Monday, September 30, 2013

Transpersonal Development


Get the full syllabus of Moodle MOOC 2.

Introduction to the MOOC

Live Introductory Class



Moodle MOOC 2 will start on October 1, 2013 on WizIQ (click here to access the course). The theme of the current MOOC is teaching and leading from the inside out for personal and professional development.



The MOOC will focus on Transpersonal Active Learning (TAL) and teaching through Moodle. Transpersonal development encompasses the whole person. The process takes place within and without as teachers and students learn to lead from the inside out. The live presentations will include the speakers’ reflective process on teaching and learning in fully online and blended learning formats.



Moodle MOOC 2 will also include Moodle for Teachers (M4T) courses for beginners and advanced Moodlers. The courses will be asynchronous (Moodle) and synchronous (WizIQ) with recordings on WizIQ, YouTube, and Vimeo.



There will be two learning areas: WizIQ course area and Moodle for Teachers (M4T) Moodle website. The live online sessions and recordings, tutorials (courseware) and ongoing discussions (course feed) will be available in the WizIQ course area.



Unlike the traditional MOOCs that stress content and course delivery, Moodle MOOC will focus on active learning, reflection, sharing, and collaboration. The aim of the course is for the participants to learn through meaningful connections and social interactions. Participants who wish to receive a certificate of participation will be required to document their learning experiences by keeping a blog, wiki, website, or any other artifact that will include a description and reflection of the live sessions and/or recordings.

Moodle for Teachers Learning Experience (M4TLE)

M4TLE is a self-paced component of the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on WizIQ for teachers and anyone interested in teaching online using Moodle, WizIQ, and other web technologies. The course will take place in the month of October 2013. The MOOC is in the spirit of open education and is completely free.

Participants will become acquainted with Moodle as a course and learning management system. They will learn how Moodle can be used in fully online, blended learning, and the flipped class. The course will only include asynchronous (not dependent on time) element on a Moodle site called Moodle for Teachers. The course is self-paced with ongoing discussions (facilitator and technical support available), live online classes (recordings), videos, and other relevant content.

Support

You will get ongoing support from the organizer of the MOOC, from the course feed on the course, and/or by filling in the following google drive form.

Workload

The workload for the MOOC includes participating or viewing the recordings of the  live session and developing a reflective artifact in the form of a blog, wiki, google drive doc, website, web page on a website and so on to sustain the information relevant to your needs and your learning experiences. In addition, participants will be able to learn to manage a Moodle website as a teacher or manager. The course activities and resources are available below.

Certificates of Completion (Badges on Moodle)

Participants, who are active on the coursefeed (discussions), attend all and/or view the recordings of all the sessions, reflect and write about the live sessions and share the link of their activities (blog, wiki, Moodle, facebook and other social networks) will be eligible for a certificate of completion. This aspect of the MOOC is ongoing, but time-based. The due date for the reflective practice is October 31, 2013.

Learning Environments for Moodle MOOC

There are 2 learning areas for the MOOC:

WizIQ Course



WizIQ course area for the live classes (recordings), content (tutorials), and discussions: http://www.wiziq.com/course/20705-teaching-with-moodle

Moodle for Teachers Learning Experience (Self-paced)



Moodle Experience for a Moodle course: http://moodle4teachers.org There are 3 courses on the Moodle Experience website:



  • Moodle for Beginners

  • Moodle for Non-Beginners

  • Moodle Practice Area including WizIQ live class plugin on Moodle (with teacher editing rights)



Course Highlights

  • Week 1: Active Learning

  • Week 2: Creating Engaging Activities

  • Week 3: Learning & Teaching Online

  • Week 4: Transpersonal Learning

  • Week 4: Live Online Class Experiences

Team of Facilitators

The MOOC and the live online classes will be coordinated by Dr. Nellie Deutsch and facilitated by a team of facilitators. Volunteers are welcome to join and help facilitate the event.

Participants will be able to ask questions in advance and throughout the course through the following google drive document. The live online classes will be recorded for future reference, so don't worry if you cannot attend or if you'd like to review the content.

Invited Guests



Live Online Classes (Click on the title)

1. Moodle MOOC 2: Leveraging Tribe as a Means to Self Actualization with Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach  on Friday October 5, 2013 at 11 AM EST Toronto time. Check your timezone here.

2. How to find Joy in your everyday life with MeiMei Fox on October 7, 2013 at 2 PM EST Toronto time. Check your timezone here.



3. Blending technologies and feedback for EFL writers with  Benjamin Stewart

Wednesday, October 9, 2013 at 4 PM (EST Toronto Time). Check your timezone here.



4. Supernormal (Random House, July 2013) from a scientific perspective -- ancient legends about supernormal powers developed through the practice of yoga with Dr. Dean Radin on October 12 at 4 PM EST Check your timezone.



5. Yes! You CAN make your class interactive with Dr. Rachel Sale on October 13, 2013 at 12 PM EST.



6. Flipped Learning in an Online Course for Teachers with Dr. Marshall

Thursday, October 15, 2013 3:00 PM (EST Toronto Time) Check your timezone here.



7.  Technology That Tutors: Integration of the Blog as a Teaching Tool with Dr. Cheryl Kulikowski-Lentz on Friday October 18, 2013 at 12PM (EST Toronto Time) Check your timezone here.



8. Collaborative arenas for learning, a culture of sharing with Dr. Ebba Ossiannilsson on Saturday October 19, 2013 at 10 AM EST. Check your timezone here.



9. Habits of Effective Connected Learners with Stephen Downes on Sunday October 20, 2013 at 12 PM EST. Check your timezone here.



10. Wanted Home for Courses or Teaching Potential Researchers at the Edge of Science and Spirituality Online with Dr. Nancy Zingrone on October 25, 2013 at 4 PM (EST Toronto Time) Check your timezone here.



11. Moodle MOOC 2: Learning via teaching and sharing online

with Dr. Ramesh C. Sharma on Saturday, October 26, 2013 12:30 PM (EST). Check your timezone here.



YouTube Playlist

Subscribe to the Youtube playlist for the Moodle MOOC and watch some of the participants’ videos and digital artifacts.

Spread the word

You’re invited to second Moodle MOOC of its kind on WizIQ on October 1. 2013. The theme of the MOOC is Transpersonal Active Learning (TAL).

 

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Friday, January 4, 2013

The English Workout with Fluency MC: ESL-EFL Speaking Grammar Vocabulary...

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Friday, October 19, 2012



I have been learning and teaching online since 2003. I took an MA program on education specializing in curriculum and technology and a PhD program on educational leadership specializing in curriculum and instruction online at the University of Phoenix. The instructors modeled what I consider effective online learning through their facilitation. I fell in love with the process of online learning because it offers opportunities to learn about life.

Not everyone is open to learning online nor to being a learner. I say that teachers have the hardest time in the role of a student. I guess teaching has its price. I teach teachers (mostly in higher education) how to Moodle. A participant in a course I'm leading has articulated her sense of failure as she sought for help.

The feedback loop of failure coupled with the feeling of wasted time is spoiling the experience for me. I'd love to hear from others as to how it is so easy for them ... or on suggestions on how to get out of a loop that feels destructive rather than productive.

This is a huge question. I would consider that as the W of a KWHL strategy and fill in the rest. Online learning has taught me a lot about myself and how to cope with my immediate needs. One way was to search for the answer. But looking for answers or the H part of the equation required time which I didn't have. So, the next I had to now cope with time. I had to come up with survival strategies to mange myself and what turned out to be more about me than what was happening in the course. It was not my peers, the teacher, or the content/assignments of the course. I decided to take the challenge and learn about me as a learner and eventually person, Yes, the H brought me to mindfulness, too.

What I love about online or distance learning is that it's about lifelong learning. Exposure to the online learning environment improved my overall outlook on life. The online learning environment offers opportunities to learn more than the content if we let it. We can learn about our emotions and how we cope with them. You have been exposed to the online environment as a student. You may find it interesting to compare how you feel as a teacher in your own courses. I bet you will be on top of things in your Moodle courses. In my opinion and only mine, it's not easy for teachers to take the role of a student.

The participants of my doctoral research study discussed similar lines of thinking when it came to teaching online. They were all instructors of blended online learning programs at universities around the globe. They felt that online learning changed how they viewed themselves, others, and life in general. They felt that they gained openess and greater confidence by teaching/learning online. I would love to continue the research and write about change and the online learning experience.
Botton line: I would use mindfulness meditation practice to get out of the loop.

I also follow a why attitude to my life. Robbins has some interesting ideas on emotions and how they drive us:



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