Selina Robb Module 4 Report

The online platform I have decided to contribute to is edWeb.net. http://home.edweb.net/ . I

created my own community, curriculum: assessment, planning and instruction.
http://www.edweb.net/.5a66af08/

What appeals to me about this site is that it focusses on interactive professional collaboration
but it also offers professional development supports such as webinars and modules with
completion certificates that are adjudicated by professional field experts. Participation in
discussions is voluntary and users can log in at their convenience. I appreciate that here is no
cost for this service and I like the customizability. If I am unavailable for a live webinar I have the
option to view it later and still join in on the discussion forums. It is a great way to gather new
ideas or perspectives to be able to share with teaching peers; Im always looking for new ways
to improve my practice. The communities send emails to everyone in each community each
time someone posts to encourage responses. Overall, I find edWeb.net easy to access and
navigate around. There are many choices and topic categories to explore.

The greatest challenge I anticipate in using this site is the possibility that no one will respond to
my posts before the end of the summer. Taking this into account, I joined and posted in another
community, assessment to increase my chances of eliciting a response. I would be very
interested in discussing Kindergarten assessment especially within the context of the new
Ontario K report card format but I was unable to locate a forum for this in my search. I did see
an Ontario Facebook page but I dont feel comfortable using this for professional discussion at
this time.

I chose edWeb.net mainly because it is a forum I am familiar with and use already. Given this,
and my comfort level with use, I think I will be more likely to continue to participate in these
communities beyond the course. As a continuing learner who is invested in professional
development, I appreciate this sites commitment to improving education and to collaboration
amongst those in the education field. I feel this site is inclusive and inviting. One thing that I
dont care for is the amount of sponsored content which I feel has the potential to present bias
by promoting particular products or programs.

By participating in these professional development communities, I will have the opportunity to

gain exposure to new ideas and to reflect upon my own practice. As an occasional teacher, I
dont often have the chance to participate in PD at the school board level. Occasional teachers
are frequently excluded from PD but also from professional dialogue. I hope to be able to grow a
professional network to engage in dialogue with and gain the perspective of other professional
contexts. I want to offer and receive insight into some of the theoretical foundations of curricular
perspectives. Something I plan to highlight is that curricular conceptions are not static and that
they evolve. Another point I want to emphasize is that in planning, assessing and instructing, we
may use several different perspectives.

Posting in an online forum involves taking a risk. Actively contributing to discussions, posing
relevant questions and sharing empirical research from this course demonstrates leadership. I
think using the information gleaned from the forums and sharing it with colleagues is another
way to lead.

My impression of the educators that participate in this site is that they are engaged and
committed to improving education on their own time and of their own choosing.

I genuinely feel that it is too early to connect my knowledge about conceptions of curriculum,
philosophical foundations of curriculum, and curricular designs to the analysis of this
professional communitys practice. My initial impression is that overall, most individuals and
groups are predominantly social constructivist and learner centre oriented with topics such as
self-regulation and inquiry based learning featured. I will update this section of the report
through subsequent blog posts.