#clmooc – 2 weeks to blast off!

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You may have heard some of the buzz going around about Making Learning Connected (#clmooc). It’s a MOOC, but in the best sense of cMOOCs — in fact, we’re considering it a massive open online collaboration.

Here are some specifics about the MOOC:

  • It will run from June 14-Aug. 4 (6 weeks).
  • It’s free and open, and anyone is encouraged to participate.
  • It will focus on connected learning and making stuff.
  • It’s being put together and sponsored by the National Writing Project and the Educator Innovator initiative.
  • Participation is very flexible and will accommodate a variety of learning styles and inclinations. We hope everyone will make this collaboration theirs.
  • You can sign up here.

We are also looking for a few groups around the country who might want to put together face-to-face cohorts to meet weekly while the MOOC is going on. We hope to learn something about how this affects participation in online spaces. If you are interested in this, drop me an email for more info.

We hope you’ll join us for the summer of making MOOC and help make it massive, in every sense of the word!

My summer of writing project

Yesterday was the start of my “summer of writing project.”

I have become an ardent fan of the National Writing Project over the last couple years. The people, the projects, and the all-important work they do all stand out to me as a beacon of awesomeness in a sometimes otherwise underwhelming world.

I have had the good fortune to collaborate with many of the good folks at NWP on several projects, including Digital Is, P2PU, and Youth Voices. This summer I am launching into three new collaborations with the writing project.

First, I am helping try to crowfund a Youth Voices Summer Program.

Youth Voices is an amazing program where youth can explore their own passions through reading, research, writing, and collaborating with their peers. Now they are trying to raise funding to extend this to a summer program for youth and teachers in NYC. If there is anything you can do to help, whether it is to make a contribution or to help spread the word, we would greatly appreciate it. I know firsthand what important work this is and how it benefits the youth and teachers who participate. If this project is successfully funded, I will be going to NY to spend a week with these students and teachers. (My participation is self-funded.)

This summer I am also co-facilitating the “Making Learning Connected” MOOC (#clmooc), which will start June 15 and go through August 4. This is a challenging and thought-provoking project that gives me the chance to work with a brilliant group of folks, who I know I will learn a lot from. I am also anxious to try some new ideas in online peer learning.

While I have worked on several NWP projects and have graciously been “adopted” into the group, I haven’t been through one of the group’s hallmark summer institutes – So my third writing project experience will be to go through the Borderlands WP Summer Institute. Saturday was the first orientation meeting for this group.

It was a great group of people, and I can’t wait for July when we’ll be together for a concentrated period of time, reading, reflecting, and of course, writing. (Btw, no one ever told me that BWP has a strong food affinity. More to love!)

An amazing summer project

I have written before about Paul Allison and the amazing work he has done at Youth Voices and on P2PU with badges for interest-driven student projects.

Now, we need your help.

A team of folks, including me and Paul, want to extend this great work into summer to give more youth an opportunity to find their voice and experience connected learning.

To make this happen, we are conducting a crowdfunding campaign to raise the money to give youth and teachers a chance to attend this summer program free of charge. More info is available here at Youth Voices Summer Program.

Anything you can do to help us reach our ambitious goal is much appreciated. We need not only financial donations, but also help spreading the word in whatever ways you can. Twitter, Facebook, email, phone — anything you can do will help.

I know firsthand that the work Youth Voices is doing has a profound impact on the youth and teachers who participate.

Thank you for whatever you can do!

The Potential of Open Resources for Your Classroom

Thanks to everyone who attended our Virtual 4T session on open resources today. Here is the archive. Below are the slides and links that were mentioned.

Feel free to contact us with any follow-up questions or comments.

Learn about the School of Open and more at 4T

4t

Next week is the Virtual 4T Conference put on by the University of Michigan School of Education. This is a free, virtual conference (but registration is required).

If you’ve been wondering what the P2PU School of Open is up to, here is a great chance to find out!

On Monday, May 20 at 7pm Eastern, we’ll be having a panel called “The Potential of Open Resources for Your Classroom.” Jane Park from the School of Open will be joining us for this. Hope you can join this and other V4T sessions and expand your professional learning!