Orchestrating Change: Harmonizing the Personal, Social, and the Digital in a “Community of Learning”

Orchestrating Change: Harmonizing the Personal, Social, and the Digital in a “Community of Learning” CCCC 2009, San Francisco Joe Moxley, Quentin Vieregge, and Kyle D. Stedman

The Problem Creativity and expertise of instructors Shared pedagogy

How can computer technologies change the way we think about digital and interpersonal networks?

Interactive online communities facilitate agency at the personal and the communal level.

The Community of Power “The very structures that make possible democratic representation and egalitarian administration also create technologies of surveillance, control, and repression” – Mark Taylor cc photo adapted and modified from “Seagram building” by sinor favela

The Community of Learning “The grid does not merely disappear but morphs into forms that are dynamic rather than rigid, organic rather than mechanical, complex, rather than simple.” -Mark Taylor . . . CC Photo Adapted and Modified “Guggenheim Museum Bilbao” by bastian

Agency: the ability to act, to give voice to ideas, and to affect change at both the individual and the communal level

From the One to the Many Theorizing About Networks Sarnoff’s Law: “The value of broadcast networks is proportionate to the number of viewers.” – Howard Rheingold Students Instructor Instructor Instructor Instructor WPA

From the Many to the ManyTheorizing About Networks “Reed’s Law is the link between computer networks and social networks. . . . When the network enables transactions between the individual nodes, the value is squared. When the same network includes ways for the individuals to form groups, the value is exponential.” – Howard Rheingold

From the Many to the OneTheorizing About Networks Centrifugal Forces: When individuals practice creativity and interactions that redefine the writing program, changing it • Submitting new projects • Underlife Innovation (Teachers trying new things and sharing) • Uploading project documents and links • Collaborating with other departments • Critiques (Open and Closed) • Proposals CC Photo by Joe Rollerfan, “Italian Trapeze”

From the One to the Many--REVISITED Centripetal Forces: When crowds of teachers and WPAs move from discordant, sometimes contradictory practices to a shared focus, a shared pedagogy • Shared outcomes • Program-wide rubric • Pedagogical commitments (informal writing; computer literacy; etc.) CC Photo by Sabbath Photography, “brody-faded/south park cycles”

The Law of the Few Theorizing About Networks Mentors, Collaborators, Leaders

Vision • Outcomes • Goals • Teaching Philosophy

Collaboration • Instructor Links • Discussion Boards • Web-Part Pages

Diversity Diversity involves an open exchange of ideas by Faculty, WPAs, students, and the University Community

Diversity

Communication “I know some of these conversations seem off topic for an FYC listserve, but I for one appreciate the sense of community it gives to those of us in the program. As long as we remember to also share the good news (today was rough with sushi poisoning and the collapse of the liberal arts!) “Keep the conversations coming!”

Investment • Mentoring program • Names on projects • Staff, University Administration, Librarians, University Faculty

Process • Ethos of change • Multiple centers of power • Summer revisions • Multiple committees (act as checks and balances)

Process Instructors modify assignment but adhere to objectives. Instructors use material on program site. Instructors upload assignments; modified by administrators and peers.

Responsiveness • Teacher and student program evaluation • Rubric

Shared Practices • Essentials List • Outcomes • Practicum • Observations • Administrative conversations

Visibility • Newsletters to University, Teachers, and Students • Letters to Soldiers • Going Green Tampa Bay • Podcasts • 21st Century for Teaching Excellence • Gen Ed Council

Distinctiveness • Interplay of agency between communities and individuals leads to distinctiveness. • This inspires vision.

Orchestrating Change: Harmonizing the Personal, Social, and the Digital in a “Community of Learning”