This document provides an overview of how to connect and collaborate online as an educator. It discusses various online tools like wikis, blogs, social bookmarking, microblogging, photo sharing, and virtual classrooms. It provides examples of how to use these tools and guidelines for interacting respectfully online. The document encourages educators to spend time online each day, choose an online persona, and find people to connect with by searching topics of interest and writing their own content. It also emphasizes maintaining an online presence through a personal learning environment.

1. It’s about us – Working in a Global Community!

2. Consider…
Raise your hands if you:
1.Have travelled outside of WA
2.Have travelled outside of Australia
3.Regularly connect with work colleagues or family living outside
of Australia
4.Travel overseas for work
Keep your hands up if you connect via the internet. 

3. 2001
A story…
Virginie Aimard, Bonn
Tony Carr, Cape Town
Original image: 'Newlands, Cape Town'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/13827198@N00/7875689
by: Released under an Attribution-NonCommercial License
2009 Delhi, India

4. How do we connect online?
Read/Listen Write/Talk Create/Share
http://creativecommons.org/ns#"
about="http://www.flickr.com/photos/futureofm Original image: 'pencil Original image: 'Palette'
ath/75798654/"><a rel="cc:attributionURL"
href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/futureofmat rainbow' http://www.flickr.com/photos/35387868@
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</a> / <a rel="license" 29648757@N00/2540944174 by: Jake Rome
href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by- by: Ross Wood
nd/2.0/">CC BY-ND 2.0</a></div>

5. I’m not going online, ever!
Original image: 'Kids # 43'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/81765265@N00/870076539
by: Jean-Marie LBReleased under an Attribution-ShareAlike License

6. Frankie Forsyth – home office
Photo © Frankie
Forsyth, all
rights reserved.

7. Frankie Forsyth – online
Del.icio.us Edna groups
Own Websites
Me.edna
Twitter
Flickr
Bloglines
Facebook
Wikispaces Skype
i-Google
Plus other people’s web spaces!

8. How to get started?
(get connected)
1. Allocate yourself 15 -30 mins each day for your own PD
and/or time to go online
2. Consider your purpose, why are you doing this?
3. Analyse your willingness to ‘be there’ – be seen, heard,
read, commented on and decide how open or private you
want to be.
4. Choose an online persona (separate the professional from
the personal) eg Moodleman, whereisdot
5. Talk to your friends/colleagues re their online spaces and
identities so you can connect to them online.
6. Do an online challenge – 30 day blog, 100 day photo, 23
things.

9. Ways to connect
• Email, newsletters
• Listservs
• Blogs – posts and comments
• Twitter
• VOIP tools eg Skype
• Networking sites eg Ning, Facebook
• IM, Live conferences, PD activities online
• Photo sharing eg Flickr
• Presentations eg Slideshare

10. Places to visit & things to see
Google Maps
Webcams
Blogs
Delicious/Social Bookmarking
Discussion forums
Skype Wikispaces
Twitter
Wikis
Flickr
Elluminate or similar
YouTube
Face book
Online Surveys
Voice emails

11. Finding people to connect with
Approach 1
1)Search your topic area for
people, organisations you respect
AND who have an online
presence eg in Nursing midwifery
http://sarah-stewart.blogspot.com/
2)Post responses to what they
have written that moves, inspires Photo by Petra Released under an Attribution-ShareAlike
License
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brartist/313272029/in/photostream/
or enrages you.

12. Finding people to connect with
Approach 2
1)Write yourself into existence
in your own space. This is what
Sarah Stewart did and she is now
well known in her field.
2)Comment back on the blogs
of those who are commented on
Photo by Petra Released under an Attribution-ShareAlike
License
yours. http://www.flickr.com/photos/brartist/313272029/in/photostream/

13. Australian educators visible online
Any of the Flexible Learning Leaders from 2000 to 2004. Plus in no particular
order…
Leigh Blackhall (now in Canberra) Jo Kay
Sue Waters Robyn Jay
Peter Shanks Leonard Low
Michael Coghlan Kirsty Sharp
Alison Miller Marlene Manto
Carole McCullough Harriet Wakelam
Dorothy Waterhouse Kerry Johnson
Al Upton Jude Connell
Graham Wegner Caryl Oliver

14. Educators visible online
(outside Australia)
Nancy White (USA) Stephen Downes (Canada)
Will Richardson (USA?) Gilly Salmon (UK)
George Siemens (Canada) Alan Levine (USA)
Lee LeFever (USA) Barbara Ganley (USA)
Jay Cross (USA) Ewan McIntosh (Scotland)
Tony Carr (Africa) Cathy Moore (USA)

15. Listserv – online facilitation
Nancy White

16. Emailed Newsletters
Sometimes blog writers, professional associations offer
to email a newsletter to you.
Sign up for these and review them for their usefulness
after a few months.
Ditch the ones that aren’t useful to you, i.e. unsubscribe.
BE RUTHLESS!
Two newsletters I receive are:
Stephen Downes Oldaily
http://www.downes.ca/
Flexible Learning Framework Newsletter
http://flexenews.flexiblelearning.net.au/

17. Stephen's Web
[CHAT] [DISCUSS] [SEARCH] [MOBILE] [ABOUT] [Archives] [OPTIONS]
OLDaily
by Stephen Downes
November 16, 2009
How to become part of a blogging ecosystem?
So often, people create a blog, write a few posts,, and then
wonder why they haven't attracted any readers (or they create a
Facebook or twitter account, write a few posts, and wonder why
they don't have any followers).
To become somebody who is followed and read, it is necessary
to become a part of the ecosystem. This in turn requires reading
other people, commenting on their sites and participating in
discussions, responding and reacting when people comment on
your comments, and spreading the message beyond the
confines of your blog (or social network) account. Lilia Efimova,
Mathemagenic, November 16, 2009 [Link] [Tags: Twitter, Books,
Networks, Web Logs] [Comment]

18. And...ask people to join you. 
Gathering of Hawaii Learning Colleagues:
My wife and I will be heading to Hawaii for
10 days this Friday, for a combination of
vacation and connection with some
colleagues. If you live in Hawaii, we will
Tweet invites be hosting an informal gathering on
Monday, November 23rd in the late
afternoon in Honolulu.
Email invites
If you are in the area and would like to
join us for a conversation about learning
(and a few drinks), please send a note to
me at emasie@masie.com

19. Blogs
http://blog.tv.discovertasmania.com/

20. How to join the blogosphere?
How to become part of a blogging
ecosystem?
From Stephen Downes’ OLDaily
http://blog.mathemagenic.com/2009/11/16/bec
oming-part-of-blogging-ecosystem/

21. Ning

22. Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/home.php

23. VOIP
www.skype.com/

24. Virtual Classrooms

26. Creative writing and art
http://www.deviantart.com/#
http://www.lulu.com/
Original image: 'thursday morning desk' http://www.flickr.com/photos/24782931@N00/3310970739 by:
Tony Delgrosso. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Lf9ukWrJCo&feature=channel_page

27. Keeping track of it all!
1. Create a PLE for yourself to use as a launching
pad for all your online spaces/activities
2. Use an online bookmarking service to ‘store’ the
places you’ve visited and want to remember
3. Use a feed reader to pull together the blog and
other posts into one place
4. Download or Save the most critical information
you’ve posted in an offline space
5. Develop a routine for ‘being online’

28. Personal Learning Environment

29. Feed Readers – Bloglines

30. Online Bookmarking - Delicious

31. Connecting – Make it fun 
personal networks

32. Socialising Spaces
Skype
Facebook
Twitter
Original image: 'IMG_5299.JPG‘ http://www.flickr.com/photos/39039882@N00/2346557449by: Tantek Çelik

33. Skype

34. Be visual - Flickr
1. Post your photos and graphics
on Flickr
2. Tell your friends and
colleagues your name so they
can find you
3. Use tags to identify the
photos and find them later HINT: Only post photos you
feel ok to post
4. Explore Flickr for photos you
think are great and comment
on the owner’s pages.

35. Flickr –
online
image
storage
and
sharing

37. Comments and
Conversation
http://www.flickr.com/photos/
briansolis/2735401175/

38. Latest
Version
http://theconversation
prism.com/

39. http://flickrcc.trainingo2.net/

40. Guidelines on how to interact
Be yourself – use your own,
authentic voice
Write, talk or comment about
what interests you – ignore the rest
Be positive and warm,
constructively critical
Share your knowledge and
Photo © Frankie Forsyth, all rights reserved.
experiences, tell stories
Forward or re-post information of
use to others
Use netiquette – see Virginia
Shea’s work

41. Places to get you started
Some options:
Blogging Nancy White, Stephen Downes,
Podcasting Radio Australia, Michael Coghlan,
Videocasting Common Craft Show,
Photography Choconancy lynetter Flickr
Presentations Slideshare Web2.0inEducation
Wikis Wikieducator
Bookmarking Frankie’s delicious links
Live Events Elluminate Live Classroom Vet Virtual
Fast blogging Twitter
Networking Ning, Facebook

42. Issues facing educators & net users
Issues Continuum
Privacy Connectedness
Proprietary Tools Open Source Tools
In my hands Located on the web/elsewhere
Full copyright No copyright or
Creative Commons options
Slow bandwidth Super fast bandwidth
Protection against… Education to deal with…
Delivery / Qualifications Immersion / Recognition (Quals)
Working within an organisation Managing your online spaces

43. Make use of the time you are online
and enjoy being able to work from
anywhere – and...
Photos © Frankie Forsyth, all rights reserved.

44. Take time out to walk the beach :)
Bellerive
Beach,
Hobart
Nov 09

45. A Quick Summary 
Wiki (Wikispaces)
A wiki is a program that allows users to work together to build, organise and edit a
webpage. You don’t need to be a multimedia guru to use a wiki. Some of the better
known examples are Wikipedia, Wetpaint and Wikispaces.
Social Bookmarking (Delicious)
Social bookmarking e.g. delicious is a way to store, organise and share your
favourite internet pages. Using this tool, you can access your favourite web pages
from any computer that has internet access.
Blog (Blogger)
A blog is a webpage that functions as a diary or journal. It can be used to record
activity or reflect on experiences and as such is a valuable learning tool. For
example: edublogs, blogger
Micro-blogging (Twitter)
users send and read each others' text updates (tweets) which are no more than 140
characters in length.

46. And some more… 
Online Photo Repository & Slide Show Sharing (Flickr/Slideshare)
These tools make it easy to share resources such as photos and slide shows with
your students and fellow professionals. For Example: flickr and slideshare (like
ppt).
Personal Learning Environments (iGoogle)
Personal Learning Environments are tools that enable individuals to manage the
spaces they use for their own learning (i Google).
Discussion Forums
Asynchronous postings and replies often displayed in chronological order.
VOIP (Skype)
Computer based voice and text communication – to other computers and to
landlines/mobile phones

47. And even more! 
Virtual classrooms (Elluminate, Live Classroom, Centra, Connect)
Online room which has multiple communication tools built in – voice, text,
whiteboard, video, emoticons and can be recorded.
Video Websites (Youtube, Teachertube)
Online website where you can view, upload and comment on videos.
Social Networking Sites (Ning, Facebook)
Hosts and connects individuals through providing individual web pages,
communication tools and a wide range of add on applications.
Voice Tools (eg emails)
Very similar to text emails but using voice. Messages are recorded and played back
by the recipient

48. Some websites
1. Top tools for learning
http://www.c4lpt.co.uk/recommended/index.html
2. Frankie’s delicious site at http://delicious.com/frankieforsyth
3. Nancy White’s delicious site at http://delicious.com/choconancy
(Nancy has sorted her 5,064 bookmarks into ‘bundles’
4. Collect feeds from Social Bookmarking into one spot at Bloglines
5. Software explanation videos http://www.commoncraft.com/
6. Store photos at flickr at http://www.flickr.com/
7. Edit photos with Picasa (Google) at
http://picasaweb.google.com.au/
8. Store presentations on Slideshare at http://www.slideshare.net/
9. Michael Coghlan’s flickr site at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikecogh/
10.Nancy White’s flickr site at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/choconancy/ (5,726 items!)

49. Interested in more?
Contact me:
Email: frankie@bigpond.net.au
Skype: frankieforsyth
Twitter: frankief
Facebook: Frankie Forsyth
Delicious links: frankieforsyth http://delicious.com/frankieforsyth
Phone: 613 (03) 6278 9292
A copy of this presentation is available at http://www.slideshare.net/

50. Thank you 
Contact me:
frankie@bigpond.net.au and on skype: frankieforsyth
A copy of this presentation is available at http://www.slideshare.net/
Original image: 'Rainbow Cafe's door knob' http://www.flickr.com/photos/93382027@N00/80959145
by: CarolineReleased under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License