VLGMA talk on Awakening Community: New Tools in a New Age

Awakening Community: New Tools in a New Age

John Boyer ([email protected])Dept. of Geography

Virginia TechTwitter: @plaidavenger

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

The technology tools now available to communicate and to deliver content are

AWESOME!!!

...but don’t be forced into compliance, nor lulled

into complacency....

A few general strategies we use

in super-large classes...

Strategy #1: Increase the bandwidth




Strategy #2: Expand options




Strategy #2: Expand options

Strategy #3: Make a class into a community



-Communicate in their languages


-Communicate in their languagesIncreases teacher/student interactions


-Communicate in their languagesIncreases teacher/student interactionsIncreases student/student interactions


-Communicate in their languagesIncreases teacher/student interactionsIncreases student/student interactionsProvides instant and continuous feedback


These amazing (and free!) new communication tools to that bring people together...most of which your students

are already using!

Tools that help students interact with other

students


are already using!


students


are already using!


students

Professor Facebook/Twitter - class notices, quick polling, instant feedback & casual interaction

Tools that help connect the professor to the students

Professor Facebook/Twitter - class notices, quick polling, instant feedback & casual interaction

Tools that help connect the professor to the students

Tools that help connect the professor to the

students Ustream - Online office hours

Tools that help connect the professor to the

students

Creating a powerful PERCEPTION of availability

Ustream - Online office hours

Tools that help give students a voice during class, building a sense of

active involvement

Twitter - Class hashtag streamed live on-screen




Your students are already interacting in this space (and often interacting about YOU)



Your students are already interacting in this space (and often interacting about YOU)


Strategy #2: Use technology to expand options

-Flexibility in lecture content availability accommodates different schedules



YOURS TOO!





-Flexibility in assignments/assessments accommodates different learning styles and testing strengths


1)13 weekly quizzes x 30pts=400 (+10 for doing all 13)2)Midterm Exam=1253)Final Exam=1254)World Leaders Exam 50x2 =100 (+10 for dressing up)5)Films 10x15pts=150 (15pts each up to 150)6)Non-class events paper=25/each7)Atlas quizzes (11)=1108)Twitter Assignment=2009)Forum Commenting (14wks) =21010)Geographic Film Review=25/each11)Flash Quizzes=???12)Random Attendance=???13)Plaid Correspondents/Artists=??? Total: 1500+ ???

1050 points = A950 points = B

etc.

Our Flipped Syllabus Example

Diversity of student assessment options...combination of automated and

‘manual’ systems

1)13 weekly quizzes x 30pts=400 (+10 for doing all 13)2)Midterm Exam=1253)Final Exam=1254)World Leaders Exam 50x2 =100 (+10 for dressing up)5)Films 10x15pts=150 (15pts each up to 150)6)Non-class events paper=25/each7)Atlas quizzes (11)=1108)Twitter Assignment=2009)Forum Commenting (14wks) =21010)Geographic Film Review=25/each11)Flash Quizzes=???12)Random Attendance=???13)Plaid Correspondents/Artists=??? Total: 1500+ ???

1050 points = A950 points = B

etc.

Our Flipped Syllabus Example

-Create assignments that utilize the on-line environments they already use...


.....and harnesses their knowledge, creativity, and energies

Strategy #3: Build a learning community

Sounds kind of sappy to me....


...I mean, they are coming to class to see me, the expert, not other students.


...I mean, they are coming to class to see me, the expert, not other students.

So why bother building a community?

-Helps keep students engaged, interested, and active before/during/after class

A college course is a holistic learning experience for an entire semester, not just during the live class session...and you cannot be there personally all the other hours of the week

-Students who feel they are a part of a community help each other and inform each other much more

Basically, because a community can increase student learning, learning opportunities, and may even make your job way easier than dealing with 3000 individual

students

-Perhaps cliche, but collaborative learning and working prepares students much more for ‘the real world’

Not sold yet? Then let’s make it more real:

A COMMUNITY can answer each other’s questions...3000 individuals will ask you the same question

3000 times



3000 times



3000 times



3000 times

And a community can take care of problems as well...

like our FACEBOOK SCANDAL


Community building is not all academically-oriented either...

More important than the mundane: a COMMUNITY of learners can often form a more logical climbing team to knowledge than you can...

More important than the mundane: a COMMUNITY of learners can often form a more logical climbing team to knowledge than you can...

A COMMUNITY knows what everyone else is up to...3000 INDIVIDUALS working solo do not



Peer review, group projects, and peer to peer networking can really raise the standards of student work

A COMMUNITY feels comfortable and even compelled to add to the class in a great diversity of ways

...a class of INDIVIDUALS does not

A COMMUNITY working together can achieve more than an INDIVIDUAL can on their own...and can make

the impossible possible with a collective voice.

A COMMUNITY working together can achieve more than an INDIVIDUAL can on their own...and can make

the impossible possible with a collective voice.

...GROUP SYNERGY evolves organically

Aung San Suu Kyi Noble Peace Prize Winner

and chairperson of the National League for

Democracy in Burma

Led to live Skype session with her

Initial interest from Burmese student

Skype shout out & social networking by students

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chairperson

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chairperson

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_League_for_Democracy




A COMMUNITY keeps up with each other after the class is over

...INDIVIDUALS in a class typically do not

Thus we are seeing creating a life-long community of learners that grows every

semester, and now includes alumni, family members and friends...

A COMMUNITY keeps up with each other after the class is over

...INDIVIDUALS in a class typically do not

Thus we are seeing creating a life-long community of learners that grows every

semester, and now includes alumni, family members and friends...

Creating life-long learners...isn’t that

what we teachers are all about?

...but what are business types doing with this digital “community” stuff?

Business Objective #1: Manage your PR





-to at least “appear” to be attentive to consumer concerns


-to at least “appear” to be attentive to consumer concerns

-increasingly the (easiest/cheapest/best) way to collect feedback on products and service

Business Objective #2: Build Brand Loyalty


-cradle to grave consumers: get users in early



-get to them in every avenue of media/communications possible


Trust the Capn’n


-get to them in every avenue of media/communications possible


Trust the Capn’n


-get to them in every avenue of media/communications possible-God save us from Disney

Business Objective #3: You are on our team


If I said: Less filling!





-build a sense of belonging; you are not alone




-positive feedback loop: you are on our team, you matter, buy more, you matter more




-positive feedback loop: you are on our team, you matter, buy more, you matter more

Business Objective #4: Screw Big BusinessThis community stuff is empowering individuals




-Power to the (entrepreneur) people!


-Power to the (entrepreneur) people!

-Individuals, and individuals working together as a shared voice, can focus and enact change like never

before

...and thus, what could you laggards in government do with all this “digital community” shizzle?

...and thus, what could you laggards in government do with all this “digital community” shizzle?

Gov’t objective: Distributing Info/Interacting with Public

-”Public online office hours” = Ways public can interact with gov officials and learn more. Students don't come to office hours, its intimidating,

inconvenient, etc - same with public. Some don't want to go to hearings or the office or a live Q&A, give them another option.

-Post answers where all can see it....why repeat yourself a thousand times?

-People (esp this generation) access info in different ways. Used to digital information that they can get anytime and where (YouTube, Wikipedia,

Google Hangout)

Gov’t objective: Keeping Finger on the Pulse

Twitter: I'm sure they all have accounts - but if not get on it! Use a program like Tweetdeck or Hootsuite to search for your town/county name so you know what the conversation is about. Also use it to search locally

for tweets about certain pertinent topics. Are they mentioning construction, or wondering why their trash

is not being picked up, etc.

Don’t just “push” information, Twitter can be a discussion. Respond to those with issues.

‘The community’ knows where citizens are talking/complaining/voicing their concerns (Reddit, Craigslist)

-What are their main concerns?

-What are they ranting about?

-What are solutions others are proposing?

Gov’t objective: Keeping Finger on the Pulse

Gov’t objective: Crafting the narrative

-Control the narrative, before users’ narratives control you-Enact a sunset on the “SUNRISE”

-Get your community to head off the trolls

But there is just one catch....

But there is just one catch....

You can’t actually “make” a community.

AND speaking of ‘catches’....there are some things that need to be

recognized about this community ‘revolution’...

-It is a ton of work. Especially up front.

AND speaking of ‘catches’....there are some things that need to be

recognized about this community ‘revolution’...


AND speaking of ‘catches’....

-The more successful you are, the more time consuming it can become.

there are some things that need to be recognized about this community ‘revolution’...




-Administration and support have to pony up







-Administration and support have to encourage experimentation, and not condemn failure







-Harness the tools to serve you....don’t serve them.





-It will all change tomorrow.



-Harness the tools to serve you....don’t serve them.

But this stuff is awesome!Communicating knowledge,

communicating ideas, communicating curiosity,communicating passion,

empowering individuals....




Isn’t that what teaching and public service is really all about?




Isn’t that what teaching and public service is really all about?

And everything I’ve talked about is simply a megaphone for

amplifying your voice

Technologies in society are not just gimmicks: HARNESS THE TOOLS!


Citizens don’t have to be passive: HARNESS THEIR ENERGY!



You don’t have to do it alone: HARNESS USER KNOWLEDGE and SKILLS!

A strong community is a potent force: HARNESS THE POTENTIAL!



You don’t have to do it alone: HARNESS USER KNOWLEDGE and SKILLS!

VLGMA talk on Awakening Community: New Tools in a New Age

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