success of the conference is highly attributed to the presenter/Speaker, Ms. Bronwyn Hegarty who is indeed an epitome of an educator. With her expertise Bronwyn shared her knowledge unselfishly. A self-made as she is, yet she unpretentiously work with a rooky like me in this mini conference…To Bronwyn…my respect and admiration to you.

The beginning...I was thinking of presenting and facilitating at the same time. My plan was to talk about Retrospect : Self Analysis. I thought of this dual role as I am New to this country and I haven’t met or known of a speaker/presenter yet. The dual role idea for the Mini Conference was turned down. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise as she introduced me to Bronwyn who is working with Reflective Learning. Our main communication in organizing the mini conference is through email apart from call and text messages.

Blogging and emailing through the egroup was used as a tool for promotion. My worry was ‘’what if minimal participants are member of the egroup’’. I tried looking for participants email contacts in Wiki but only found SL. So I decided to look at the email attachment of some participants, I noticed some email address of the invites so I copied them as well, assuming that they are participants that are not member of the egroup. But that was my big mistake because those are personal invites of one of the participant. Again my apology...Any way I already sent my letter of explanation as she demanded. Never the less with these invites and updates the participants are properly guided on where and when the conference is.

I was coining an idea on how to welcome the attendees in the conference room [elluminate]. My original plan was to let everybody introduce themselves but I did not push through with it. (As when Bronwyn was uploading her presentation there were heaps of slides I thought she will use all of them). I wrote a welcome note in the whiteboard, I thought that this would make the participants welcome. I also put up technical advice to check audio. And the Mini Conference sailed smoothly...Alleluia...

Most people tell me “Don’’t be too hard on yourself”. So you will be a judge on how I faired as facilitator here is the link of the recording Reflections. Also here is a link on Bronwyns three step Reflective template...

To all the Participants....Cudos.....Thank you very much