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We will be using a web site called Web Knowledge Forum (WebKF for short) or a new program called Knowledge eCommons (KeC) and to access it, you need access to the Internet and a web browser. I recommend the latest version of Firefox. You may have Internet Explorer on your computer - that is OK too. You can have more than one browser on your computer. I also like using SeaMonkey as it has a built-in web editor. Once you have logged into your ISP (Internet Service Provider), start up your web browser and type (or copy) the following address (URL) into the browser's location box: (to be announced) ) - please note that this link will be ready for you to log in on May 3.
If you have bookmarked (or put in favourites) the course information site, the links you need for the course are there. (http://astralsite.com/1799) When you arrive at the WebKF site, you will see that you need a username and a password. I will set up accounts for each of you in that site so to get in, your username is your first initial followed by your last name (for example, mine is skarsten - note - there are no spaces and everything is lower case) and your password is your first name - all lower case (e.g. - selia). and this takes you into the conferencing area. You may want to bookmark the WebKF site separately.
One of the first things you should do when you enter the site is scroll down the menu on the left side of the screen until you find the Change Password option, then PLEASE CHANGE YOUR PASSWORD. We do NOT have to all be in WebKF at the same time - this is not a chat room. If you have any trouble either finding the site or getting into it, please send me an email at selia.karsten@utoronto.ca right away in case I spelled your name wrong or did something equally foolish. I will check it out and reply as soon as possible.
When you get in to the course site, you will find views (topics or headings) already set up. In the image below are examples of the Views in WebKF for the summer of 2009. The Views will be similar again this spring.
Introductions - This view is to introduce each participant. I ask that each of you post a note there telling about yourself. It is helpful to know what brings you to this course, for example, if you are teaching, what subjects and what age groups. What is your focus at OISE? Is this your first online course? What experience do you bring related to holistic concepts and/or using computer technology? You will all be sending me the answers to a survey so that I can help you to better reach your objectives and as a warmup to this Introduction View. Remember that the information you share will be helpful in determining learning partnerships and teams. You are also asked to upload a small digital picture of yourself or at least, an image that you wish to be identified with.
WebKF Help - There are two views in WebKF - "Getting Started" and "WebKF Help". In the Help view you may post problems encountered with webkf and ask questions about how to make it do what we want it to. Anyone can help if you know the answers or have suggestions since the experience with WebKF among the members of the class varies from first time user to "I've been here since the earth was warm". This view remains throughout the course to be used as necessary. More advanced users are requested to please act as mentors to those new to technology.
Other
Views:
Most of the Views listed
can be easily anticipated by the titles given.
I
have set up a view for each team where they can post messages related to
their project. There are also views for discussions of the readings and
for commenting on the weekly discussion topics. You are not required to
comment on EVERY single posting - one thoughtful response to each topic
is minimum though you may want to get more involved in those topics that
you are particularly interested in. It is important to keep up as the volume
of postings can be quite overwhelming if you are not vigilent. Use the
feature that puts"new" beside Views where you have unread messages. As
you read messages, mark them as read. Note the posting number, name of
author and subject line for postings you plan to respond to later. The
Views for this summer may vary slightly from last summer as I update and
change the assignments.
The course will also be using the BlackBoard Learning Management system. A few of the course activities will be done with this system so that you can become familiar with the way it works. For this, you will need to have a utor account - normally this is part of your registration process. If you have an active utor account you can easily log in to your course with your user name and password. Also it makes it easy to send email to individual class members as well as to teams. Please go to this page - http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/ec/getting_access.php to read about Getting Connected. Here you will find information on OISENet, the T card and on your utor ID and Blackboard.
Step-by-step instructions
to create a UTORid to access Blackboard are available
at: http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/ec/academic_computing/bb_get_started.php
PDF Files - From time to time during the course, you go to specific sites on the Web or do some exploring for sites. I may also post some files for you to look at and read. Some files may be in a format called PDF. If you are an Ontario teacher and have visited the Ministry of Education site for curriculum or other documents, you are likely familiar with this format. These files cannot be read by regular word processors and you need a PDF file reader. This program is called an Adobe Reader and is available free of charge in many places (including the Ministry site I believe). If you do not have the Adobe reader and wish to get it, you can also go to Adobe Reader on the web and download it free of charge.
MSN Messenger Chat - In this course, it is necessary to be able to "chat" in real time, synchronously. This can be a challenge if you and your learning partner or memebers of your team live in another time zone. With careful planning, you can schedule your chats so all can participate as needed. In order to use the chat program in MSN Messenger, you will need to open a hotmail account. You can find all of the instructions here - http://download.live.com/messenger
Web 2.0 Resources
We will be exploring Web
2.0 tools and social networking programs such as Facebook - http://astralsite.com/1799/web2.0.html
You will be taking part in sub-conferences in the Holistech2010 Conference set up in BlackBoard.
Sub-Conferences have been created for the following topics:
Cafe
- this is for our informal use and can be used to visit with each other,
talk about things that are not course related. It's a place where
we can be informal and kick back and talk about anything we would like
(usual rules of propriety of course).
Tech
Stuff - this is where questions and answers related to computer
technology will go, monitored by coach/mentors - those with more advanced
skills.
Tips
-
this is where ideas for doing things can be posted by "those in the know"
Resources
- this is for sharing URLs for useful sites or for downloading software
or links to helpful articles
Additional sub-conferences
may be added if the need for them becomes apparent during the course.I
have left some messages from last summer where I believe they can be helpful
to you.