Marie, Jackie, and everyone 
 
I've been a subscriber to 3-4 nifl lists for 3 years now and generally
have been a "lurker".  When this discussion topic of on-line PD came up
I decided I would read all the postings as they came in so I wouldn't
get behind, and would participate at least a few times.  When the topic
on lurkers came up yesterday in Marie C's post, I took my second
opportunity to post.  Here are some thoughts:
 
1)  I think the term "lurker" is offensive.  That word, in all contexts,
has negative connotations.  The result of using that term in on-line PD
is to make non-posting participants feel guilty.  As a trainer, in a f2f
training, I would never intentionally do anything with the purpose of
making the participants feel guilty.   Marie suggested the term
"non-active" but I'll use the term "non-posting".  Although I rarely
post, I feel that I am very active when keeping up with the lists.
 
2)  Participating as a non-poster in the nifl lists these past 3 years
has been tremendously beneficial to my own PD.  I have expanded my
knowledge about adult ed exponentially.  I feel connected nationwide to
other adult educators and to leaders in the field.   I feel up to date
in adult ed trends, research, legislation and hot topics in the field of
adult ed.
 
3)  I click on almost every web link included in nifl posts.  In this
way, I learn about, access, and use the latest in research, think tank
reports, legislative updates, state adult ed websites, classroom
resources for teachers, PD resources, news articles, etc.  Countless
times, the resources I have linked to through the nifl posts wind their
way into the trainings we design and deliver to adult educators
throughout Colorado.  Thus, our 400+ teachers state-wide benefit also
from my participation in the nifl lists.   
 
4)  I think many non-posters are such because of the difficulties in
keeping up with postings.  From the time I left work yesterday until
this afternoon - when I returned to the office from an all-morning
meeting - 30 new posts had arrived - just from the NIFL PD list.  I had
an additional 48 new emails from other lists and from individuals
contacting me about my "real work".   
 
5)  My "real work" has suffered this week as a result of my spending so
much time each day reading the PD discussion list.  In reading just the
nifl PD posts and in composing this posting I have spent an hour.  I
won't be able to keep this up.  I have got to get back to the work I am
paid to do.   But next week, the nifl FOB list is going to have a
dynamite discussion on content standards.  I'd like to try to keep up
with that every day, but can I? 
 
6)  I now work for the state.  When I am in the office and not out
training teachers, I sit in front of a computer all day.  When listserv
postings come in, I am right there to get them.  However,  I have
learned that MANY teachers access email only a few times a month.  For
those teachers, they would be unable to jump in and post responses to a
list discussion because by the time they access their email, they might
have hundreds of posts and the discussions would have come and gone.
So, they may be active by reading, but not by posting.
 
So, the list discussions are very valuable, both to those who post and
those who don't post.  Each subscriber has to find the way - and the
time- that is feasible for her to participate.
 
Many thanks for the time that each of you has now spent reading my
lengthy posting!  
 
Jane Miller
Colo. Dept of Education
PD Coordinator

________________________________

From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Marie
Cora
Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2007 12:10 PM
To: 'The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List'
Subject: [PD 1174] About Participation in listserv discussions


Hi everyone,
 
Yes, I agree:  Jackie you are modeling much of what makes a good on-line
facilitator.  The person facilitating must synthesize and guide and that
is accomplished through many of the examples we have here:  providing
threaded summaries, revisiting questions, prodding and prompting, etc.
This is exhausting work on line because so much of it depends on
writing, and of course you do not have that immediate gauge of body
language, facial expressions, classroom tenor, to help you make
decisions.  You get good at reading between the lines of writing.  I
double up communication by using regular email in addition to the
learning platform - it adds a slightly different layer, it's in a
slightly different format/space, and my emails usually follow different
patterns than communication at discussion board or during chat.  Email
is the space where I do a lot of this background work that helps support
the learning environment.  It's also where I send those
reminder/prodding emails to keep people on track.  I try to respond to
each and every post by learners so that the interactivity is impossible
to ignore, and I ask a LOT of questions.
 
But this is in the venue of an organized, signed-up-for on-line course.
There are certain expectations I have of these participants that
generally ring true (that they want to be there for the duration and
have specific and particular interest in the topic; I can be assured of
direct communication with each person).  Managing or rather moderating a
large discussion list = such as this one - is a whole new ball of wax.
I would be really really interested to hear from people on this list
about what they get out of the discussions when they do not actively
participate.  I just did a quick check of the AALPD Discussion List
archives, and it looks like about 35 subscribers out of some 800
(correct that number if I'm way off Jackie!) are having the
conversation.  So what are the rest of you doing with this discussion?
Do you use it in some way in your own practice or program?  Do you
forward it or tell others about it?  
 
What makes you post or not?  Time constraints?  Comfort level?  Would
you be more likely to post to a discussion list like this one if you
already have experience in other on-line venues?  Are there professional
development activities that Discussion List Moderators could employ that
would encourage participation by folks who read and don't post?  Anyway,
as a Discussion List Moderator, I am constantly trying to figure out how
to draw out the lurkers; and consequently, I am forever intrigued about
the outcomes there because we have no way of knowing what, if any, is
the impact of the Discussion List on lurkers.  We might be able to do
some follow-up and continued discussion with those who post, and this is
difficult enough. But to hear from those who are silent would be the
best treat.
 
Marie Cora
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Leecy
Wise
Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2007 11:25 AM
To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 1165] Re: Leap to Online Facilitation
(was Participation, Engagement, and Completion)
 
At 08:49 AM 5/17/2007, Jackie asked wrote:



But even if they "do come" when one builds the ship, so to speak, it
doesn't necessarily mean that they will interact online. They may read
or reflect, or hesitate for whatever reason. What are some of the keys
to unlocking interactivity online? How does one motivate contributions?
 
What is the next leap in the learning curve to becoming an online
facilitator?
 

Jackie, What you just did in your own response is to encourage
interactivity by summarizing main threads and asking participants to go
a step further. That is key. In my PBS for example, forum participation
is required and highly rewarded (very important), with rubrics to define
the quality of participation expected. Of course, grades become a huge
incentive. Participants are required to answer the prompt early in the
week, with evident support from their readings and experience, and then
return at least twice during the later part of the week to respond
thoughtfully to their colleagues. In the meantime, I am actively
commenting, summarizing, prodding and reminding. The discussions are
amazing, and I never fail to learn more than I could ever teach even in
courses that I have taught multiple times. Teachers  unfailingly report
that they learned more from each other than from any other aspect of the
course, including the readings, which are dynamite. And they keep coming
back.
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