Connected Learning

Blogging Open Online Collaboration 

[CLBOOC]

Excitations

Welcome Back!

Students across the United States and Canada are returning to school, just as you are. Do you wonder about that? About what other students are doing, making, and sharing?

We’ve been invited to join the Connected Learning Blogging Open Online Collaboration [CLBOOC]. We’ll connect with other student bloggers from

• Oro Medonte, ON CA

• Waterloo, ON CA

• Coaldale, AB CA

• El Monte CA USA

• Honolulu, HI USA

• Nespelem, WA USA

We’ll consider various topics and create responses which we’ll share on our blogs as “Connected Learning Makes” --- #clmake.  That means we’ll be making and explaining projects together, connecting and commenting on each others’ work in our blogs as we learn our required skills in diverse ways shared as blogging buddies.

Explanations

How did this project start?

The teachers in the project connected via social media while participating in a Connected Learning Massive Open Online Collaboration -- #clmooc. Educators participated in “Make Cycles” to become connected learners and leaders. A question was asked: “Why not connect students in the same way?”  From that, one teacher, Julie Johnson, began the process of building a network of connected educators who would connect their students -- which is how we got here, to you, our amazing students.

Expectations

What is expected?

The goal is participation in seven “make” cycles monthly from Oct 1 to May 1 (excluding Jan 1, due to holidays). Each cycle consists of four periods per cycle to cover four weeks in each cycle:

1 Introduction to Make Cycle topic

2-3 Work and Publication,

4 Feedback/comments on peer blogs

Since many students are participating, students will be randomly grouped into a “learning hub,” a group of students to whom each is responsible for connecting, making, offering feedback, and sharing responses. Students may, of course, view and comment on other “hubs,” but their responsibility is to their learning hub.

This is just a start -- how students creatively design and innovate the topic and connections with school district / teacher approval means that many extensions are possible.

General Expectations:

• Complete and publish your “clmake” according to the usual expectations of your school using the #clmaker tag

• Offer feedback and comments to each of your learning hub members

• Comment format: TG: Tell something great, Give a suggestion

• Collaboration: District / School / Teacher approved platform [Google Apps, Blogs]; communicate within established platforms only to remain in the project

• Consider and reflect on the process and your products: What works? What doesn’t?

• Follow Digital Citizenship protocols and guidelines

• Consider the ways you can build a positive presence and relationship within your Learning Hub and other CLBOOC participants.

• Ask questions and provide suggestions as needed to develop the project

• Be a connected learner

Explorations

What topics will be explored?

1. A Personal Introduction (Due Oct 1)

2. Group Name/Design a Group Badge (Due Nov 2)

3. A Travel Piece (Due  Dec 3)

4. Environmental Issues (Due (Feb 1)

5. Social Justice Issues (historical or present day) (Due March 1)

6. Poetry/Lyrics (Due April 1)

7. Completely Open! Do Anything! (May 1)