Tapped In Newsletter: August 2001

...ON THE TAPIS
August 2001
Issue 45

In This Issue

[1] Member Perspective: Susanne Nyrop
[2] Online Sessions: Call for new leaders
[3] Creation of a Discussion Leader
[4] SIG Gem of the Month: ArtsSites
[5] MOOs Around the Net discussion: Are you interested?
[6] Technology Tips
[7] What others are saying about us...
[8] About ...On the TAPIS

Quote of the Month - "A good leader, it has been said, inspires other people with confidence in the leader, a great leader inspires them with confidence in themselves." - Raymond Dreyfack, Developing Leaders

[1] Member Perspective: Susanne Nyrop

Susanne Nyrop is an active and regular TAPPED IN member since November 2000, a frequent HelpDesk volunteer and community builder from Denmark, Europe. After the Summer Carnival Susanne wrote, "The possibility of collaborating online with the TAPPED IN regulars as well as helping the newcomers around has given my life a whole new and unexpected dimension. I have found both friends and colleagues to enrich my understanding of online community building in everyday practice." Read all our member perspectives.

[2] Online Sessions: Call for new leaders - by Judi Fusco

I don't know if you've looked at the different sessions on the After School Online Calendar lately, but the topics are GREAT! We are very lucky to have members volunteer to lead sessions and share their knowledge and expertise with us, but we imagine there might be a few more potential leaders hiding out there, and we'd love to hear from you.

We've had people express interest in a K-8 Science discussion group, an English Teacher's Forum, and a group for K-3 Reading so we're looking for leaders for those groups in particular, but we're also interested in hearing ideas you have for sessions! If you have interest please reply to this message and let us know! Also, read the companion article in this newsletter (see number 3) written by long time member and Social Studies Forum Leader Michael Hutchison to see what his experience as a session leader has been.

[3] Creation of a Discussion Leader - by Michael Hutchinson

I have been a TAPPED IN member for more than three and a half years. Active in TAPPED IN for some time, I had worked with Terry Gray and ED's Oasis, and had some idea about what to expect and how to lead a community. In the late spring of 2000, I began to gauge interest in a social studies forum in TAPPED IN. I did this by posting messages in several listservs geared to education technology and social studies. The first session was announced in late June 2000. We've met on Wednesdays ever since.

The SS Forum, although led by me, really belongs to everyone who participates in it. At the end of each session participants suggest discussion topics for the following week. Each weekend, I post messages to the lists I subscribe to. I announce the session title and time and mention that there are "help desk" personnel available to assist new users. Posting weekly announcements takes 15 minutes to a half hour. I've seen my role as "host" evolve from being the main contributor to being a "master of ceremonies". I ask people to introduce themselves online, remind everyone about projections, and assist anyone who needs help. TAPPED IN staff assist new users, and edit each week's transcript for the listserv. Our listserv is a great way for us to exchange ideas, store transcripts, and post resources.

Special "guests" who demonstrate something that can assist us in the classroom have included PBS, the Library of Congress, Cable in the Classroom Magazine, "History Matters", and other resources. Previously developed contacts and email are used to get these people online.

Included in the many positive things being a host are the opportunity to meet some interesting people and make some close online friends. I also feel that I'm involved in an important professional development activity, as well as learning about new ideas and methods in my field. While I enjoy hosting, I enjoy the Community of the TAPPED IN SS Forum which enables me to get someone to "pinch hit" for me if I need to be gone or on vacation.

Ed Note: Read Michael's Perspective on our member perspectives page (see August 2000).

[4] SIG Gem of the Month: ArtsSites

Special Interest Group (SIG) Discussions try to meet the needs and address the issues of specific groups of educators. For current groups take a look at the calendar of events. The following dialogue is from a planning session for the ArtsSites Blanket the World with Peace Project.

AnnaCM says, "I think the first step will be to come up to a good plan so that we can take it to potential funding agencies."

DaleB asks, "What do you need funding for?"

GraceCH says, "You need to decide where you want to go and what you want to do before you can discover what the funds will be needed for."

AnnaCM says, "I wondered how many teachers would be able to create a web page for the project without funds? Some, possibily, but others might need technical assistance."

Vivian [guest] asks, "believe that Kodak made a Millennium quilt. They support education - maybe contacting them would be a place to start?"

SandraAK says, "We will have a new art teacher in our middle school. Perhaps, s/he will be interested in this project."

KevanN says, "there are tech people in each District who could be valuable contributors to the effort."

SueMR says, "Would these designs be either computer generated or original hand drawn submissions"

AnnaCM says, "We may have Croatian children, Native American children, people who do not have access to digital equipment. we could ask for volunteers to help them."

KevanN says, "If the quilt is to be truly representative of all of the participants, all formats should probably be accepted as long as they arrive digitally"

Read the complete transcripts of past discussions in the TAPPED IN archives and join the ArtsSites discussion group on the first Thursday of the month. The next ArtsSites meeting will be September 6 when a special double session is planned. Register for the MEET ME list to receive the weekly/monthly topics for each discussion group.

[5] MOOs Around the Net discussion: Are you interested?

Recently Tari Fanderclai contacted TAPPED IN to see if we are interested in hosting an After School Online discussion for the "MOOs Around the Net" project. The MOOs Around the Net project is a series of tours of professional and educational MOOs and similar virtual environments (for those of you who did not know, the technology under TAPPED IN is currently MOO technology). We would invite others in to see TAPPED IN and be invited to tour other MOOs too. To make this discussion a success we would need members from our community to attend and share their experiences with TAPPED IN, perhaps show off their offices, and share how they use TAPPED IN to collaborate. If you are interested in attending a discussion like this (dates and times to be determined), please contact us.

[6] Technology Tips

Getting An Office
Any TAPPED IN member can get an office and use it for private meetings, a quiet place to retreat, and a place to store documents. To find a vacant office, visit a floor above the third floor in the main TAPPED IN building and click on OFFICE DIRECTORY. When you have found a vacancy on a floor that you like, click on VIEW MAP in the top left of your screen and go to the wing where your future office is located. Type /OCCUPY OFFICE. Just follow the prompts and enter the room number (do not type the wing letter). Then click on UPDATE. Congratulations, you are the proud owner of a new office!

Advanced Tech Tip of the Month: Remodeling your office
You've had your office for a while and think it's time to redecorate and maybe add a room? Take a look at the offices page for tips from the simple to the sublime. To get some ideas of what others have done with their office read the Parade of Offices transcipt in the After School Online Room Transcript Emailer in the Summer Carnival 2001 folder.

[7] What others are saying about us...

Kevan Nitzberg's sequel article to Art as Memorial is now online. It is called Keeper of the Peace, and refers to ongoing art projects that are meant to involve people in focusing on peace as opposed to violence. Included is a reference to the Blanket the World with Peace Project.

[8] About ...On the TAPIS

Postings of all ...ON THE TAPIS issues are available on the TAPPED IN website. Contact us if you have any questions about your subscription, password or user name, or if you have any news items that you want to share with the community for ...ON THE TAPIS.