I liked the high degree of interaction shown by participants in BaW09, and I was impressed with the creativity and innovation that they showed with their projects. I learned some new tricks for working with wikis and certain voice tools, and I also learned how to use several new applications (for example, Vocaroo and an embeddable mini-survey maker). I would've liked to learn more about tools that I'm not very familiar with, so my next steps will be to take a closer look at them later and to "play around" with the ones that seem most appropriate for projects I'm currently working on or will soon be beginning. My goals in enrolling in BaW09 were to greet and help participants as much as I could, and these goals were mostly (though not completely) met. I thoroughly enjoyed being part of this group, meeting many wonderful new online friends, and learning from and sharing with each one of them. I'm also grateful to Dafne and Theresa for continuing to develop BaW09. It gets better and better each year!

#1124 Haven't Jumped Ship!

I feel much the same as Barb in her post titled "Info Junkie on Speed."
I have so much valuable info from the last three weeks I'm still
filtering through it all. I haven't been as active as I wanted to, but
I'm working at my own pace and am very thankful to the great moderators
and all the great links and suggestions. I know now what the
technological possibilities are for teachers (just have to figure out
how to use more of them in the classroom). I'm already using podcasts
on my Ipod with speaker(I don't have a laptop yet)and have been
inspired by all the creative blogs and wikis from last week's session.
Since I work with only adult learners (mostly corporate)I'm still
thinking of the best way to use this as a learning tool. It would
probably take a bit of coaxing before my students trust themselves to
write in such a collabrative way but I definitely can see the benefits.
Looking forward to this week and reviewing the live session from
yesterday. I'll keep on plugging along.

 

In the tons of messages I got in EVO sessions What I liked most was the unwritten messages these sessions transmitted to spread the values of tolerence , sharing , caring , collaboration ,and mutual respect among participants coming from different corners of the world and representing different cultures . In that sense , I strongly believe that BAWers , are making a great contribution to make a better world possible .I highly appreciate the commitment of many prominent Baw figures such as Dennis , Maru ,José , Hala , Theresa , Daf and many others who have been vigilent , tolerent and kind hearted .
However , Bawers are invited to make more efforts to embody transparency and democracy in dealing with different issues raised throughout the session .
I have learnt a lot about new tools and I have refreshed my knowledge about many others . But I feel frustrated ! I feel frustrated because I can’t put what I have learnt into practice as my school is not connected to the internet ; and I can’t charge my students with the expences of going to cybercafés because the majority of them belong to unpreviledged families .Though I tried some tools , I usually felt uncertain about them because only practice can reveal their difficulties and drawbacks .
Concerning my suggestions about EVO sessions , I think that working in teams would be more beneficial especially to participants who learn about some tools for the first time . I suggest therefore to ask participants to work in teams to be able to learn from each other .I say this because I read some messages from participants who felt helpless and lost in the middle of the sessions .
Finally ,I’d like to thank EVO09,participants , mods and coordinators for the good job they have done . I also congratulate them all for the success of 09 session and I hope to keep learning with you .
Mbarek 

Thank you everyone, moderators, co-ordinators and fellow-participants, for making this such an enjoyable and rewarding time - even if sometimes it was really frustrating! I have learnt the mechanics of using certain web2 tools. I have seen the work of others and can aspire towards their level of work.

From a point of virtually zero knowledge, I have succeeded in setting up my own educational wiki, even if I now need to rethink it. I understood the limitations of a six-week course from the start and have achieved my basic aims. I wish I could have attended more of the live sessions and had been able to contribute more fully to those I did attend but I neither had the manual dexterity nor the confidence this year.

I will continue to try to improve my web2 educational skills, so that I am in a better position to help students.

I want to offer a special thank you to Dennis in Phoenix for the great help and warmth he has shown during the course. My son and I baked chocolate fudge walnut brownies yesterday in his honour - a truly scrumptious southern dish!

First of all huge thanks to the moderators and particpants for such a rewarding session.

It was amazing to be a part of such a sharing and caring community and I know it will continue.

Having constructive feedback and help was great and I feel I have made progress in lots of areas. No question was too small and there were always people ready to give advice or share their ideas.

I was very pleased to have made it to some of the live sessions - the speakers were very patient and helpful.  The potential of these virtual classrooms needed no more explanation !

I must now catch up with the reading - as this tended to get a little neglected with all the frantic "making and doing " that was going on.

It's a shame that Mbarek feels frustrated about not being able to test these tools - being in a community like this can maybe help us fill in the "digital divide". In France I have a lot of North African pupils and they were thrilled to see that there had been a visitor on the blog from Morocco !!

I also liked Mbarek's idea of teamwork - especially to help out members in difficulty  - maybe we could set up a "buddy group" or "help desk"  for the next baw session (yes I'm thinking of next year already !) This group of volunteers could maybe take more time  to explain things for members having problems  and also take the preassure off the moderators  - who do such a good tireless job 24/24 !!

Indeed my question to them is : Do baw moderators sleep ???

Well, I'd better stop now  ! looking forward to continuing to learn together !!

This has been my first time on BaW but certainly  it won't be the last!

This session has inspired and provided me with loads of information how to integrate technology into my teaching in a meaningful and a creative way also how to engage my students and myself more into Web 2.0.

I have learned so many new tools that I can use in my teaching as well as for my personal and professional development also I have learned so many new things that I can use for the course I am developing for teachers at the moment. Also, I have started to create a wiki for my preschool classes.

My next steps will be using and making the most of these tools.

I would like to thank all the moderators, co-moderators and all the other participants who made the session so fun, interesting and WONDERFUL!

I'm certainly coming back again next year !

Cheers

Özge

Honestly, If I have to answer the questions for BAW09, there is only one thing I want to say, the Moderators, the Co-ordinators, and participants are models to be followed. My words to you all, enthusiasm, colloboration, patience, tolerance, sharing and caring are unforgettable qualities that will be printed in my mind. I have learned new etools, and refreshed others. Not to mention all the participants I have met during these six weeks. Being part of this community is like being at home. There is nothing I did not like about BAW09, execept for the short period of sharing and being together.

Bravisimo!!!

Cheers,

Maria

What I liked most about BaW09 is the idea of learning at my own pace with all the imaginable help, being exposed to more tools and ideas than I had imagined possible and the atmosphere of friendship, caring and sharing.

I started as a beginner eager to do all the tasks in my first BaW. Of course, that was impossible but I am satisfied with the work I've done: a blog for my students, a lot of different tasks done or in progress, and I'm working on a wiki. I've followed the work of more experienced colleagues and that gave me a lot of ideas, solutions for my problems. Synchronous meetings, too, were valuable.

I think we all would have liked to learn more, but now I have a lot of information, know who to ask for help or opinion and  I think I'm ready to continue learning and using new ideas and technologies in my teaching.

In addition to the continuous improvement I think I should plan two more things: to try to pass what I have learned to people I work with and my students, and figure out how to have more time during BaW2010 in order to be able to attend all synchronous meetings and concentrate more on finishing tasks within six weeks.

Cristina Reboredo

Taking part of this session has been very rewarding and encouraging.  I had heard about using Web tools for teaching before but I thought that they could not be implemented in my teaching context for different reasons.  Now, I know this is not true.  In fact, I’m very eager to start using these tools with my students very soon.  I think they will teach me a lot about the web, so that it will be an endless exchange of knowledge.

The amount of information I collected during the last six weeks is amazing.  Everything was new for me, so imagine how much challenged, lost, exhausted and, even, scared I felt, but, anyway, it has been great, enjoyable, fun and amusing at the same time.  I hope I’ll be on the run for Baw10 and keep on working and sharing within this learning community.

As a teacher I am planning to introduce some the resources little by little, watching results and, surely, making changes and improvement.  As a learner, I should say that I have been learning-by-doing – an extraordinary experience for, at least, two reasons. Firstly, I will never forget what I have discovered, practised and learned during these last weeks.  Secondly, it has been  an excellent learning experience because it has highlighted  autonomy and learner-centredness.  I hope I can repeat it with my students.

Once again, I want to thank everybody for so much generosity, responsibility and readiness.   Coordinators, moderators and presenters have accomplished an extraordinary work.  Participants have also showed interest and willingness to work and effort.  I will miss you a lot.

Elizabeth A

What I liked and didn't like ?

Difficult to think of something I didn't like - except my own lack of time! It's great having the live sessions available for those who were not able to be there.

What did I learn ?

Well obviously - the existance, if not always the use of, an enormous number of tools - I'm a Vacaroo fan... it's so easy - but above all I have learnt a lot about teaching ! Real insight into the fact that if the students don't get there at the exact moment I'm letting them know about it, there really is hope that they will use it one day :-) , and like Sarah, I have learnt about using group sessions more fully before asking my (University) students to "produce the goods"

What you would I have liked to learn ?

Our top-of-the-class, Helen Davis had a good idea on this one. - How's about a wiki per tool/group of tools, with voluntary membership - to have a baw "agony aunt" per tool which might turn into something - (I mean, your "hints" page is GREAT Daf & Teresa ... but why not ?)

What your next steps will be ?

I really will get my own blog going.... (says she 3 years into baw !)

If your goals were met

oh oh /aïe (I need an international interjection of rueful-ness) - I'd have loved to do more, but you guys certainly did everything possible .... there are no words to thank you
Any other comment you would like to share with us

I add my comments to Mbareks' - I think you have created a little corner of TOLERANCE in a world which can do with more of that. THANKS TO EVERYONE

Biljana Naumoska,

Macedonia

Taking part in these wonderfull 6 week seesions were exciting for me .

For the first time here,hope not the last.

Interesting journey throughout the world, a world of friends, knowledge, sharing, learninng. As I was not familiar to the most of the tools presented here, I will try to learn more about them in the following days, weeks , months.

I've seen a lot of opportunities for me and my students  in using the web tools for creating the lessons. I've already used one tool, and that was a great succes for me.

My goals were met, although I regret not taking part in all those very interesting live sessions.

At the end, I've found a lot of friends around the world who have same interests as me and who are willing  to continue collaborating together.

I appriciate that the most. Friendship is the most important thing in this kind of workshops. Sharing ideas, collaborating and learning.

I was on a wonderful journey and I'll miss it very much!

Thanks to the coordinators, moderators,who were helping hads,

Thanks to everybody.