Planning Page for

WiAOC 2007: Webheads in Action Online Convergence

May 18-20, 2007

CONNECT Conversations on Networking, Education, Communities, and Technology

Goals forApril
Archive: Progress in January | February | March

Progress to date: Tagging system decided | Steering committee formed | Conference dates set | Supporting partners contacted | Theme agreed | First tier keynote invitations accepted | Call for Papers issued | Submissions System in place
Yet to do: Gain admin access to Submissions System | Harvest and vet proposals | Establish portal with registration for conference
Volunteer: Please visit this page and request to Join http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wiabco-proposals | If you are on the Steering Committee please visit here and interact with us: http://wiaocplanning.pbwiki.com/

Before the CfP was issued this page was linked from the http://wiaoc.org site in order to attract as broad as possible a spectrum of support and assistance for the conference in the months running up to March. After that, a more formal portal system is being put in place with notices geared toward the general public.

Accordingly a framed redirect has been established for this page at http://planning.wiaoc.org. This page can also be reached from http://credits.wiaoc.org.

Tagging: Please tag artifacts associated with the conference 'wiaoc2007'

Planning goals for April <-- we are here

We need to extend the CfP from April 7 to 15 and send an announcement to all lists where the call has been posted: http://wiaocplanning.pbwiki.com/cfp

Vetting System

• Form a committee, use rubric from last conference: http://www.prof2000.pt/users/vstevens/papers/evonline2002/rubric-proposal-draft2.htm
• Priority administrator (coordinator) has access now, but vetters need appropriate access well prior to submissions deadline to see admin login screen at http://wiaoc.prof2000.pt/

Portal, to be redirected from http://wiaoc.org

• Vance has started a new Moodle portal at: http://www.opensource.idv.tw/moodle/course/view.php?id=47
  or should we move to say,
• a Drupal? e.g. http://www.webheadsinaction.org ?
  Jeff Lebow has created a prototype portal for us on a Drupal at http://edtechcon.net/ and my initial reaction Feb 24 is that it's quite nice. It has ways of assigning those registering into users with differing capabilities, so some could be presenters, planners, participants, etc., all with a finely adjustable set of certain privileges. We can create wikis here, blogs, create postings for presenters which they could augment and later upload audio to. It could also serve as a submissions portal, with the submissions feeding into a schedule through Drupal's calendar. It can aggregate content from other sources; e.g. Moodle, blogs. Quite compelling, it is centrally controllable.

The Webhead spirit is one of creativity and innovation and willingness to experiment that I think sets us apart from others. I would like to see that difference maintained in our conference. There might be some ways we can cushion the shock when people come on board and find that things aren't laid out neatly for them. But I think if you look at our feedback from our last conference some did respond that THIS was one of the most appealing aspects of our conference, the most revelatory. The other side of the coin is that it will be off-putting to some, but I'd rather think in terms of making the bronco easier to ride than offering up a ride that is tamed and controlled but ultimately less interesting.

With this in mind, here are some things we need to be thinking about:

• Establish and test venues in conjunction with sponsors
• Establish and meet training needs of keynote speakers
• Set up help systems for accepted presenters - encourage them to choose cross-platform venues that are appropriate to their different presentation needs while being user-friendly as possible, with minimum technical requirements or expertise to join, follow or present.
• Set up help systems for anticipated participants - we have a web page (Dennis Oliver had volunteered to create one and has since requested that Dafne help him) with a friendly navigation bar, linking to a page for each venue to describe the platform, the technical requirements, and a tutorial about its use (could be a wiki, or linked to a wiki FAQ). Then, we link the corresponding platform description page to the to the presentations that are going to take place there. In Tapped In we can have a helping-hand team to provide assistant to partipants.
• put an article in the April TI newsletter

At our last conference, we did not exclude anyone who submitted a credible presentation proposal. The only submissions that fell off our rubric were incomplete or unclear ones. In practice, it did not seem necessary to put anyone who had risen to our challenge of presenting online to much more stringent tests. Again, in practice, it seems that the presentations we accepted were by and large of high quality, certainly higher than what you might expect at a face to face conference.

• Close CfP and vet submissions 4 to 6 weeks prior to start of conference
• Set program
• Test and finalize portal operations
• Finalize arrangements with sponsors and venue providers
• Publicize conference
• Facilitate registration
• Set up podcasting sites

Steering Committee - Wiki collaboration on the Steering Committee - If you are on the Steering Committee please visit here and provide feedback: http://wiaocplanning.pbwiki.com/steering

The WiAOC conference is a convergence in every sense of the word. It is a convergence of communities, concepts, conversations, and colleages. Management of complex convergences is a matter of coordination where no one is in control. Many visions must be accommodated. Some of the tasks below are deemed necessary to putting on an online conference; others have been self-selected by the participants and innovators. It is the task of the coordinator to ensure that those with appropriate contributions have a voice and that the different pieces loosely joined are somehow aggregated into a cohesive whole.

This table is being maintained at our wiki http://wiaocplanning.pbwiki.com/steering. I'm keeping an archival copy here, but please consult the wiki for latest information (and add your name where you wish to volunteer)

The following people have volunteered to help but have not yet assigned themselves to specific tasks: Jean Vermel, Hala Fawsi, Laine Marshall, Nina Liakos, Rita Zeinstejer, Sedat Akayoglu, Sharon Holdner, Susan Burg, Tom Leverett

Supporters and Partners

1. http://www.alado.net
2. http://www.apacall.org/
3. http://knowplace.ca
4. http://www.learningtimes.org
5. http://www.opensource.idv.tw/moodle/
6. http://www.tappedin.org
7. http://www.worldbridges.net
8. DiscoverE: http://www.compued.com.au/discovere/
9. http://www.dimdim.com/

Our Partners:	Learning Times http://www.learningtimes.org http://www.tinyurl.com/y3eh	Worldbridges http://www.worldbridges.com http://www.worldbridges.com/livewire/	Tapped In http://www.tappedin.org	DimDim http://www.dimdim.com/
http://knowplace.ca	Alado http://www.alado.net http://www.alado.net/webheads	Opensource for Educators http://www.opensource.idv.tw/moodle/ The Convergence Moodle	APACALL http://www.apacall.org/	DiscoverE http://www.compued.com.au/discovere/

Archive

Accomplished in January

Vance solicited help from Webheads list members in this message: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/evonline2002_webheads/message/14480 and elicited comments on the timing of the conference here: http://vance_stevens.podOmatic.com/entry/eg/2007-01-04T03_33_43-08_00

1. Steering Committee and subcommittees formed
2. Conference dates set to: Friday May 18, Saturday 19th, Sunday 20th
3. Conference theme: CONNECT: CON-versations on Networking, Education, Communities, and Technology
4. Keynote Speakers
   • Committee formed to put forward names
   • Short-list of 'first tier' candidates drawn up based on best match to theme for conference
   • Vance or other committee members sent invitations

Accomplished in February.

Submissions system revived and made working for 2007

• Wiki collaboration on the online submissions system established http://wiaocplanning.pbwiki.com/SubmissionsSystem
• Fernanda has been working on updating this for us. The URL for submitting proposals in the 2007 convergence is http://wiaoc.prof2000.pt/
• Our archive at http://users.prof2000.pt/wia/oc/schedule.asp remains intact
• The steering committee was asked to test Fernanda's system and make sure it's working ok, that references to 2005 are weeded out, that people can create accounts and submit proposals, and that vetters can see them. Below is an early version of comments made in the wiki http://wiaocplanning.pbwiki.com/SubmissionsSystem

Vance's notes: My only other comment regards the pulldown box for venue. I think the info here is meant to be put directly into the schedule.

• I'm not sure how venue is being handled now, if a url is automatically generated for the schedule
• We don't need Horizon Wimba, but we should probably include DimDim and DiscoverE here so these folks don't feel left out
• we NEED a selection for 'Moodle or other CMS' and 'Other' since we have two fields to fill out in case of those choices
• But where it says If Moodle is selected, please explain briefly in the area below, we could convert this box to "describe your venue here", and in the dynamically generated schedule refer all venue links to http://schedule.wiaoc.org or to the one given by the presenter on the form (we'll have to manually set some of those anyway) - Vance, Feb 24

At the bottom of each of these pages there is a 1. logo 2. a set of partner logos 3. and links to: Bridges across Cyberspace portal | Convergence Moodle | Call for Participation | Webheads information

The links at the bottom of each page have all been set to:

1. Cyberspace portal http://www.wiaoc.org/
2. Convergence Moodle http://www.opensource.idv.tw/moodle/course/view.php?id=47
   This might have to change to Convergence Drupal, url forthcoming; however no need to hold up the CfP. I can put a note at the Moodle redirecting if that happens, and Fernanda can alter the links when able.
3. Call for Participation http://cfp.wiaoc.org
4. Webheads information http://webheads.info
5. Webheads in Action http://www.webheadsinaction.org

It's important to give the links above exactly as indicated because some point to Fernanda's server in Portugal which is possibly accessible from anywhere in the world. For example the first link, if you use http://wiaoc.org then it points to the geocities server, which is blocked in China, Vietnam, Tunisia, etc. So these links on all pages should be to the sites indicated.

The dynamic generation is not ideal because LT will assign a separate URL to each presentation there, so the venue cannot be given in the dynamic schedule at any rate, except for Alado and DiscoverE (not sure about Dim Dim)

We cannot ask for revision of the submission form unless something doesn't work and must be repaired. Fernanda does not have time to re-think the form. If we wanted different questions we would have to come up with our own system from scratch. I think the system Fernanda designed worked remarkably well last year and I would like to use it if the necessary fixes can be made.

Develop and issue CfP
Develop a Call for Papers, adapted from last conference
Pre-requisite to putting out CfP we need to have in place at least a submissions system linking to our portal at http://wiaoc.org

• An announcement of the CfP was issued in 2005 with this wording: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/evonline2002_webheads/message/10181
• Committee for 2007 formed:Dennis chairing, Susan Burg, Claire and Vance
• Wiki collaboration on the Call for Papers took place at: http://wiaocplanning.pbwiki.com/cfp
• The announcement for 2007 is here: http://cfp.wiaoc.org

Attract keynote speakers -

• Keynote speakers were scheduled at http://schedule.wiaoc.org
• Titles and abstracts were requested and as received posted to: http://keynotes.wiaoc.org
• Speakers asked to identify pictures and biolinks
• Acceptances and confirmations received from:
  • Stephen Downes http://downes.ca
  • George Siemens http://www.elearnspace.org/
  • Etienne Wenger http://www.ewenger.com/
  • Leigh Blackall http://leighblackall.wikispaces.com/
  • Teemu Leinonen http://www2.uiah.fi/~tleinone/
  • Barbara Ganley http://mt.middlebury.edu/middblogs/ganley/bgblogging/
  • A Google Doc was kept listing Second tier candidates with intent to vote on them on in a YahooGroup poll of Steering Committee. Due to delays hearing back from first tier speakers this didn't happen in February

Accomplishments in March

Submissions system: To see outstanding issues; click here

• Entry point: http://wiaoc.prof2000.pt/
• Track progress in the wiki: http://wiaocplanning.pbwiki.com/SubmissionsSystem

Call for Papers

• CfP issued in early March
• We are keeping a central list of where the call has been posted: http://wiaocplanning.pbwiki.com/cfp
• Once CfP is issued, THIS page was removed from public consumption. A redirect was set up at http://planning.wiaoc.org. This page can also be reached from http://credits.wiaoc.org.

WiAOC 2005

This second conference follows a successful first convergence in November 2005.

• Visit and replay the 2005 Convergence here
• Enter the 2005 Moodle here
• Publications and proceedings deriving from the conference
  • Write-up in APACALL Newsletter Innovative Language Learning #8
    • pdf version
    • HTML version
  • Article: Stevens, Vance. (2005). Behind the scenes at the Webheads in Action Online Convergence, November 18-20, 2005: TESL-EJ, Volume 9, Number 3: http://tesl-ej.org/ej35/int.html
  • Proceedings in Teaching English with Technology
    • Vol. 1, May Issue http://www.iatefl.org.pl/call/j_edit24.htm
    • Vol 2 July Special Issue http://www.iatefl.org.pl/call/j_edit25.htm

HELP still in place from 2005

Presenters: Help with presentations at Presenters Assistance Moodle; more information here
HelpDesk: Reception at http://www.tappedin.org for LIVE online help during the convergence | FAQs: http://help.waaoc.org | Help with Learning Times | Help with Alado | Help with Worldbridges | Help with Tapped In | Help with Moodle | Help with Java | Your time in GMT from Worldclock

Domains still linked to 2005 convergence: http://help.wiaoc.org | http://schedule.wiaoc.org | 2005 http://keynotes.wiaoc.org | http://credits.wiaoc.org | http://presenters.wiaoc.org

Registration portal from 2005

Registration at our Moodle:
http://www.opensource.idv.tw/moodle/course/view.php?id=20
This is a free conference. You may participate by following links here and you can enter the Moodle as a guest. Visitors are welcome. However you'll gain greater benefit from the conference by registering, uploading a picture to your profile, meeting the others whose profiles are there, and participating in the forums.

About Webheads

Webheads are a community of practice of language teachers and learners and others interested in professional uses of computer mediated communications, who collaborate extensively due to group cohesiveness developed through several years of working together, in rare cases face to face, but mostly online. For more information see: http://webheads.info and http://www.webheadsinaction.org

For comments, suggestions, or further information on this page
contact Vance Stevens, page webmaster.
Copyright 2007
under Creative Commons License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/
January 27, 2007

Mirrors: This page is available at:

• http://www.vancestevens.com/papers/evonline2002/wiaoc2007planning.htm
• http://www.geocities.com/vance_stevens/papers/evonline2002/wiaoc2007planning.htm
• http://www.prof2000.pt/users/vstevens/papers/evonline2002/wiaoc2007planning.htm

Last updated:April 4, 2007 04:00