Tips and advice for moderators

[Jennifer Lubke]

Cross-posted at Professional Development 2.0

I am conducting an inquiry this semester into web-based tools that can build and enhance learning communities for new and novice teachers. I've already inquired here about examples of school-based professional learning communities that use the Ning platform, and a few people have responded. I am lurking and learning all over the place!

At any rate, I have a new question: how much support/moderation is needed to make a Ning-based community flourish? In other words, how important is the role of the moderator/developer? Is the developer necessarily the moderator? And should there be multiple moderators?

Clearly the moderator is important, but having never been one myself, I don't have a clear grip on the role and its responsibilities.

I welcome any and all insights and perspectives from folks who are in the trenches and have practical experience in nurturing virtual learning environments.

[Steve Hargadon]

Wow, what great questions!

I have found on Classroom 2.0, that my role as moderator has changed over time. In the beginning, it was to help encourage dialog and be very welcoming. Then there was a stage of deleting spammers coming on, and then a stage of making sure that the dialog was positive. Since the network was designed for beginners, I felt really strongly that nobody should feel criticized, and so carefully tried to teach that in positive communications when something contentious came up.

Now I find that I don't have to do much of anything except try to keep up! :)

There is one other element that I hope I'm succeeding at, but that I'm pretty sure I am not--that is, designing the network to really facilitate the end goal of engaged conversation. That's why I built the tag directory, and have been trying to add features. As CR 2.0 has grown, my grasp of what to do to be helpful has diminished. Now I am wondering what you do when you have so many people that coming to the site, or tracking the discussions, can feel overwhelming.

Thanks for bringing this topic up!

[Jennifer Lubke]

This is all very helpful, Steve. I had a good discussion about this exact topic last night at TappedIn in the Web Tools Group Room. The TappedIn community runs more on the group discussions with very little moderation overall, is my impression. Of course, they have been doing it for 10 years. It would be interesting to find out if the TappedIn pioneers experienced some of the same "growing pains" you speak of. From my "newbie" perspective, the downside of TappedIn is when you first arrive on campus there isn't a clear way to immediately plug in, you really have to be dogged and explore the "rooms." Whereas, you can almost immediately take the pulse of a Ning community from the main page, scanning the forum topics and whatnot.

[Susan]

Wow - what timing! I have a question on this very same topic. Here's the thing, I opened a network for Israeli educators. Very similar to classroom20 with the same basic aim, to create a supportive environment for Israeli educators to take part in the digital dialogue, particularly to create a community where newcomers would feel welcome and would feel free to ask questions, state opinions try out the tools etc.

Everything was going well, until today we were joined by someone "high up" in the education dept. He completely attacked one of my members for a discussion she had opened. I am at a loss as to how to deal with this - would appreciate some advice.

[Steve Hargadon]

This is definitely a "finesse" thing, but super-important. One of the things I have felt is that educators often hesitate to contribute because they've been immersed in an environment that measures and grades written material. It can be hard to let go and feel free to be part of a dialogs where ideas are just being shaped. If you have highly-critical, publicly-visible comments in this kind of a network, you run the risk that people will just close down in order not to take any risks.

I found that it was best for me to do two things. First, after that kind of a comment, I would post a public response which acknowledged both sides of the issue, was understanding of the response, but publicly praised the initial member in some way for opening up, taking a risk, or whatever. Then, I would communicate privately with the initial member and express that same appreciation, and encourage them not to feel badly. For what it's worth, I tried never to be directly critical of the person doing the "attacking," but to model the behavior myself of civil dialog that I wanted to promote on the network.

I led group tours for five years, and often had to deal with overly assertive members who thought they needed to take over whenever anything came up, so maybe I learned some techniques for not alienating them while making it clear that I was going to continue to do things thoughtfully and my way. :)

[Susan]

Thanks Steve, that's very helpful - I have been in touch with the initial member, unfortunately, as I was away from my computer most of the day, the "storm" raged. By the time I got back the discussion had started making it's way off the page, I know that the initial member would be very happy to let that happen. If I go in now and add a comment it's going to move the discussion right back up to the top of the list. Should I do that anyway or just let it fizzle away and hope that next time I'm there to catch it.

[Steve Hargadon]

Ahhh....

So, as a tour leader, I often used the principle of "benign neglect." I think your instinct is probably good, wait and deal with it next time. :)

[ddeubel]

Steve,

Very insightful to note your own "growth" as a moderator. I agree with your comments regarding nurturing "positivism" and creating an environment which doesn't "grade" nor which is fostered along traditional lines of power. Takes particularly strong people skills, even behind the screen.

I think one area where Classroom 2.0 can grow and really affect change would be to begin to use membership to really rally around "resources". As an educator, I know how valuable real resources are to the classroom teacher. And I mean practical, ready to use stuff that immediately benefits students.

I think this is particularly valuable given the influx of new teachers every year and on the community. They need very immediate, powerful resources that work. Sure, they can search and find and stumble upon them but most don't have the inclination of a "browser" and won't do so. They need an area where resources are tabulated, quickly accessed and FREE.

I've tried to build my own community in the reverse of Classroom 2.0. Around resources and less dialogue. Now I'm trying for the dialogue. I think on some level, Classroom 2.0 is apt to do the opposite. It built dialogue/community and now needs the core to develop around this centrifugal energy. I think every teaching community does need this gravity and I hope Classroom 2.0 grows in this area. Not merely cataloguing links but being a place where educators can readily get workable video/audio/lesson content for quick use in the K-12 classroom.

David

[ddeubel]

Susan,

My own feeling about your situation is to deal with it off line. Behind the scenes and through diplomacy.

Posting really just adds to the fire, in unforeseen fashion.

If you do post, do refer indirectly to any direct conversation topic/dialogue that is contentious.....steer it in that fashion. That's what I would do. Any directness risks losing both the freedom of the community and misinterpretation.

Of course, if there is just plain vileness/hatred, it should be expunged.

David

[Steve Hargadon]

I have been hoping the Wiki (linked at the top of CR 2.0 or by www.classroom20wiki.com) would do just that. Ideas? Improvements?

[ddeubel]

Steve,

I have been having a whole rethink about this whole process of "centralization". I guess it really is about what you want to accomplish with Classroom 2.0 . I think as is, it is fine. Educators can upload lesson ideas/plans/materials and others can use as needed or stumble upon when / if searching. The focus can be on sharing links to resources, as the wiki does - kind of bookmarking.

I just like a more direct approach and know that normal, not very technologically literate but great educators really love to just click and have a lesson idea appear. The equivalent of a digital blackline master. that is what we should be working around. I was for a long time, a participant at Discovery's star educators and sharing resources but it didn't take off....been hoping something would.

What is needed is a very simple place where users can upload and store directly and share, downloadable materials. Very little explanation. Or if lesson plans accompany, they are in the package, so to speak. Teachers can go there, click Grade 3 Science and get something to use. Bang. Other educators can add and contribute .......

I find for myself, the wiki isn't very functional, practical , simple enough. Also, it isn't evident that this is about RESOURCES or Materials, practical ideas for the classroom. I think if Classroom 2.0 is serious about the resource side and not just the social networking side, there should be a very clear button for educators, large and with importance. Not just a side thing. But as I said above, it doesn't have to be the way the site should go though I think Classroom 2.0 should use its membership and energy to do this -- a very valuable thing for the thousands , hundreds of thousands, millions of teachers around the globe. It would also further membership/community.

I have a very unsatisfactory site/effort. I link to my resource site where things are stored. Educators scroll through and download what they want. They send me by email or attach in the Ning and I upload as I can to my resource site.

A better solution is a share site. I have an eflclassroom media fire account. Everyone knows the password and this is given with registration. They can then upload into a self titled folder which is community shared or into one of the categories I've outlined. Links to these materials can be shared for easy download. www.mediafire.com
ID [e-mail]
PW eflclassroom
If you want to take a look how this shared classroom resource space works.

But overall, it is about how much the membership would want to participate in this. How many teachers would upload? Maybe you can run a poll? The wiki is good but I just see it never generating enough energy to really be functional and reach a wide range of non technophile teachers...

My thoughts....

David