I’m still developing what my identity online is. I admit I am still struggling with old habits, and am still more of a visitor than a resident. I get lost in the infinite reading and video material. I do though see myself buying into how “learning becomes worthwhile when it is expressed, submitted to processes of collaborative critical discourse” (van Oosteveen et al, 2016, p. 5). The idea of strong community where contributors trust and assist one another is something I can see forming in our MALAT cohort. I can see elements of groups, nets, sets and communities and collectives. I enjoy the structured roles that emerge in group and set work, and have seen personalities emerge quickly to assume roles in group tasks thus far. Networking and connecting with eLearning experts and fellow educators is a major focus of mine as I move forward with my career. Furthermore, developing the ability to “shift, evolve, mature and change” (Veletsianos, 2016, p. 245) utilizing new methods of communication and information sharing will facilitate a newfound virtual community connection for me. At least I hope it will……

References

vanOostveen, R., DiGiuseppe, M., Barber, W., Blayone, T., & Childs, E. (2016). New conceptions for digital technology sandboxes: Developing a Fully Online Learning Communities (FOLC) model. In Proceedings of EdMedia: World Conference on Educational Media and Technology 2016 (pp. 665-673). Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE).

Veletsianos, G. (2016). Digital learning environments. In N. Rushby & D. Surry (Eds), Handbook of Learning Technologies (pp. 242-260). UK: John Wiley & Sons.

NOTE — This post is part of Unit 3 – Activity 1