For part one of our Multimedia Montage Project (MMP) we are
required to join a professional online educational community that will help us
to design our MMP. I chose to join the professional development community
on Thinkfinity because my project will be rooted in teacher learning. One
of the main reasons why I chose this particular community was the discussion
topics that I saw as I was browsing the site. The majority of posts deal with adult learning issues, as to
be expected on a professional development site, but a lot have to do with
technology and teacher training.
So, I think that this would be a valuable resource in that respect. A discouraging observation I made was
that there are tons of postings that people put up, and people read them, as indicated
by the number of views. However,
the majority of the postings only have a few replies. This shows me that community members are reading what their
peers have to say, but there is a lack of communication and sharing within this
particular community. I wonder why
people are not responding to people’s posts as frequently as they are viewing
them. Could it be a time issue? Do
people feel uncomfortable responding to a total stranger?
In my opinion this is counterproductive to the purpose that
this discussion board serves. As a
member I will be seeking the advice of other members to help me implement my
MMP project to the best of my ability.
One of the requirements of the project is to receive feedback from your
fellow online community members. I
hope that someone will respond to my requests for feedback as this project
moves forward.
On another note, I noticed that a lot of the postings do not
have to do with ISD or the ADDIE model. As a professional development provider,
I feel that the ADDIE model is great way to design adult learning
experiences. The steps in the
ADDIE process also correspond to the three steps in the change
process—initiation, implementation, and institutionalization (Fullan, 2007). The ADDIE model incorporates needs
assessment, capacity building, goal development, plan piloting, and constant
evaluation (Hodell, 2011). All of
these elements are important if one is looking to create and most importantly
sustain change within an organization.
I hope that I can contribute some information and insight in this area
to the Thinkfinity group I just joined.
References
Fullan, M. (2007). The new meaning of educational
change. (4th edition). New York: Teachers College Press.
Hodell, C. (2011). ISD from the ground up. (3rd edition). Alexandria, Virginia:
ASTD Press.
Hi Jen,
ReplyDeleteI empathize with your frustrations about those who view Thinkfinity posts versus those who actually RESPOND to them. I had that conversation with a fellow colleague a few months ago in fact. It's unfortunate that there are significantly more "lurkers" in the ed tech community than actual "posters." You mentioned this was a "professional development" community... Could you tell me what the actual name of the community is? Also, it'd be great if you could join multiple communities (in AND out of Thinkfinity) to gain additional perspective for developing your MMP.
The ADDIE model doesn't seem to be too popular among the education population. I actually met with Chuck Hodell and a few colleagues this past summer to discuss his model and he mentioned that it is often implemented in business settings and the corporate world. He also mentioned that the military instills this model of development when training. Despite its versatility, I feel it has yet to really permeate the educational community (outside of college students who are required to read his work, that is!).
It appears your MMP is going to focus on teacher professional development, but I'm interested to know more specifically what you're hoping to accomplish through your project.
I'm looking forward to seeing how your project evolves over the course of the semester!
Erica
Hi Jen,
ReplyDeleteFollowing up from my previous question as to the formal name of the Thinkfinity community you joined, I realized from Tyler's post that he too joined the "Thinkfinity Professional Development Community." This isn't actually a formal group that you sign up for, though. I know for a fact that this group is actually in place for those who are certified Thinkfinity trainers (because I'm a certified trainer). This community may not be the best one for you to follow in terms of what you're looking to get out of it for your MMP. Keep us posted on the other groups you're planning to join.
Thanks!
Erica