Goals+and+Objectives

Linda: Heidi's idea- Show the power of creating a PLN and the avenues we need to go to in order to get there. Step1 - survey Step2 - Make an iMovie to show our journey and how relationships develop. Include other faculty member and students.
 * Proposed PLP Action Research**

Project: A Culture of Collaboration

Goals:
 * 1) To foster an ongoing teaching and learning community
 * 2) To introduce and develop a connected and global community for our students and teachers
 * 3) To encourage sharing and collaboration among colleagues
 * 4) To introduce and extend the development of professional learning //networks//

Wish List: Create an online collaborative space (possibly a “Ning”) to include:
 * A “Trading Post” - a place for us to trade ideas and find collaborators
 * A place for project-based teams to collaborate
 * A “Newbie Room” with lots of support for those new or fearful of online collaboration
 * A “Help/How To” group with resources and help sheets
 * A clearinghouse of school information: policies, schedules, T&L Paradigm materials, etc.
 * Community-building spaces (not education related, could be part of the trading post
 * Places for individuals to set up discussion groups (Twitter Group, PBL Group, EduGlogster Group, Favorite Apps Group, GROW Cohorts, etc.)
 * A method to self-select the groups you want to follow – could cut down on emails that are not relevant to everyone

Steps of Research:
 * 1) Create a survey for all faculty, and create the time and place for faculty to complete it
 * Ask for discussion/definition of the differences between communication, coordination and collaboration
 * Ask for ideas on what we need right now for professional growth
 * Assess current use of PLNs/desire to learn this type of online community-building
 * 1) Communicate with the GROW committee after our February Professional Day about what our professional growth needs are
 * 2) Offer an informal “Happy Hour” at the ZAC to invite other voices to contribute about what we need now for professional development
 * 3) Evaluate a number of pre-existing Nings or other Collaborative Learning Community software.
 * 4) Work with a “Test Drive” group to use the online product and provide feedback.

Reply from [|Susan Lucille Davis] based on our brainstorming ideas posted on Action Research page.

Wow! There's so much going on here, I'm not sure where to start. I can tell you are excited as a team to get down to business. I have some questions. How do you define collaboration? How does one create and sustain cultural shift in this way? What would this look like if you zoomed in on one of your goals and fleshed it out first, and then did some research? Your team is obviously eager to take on a lot here, and I admire that. In some parts of this, you seem to be examining the culture of your school and focusing on a deliberate cultural shift. In others you seem to focus on the tools. Would it make sense to get a better handle on what you are defining as a collaborative culture from the perspective of your school and then see how you can map out a plan to get there? Are there issues of trust building and willingness to share that need to be addressed before you launch a Ning? How can you bridge from one to the other?

Paula : Just adding a quote from the article Heidi posted for us. Thought it might help us focus on our discussion, or survey questions for, collaboration:

"Learning to Network and Networking to Learn

1. Connect – The growth engine of your learning network is your willingness to reach out and make connections with new people. Leave a comment on a blog post or podcast, reply to a question on twitter, or +1 a post on Google+ (or like something on Facebook). Merely reading, listening, or watching is not connecting. The more people you connect with online, the more you can take advantage of the strength of week ties.

2. Contribute – If you have something to share, post it online where it may be accessible and useful to others. Your expertise (and even your struggles) are valuable to others who don’t have your experience. Anything you create for work (or your own schooling) might as well be shared, and might be valuable to someone else. Making contributions is a way to offer something of value to the new people you are connecting with. Sharing online is even considered a moral imperative by many educators; sharing contributes to the greater good. It’s one way we can pay it forward.

3. Converse – Over time the connections and contributions you make online will evolve into conversations as others respond to you as well. These conversations will in turn grow into relationships, if not friendships. Sharing something about your passions (and challenges) outside of work can also enrich your relationships. Someone you’ve connected with about baseball or raising a toddler might be more likely to respond to your questions about work as well.

4. Request – If you’ve made connections, offered contributions, and cultivated relationships over time… then when you make requests, they are more likely to fall on fertile soil. In circles of educators who connect online, making a request is acceptable and welcome. You’ll find that you’ll receive much higher quality answers and support by asking your network, than you will by simply searching online."

("Getting Smart" blog)