The Electronic
Village Online
A collaborative project to train English language teachers worldwide for free
Our goal is to allow learning anywhere, anytime, with as little expense as possible.
EVO
Google+Hangout
2,662 participants in 14 sessions from almost every country around the globe!
2012 RESULTS
History of The EVO Project
First implemented in Electronic Village Online (EVO) discussions using Webex in 1999, then BlackBoard in 2001.
Use of YahooGroups for 8-week sessions in 2002 to reduce costs of participation to zero.
Hosted 5-week sessions in 2012 utilizingYahooGroups, as well as other free Web 2.0 tools
In 1999, TESOL CALL-IS sought to develop a cadre of online teachers & events to extend the annual convention.
GOALS
• Spread the word about technology within our professional association
• Help other interest sections make use of new technologies to improve communication internally
• Help teachers in other interest sections - and around the world - learn about new technologies
Purpose of the EVO
• Sponsorship by interest sections (e.g., CALL-IS)
• Increase use of synchronous communications
• Use of mentors during the sessions
• Creation of a community of practice among moderators themselves
EVO Innovations & Developments
Virtual Coordination Team
Our Virtual Team
• Input from subject matter experts
• Train-the-trainers to moderate sessions
• Mentor moderators
• Support from professional organizations through webinars or resources sharing
• Investigation of emergent technologies & their adaptability to online learning
Collaborative Processes
Timeline of Events
2012 EVO Session Offeringsas possible. C
Mentoring our Moderators
By the end of the 4-week training, we expect our moderators to have:
1. learned what EVO is - different from formal, credited online teaching2. experienced different synchronous platforms & how to use them in their own sessions3. discussed aspects of e-moderation4. learned about the features of YahooGroups (or other learning management system) & created their own5. revised & refined the syllabus for their EVO session
• Learning Platforms: Wikis, Moodle, Google Sites, SecondLife, & WizIQ
• Communication Tools: YahooGroups, Twitter & hashtags, Blogs, Emails, Facebook Groups, Skype, & Google+Hangout
• Multimedia Tools: Audacity (audio), Animoto (video), Windows MovieMaker, Flicker (digital images), Screenr (screencasting), Scribd (publication of docs), SlideShare, & Google Tools
Free Tech Tools for Collaboration
TESOL's CALL-IS
EVO's Collaborators & Supporters
Webheadsinaction.org
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• TESOL e-lists & newsletters of special interest groups
• Many past EVO participants become moderators!
• Informal channels like Twitter, blogs, Facebook & word-of-mouth
• By invitation of the moderators & coordinators
How do we get our volunteers?
• We gather formal feedback after the moderator trainings in the fall to improve the training module.
• We gather informal feedback during the sessions from our mentors.
• We gather formal feedback from the participants at the end of the moderators' sessions in the spring.
• All of this information is summarized in a report & shared with the CALL-IS during the business meeting held at the annual conference - and used to further improve EVO.
EVALUATIVE FEEDBACK
EVO Session: MachinEVO
A group film project for learning Spanish in SecondLife
Video recording of reflections on the experience
By Daniela C. Wagner-Loera & Tamas Lorincz
EVO Session: Developing Mentoring Skills
EVO Session: Multiliteracies
Top left: Vance Stevens, EVO Coordinator & Moderator of the Multiliteracies session
Bottom left: Kalyan Chattopadhyay, Co-Moderator
EVO Session: Digital Tools with Purpose in the Classroom
Carla Arena, 2012 EVO Coordinator & Moderator
Other moderators included: Ana Maria Menezes, Cheryl Oakes, Erika Cruvinel, Jane Petring, Kathy Epps, Mary Hillis, Nina Lyulkun & Saša Sirk
d.).Due to our teamwork, TESOL sponsorship, and network alliances , we're able to establish and/or improve the erformance of integrating technology into the classroom of thousands of teachers annually.
• Experienced e-teacher? Offer a session!
• New to online teaching? Offer a session - we can help!
• Just getting used to the Internet? Join a session (Jan-Feb 2013) & learn by doing!
How to Get Involved with EVO
Contact Information
Sandra RogersInnovation in Learning CenterUniversity of South [email protected] @teacherrogers#evosessions
