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

Mini Conference

ePortfolio : 3 step reflective framework

Title: How can a three-step framework entice professionals to prepare
evidence for an electronic portfolio?
Date: 8:00 PM NZ time, Monday 30th November
Venue: Elluminate, Back-up skype user name :rosceli.valdrez
Guest Speaker: Bronwyn Hegarty
Description: Bronwyn will be sharing to us one of her master piece on her Doctorate paper.
The presentation will include:
· A description of the Three-step Reflective framework;
· Initial findings from my Doctorate research;
· Examples of how the framework is being used in my teaching and research.
Facilitator: Rosceli Valdrez (rosceli.valdrez@gmail.com or vald9@manukau.ac.nz)


Who is Bronwyn? Let me count the ways…
I googled her name and to my amazement 81,000 + in .28 seconds
You can read her profile on the following blogs just to name a few:
www.blogger.com/profile/12032750297040394983
Bronwyn Hegarty - WikiEducator

Bronwyns Work
http://www.otagopolytechnic.ac.nz/index.php?id=450&clientref=174

Background of the topic
What is ePortfolio? According to Wikipedia…
An electronic portfolio, also known as an e-portfolio or digital portfolio, is a collection of electronic evidence assembled and managed by a user, usually on the Web. Such electronic evidence may include inputted text, electronic files, images, multimedia, blog entries, and hyperlinks. E-portfolios are both demonstrations of the user's abilities and platforms for self-expression, and, if they are online, they can be maintained dynamically over time. Some e-portfolio applications permit varying degrees of audience access, so the same portfolio might be used for multiple purposes.
An e-portfolio can be seen as a type of learning record that provides actual evidence of achievement. Learning records are closely related to the Learning Plan, an emerging tool that is being used to manage learning by individuals, teams, communities of interest, and organizations. To the extent that a Personal Learning Environment captures and displays a learning record, it also might be understood to be an electronic portfolio.
Students have been taught to create digital identities using presentation software or tools to create web pages. Such technologies, however, are not easily utilized by children or elderly people who lack web authoring skills or a hosted site. More recently the use of virtual learning environments (VLEs) in schools and universities has led to an increased activity in the creation of e-portfolios for a variety of reasons. Most of these e-portfolios, however, are retained within the VLE and are not easily accessed outside the VLE. This results in problems of exporting data and related interoperability issues. An alternative approach is to use a system externally hosted to any institution. This permits transition through the various stages of education and employments and even into retirement.
E-portfolios, like traditional portfolios, can facilitate students' reflection on their own learning, leading to more awareness of learning strategies and needs. Results of a comparative research between paper based portfolios and electronic portfolios in the same setting, suggest use of an electronic portfolio leads to better learning outcomes.

To Sink or Swim...

Title: To Sink or Swim...

The Idea is to have an informal discussion that revolves around sharing stories or advice to Rosceli on how to survive the flood of an overwhelming flash information about eLearning with her jurasic laptop.

Introduction:

Rosceli is new to eLearning. At the start of her new found career. She was excited to commit to her studies, but as the course goes on she is beleaguered with information that flows to her email and other resources. She tried to imbibe some of the information…heaps of information that almost drown her. She tried to have a hands-on experience to the new programs to her old laptop but it seems that her hardware is not ready for the high-tech information. As time goes on more and more information and knowledge must be ingested. Now Rosceli is overwhelmed and she does not know what to do. As part of the community, Please try to give her a helping hand. Sharing your experience as a learner will give Rosceli an Idea on how to survive. The story you share will some how coach her how to swim in the flood of never ending stream of information. SOS……Please… join the informal Mini conference…and help Rosceli to survive….