The following comments are the viewpoints of the author and not those of Weatherford Independent School District:
I've been logging into Epsilen/Project Share since June of 2010. I started using Project Share primarily so I would know a bit about the tools our teachers would be using and so I would be able to answer questions and provide 'how-to' information if necessary. I also looked forward to visiting with other educators, taking courses, and collaborating on projects. So far collaboration has been slow-going, though I am excited to see one of my groups, 'Ten Minute Technology,' begin to blossom.
I've made mental lists of reasons for those who have not embraced this platform and have also come up with counter-reasons folk should give it a try anyway, but today I thought I'd examine why I so easily jumped in and started to play.
I mentioned in a previous blog that several years ago I hosted a chatroom for a popular ISP (Internet Service Provider). Because of those years, I suspect I'm a little more comfortable visiting with people online. People I've (gasp) never met face-to-face. But there's another reason I think online collaboration comes easily to me, and if you read a lot of educational blogs you will more than likely run across articles that attempt to explain how what I'm about to confess is also the reason many students are so quickly adapting to online learning and collaboration.
When I relocated from Weatherford High School to the WISD Technology Department, one of my co-workers introduced me to the world of MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games). I didn't really care for it at first; it was awkward even to move, and attempting to keep up with conversations was headache-inducing. I was assured that the game would get easier to play once I got used to it, so I decided I wouldn't give up trying.
My co-worker was right. The mechanics of the game did become a lot easier the more I played, and conversations led to many online friendships that are still active today even though I no longer play. But here's the thing: as an individual I could run missions/quests on my own and I could 'level' my character, but as a group we could accomplish much, much more!
Groups of friends could create guilds, player cities, and yes - battlegroups. Within a guild you had crafters who made everything from clothes and food to player houses and weapons. You had hunters who hunted for the resources your crafters needed, and healers (my favorite class) who kept the hunters alive. Of course there were also the combat professions available for those who enjoyed getting into a battle or two. Everyone had their strengths and everyone had a particular job to do. In an MMORPG it isn't just about killing the bad guy. It isn't all about you and your own toon.
Groups work together in game, and to do that they have to communicate, they have to assign/accept tasks, and they have to have the right skills and tools to do so. Group members help each other during leveling and also help with the basics - which armor, skills, moves, etc. work best in specific situations. It is the collaboration of the group that determines the success or failure of the mission.
So it is with online collaborative learning. Each of us has strengths that contribute to the group. We have many ways to 'get together' online, discuss an issue, and develop a plan of action. We learn from one another, we strengthen our resolve in some areas, and we improve on those areas where improvement is needed. We support one another even though we may never have been in the same room together. While it may be true that some staff, students, and parents have a little more experience collaborating online thanks to games, those gaming skills transfer readily into a learning management system. Online collaboration is a part of our 21st century lives and many of our students have already embraced it.
To those who have told me the Epsilen platform is just too complicated I pass along advice from a good friend:
Keep playing - it gets easier!
Character: Sharei Drekas
Location: Naritus Server, Naboo
Game: Star Wars Galaxies (May it rest in peace.)
Publisher: Lucas Arts and Sony Online Entertainment
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