The total time for this preparation should be about 60-90 minutes in a face-to-face workshop.
In this phase your potential learning circle group will answer a few questions that will assist in collaboratively planning:
- the purpose and objectives;
- the structure of the meeting place; and
- how to facilitate the learning circle.
Click here to open the Learning Circle Plan template. As you discuss these questions, complete the template.
1 Questions for purpose and objectives:
Goals are general guidelines that explain what you want to achieve in your community. Objectives define strategies or implementation steps to attain the identified goals. Unlike goals, objectives are specific, measurable, and have a defined completion date.
www.michigan.gov/documents/8-pub207_60743_7.pdf
- What is the common theme or topic of your learning circle?
- What question will be addressed by your learning circle?
- Goal: How will the learning circle benefit you as participants and the learning community in general? How will this product influence you and possible audiences with regard to decision-making?
- Objectives: What are your learning circle’s specific intended achievements – what will you do in order to achieve the benefits as stated in your goal?
- Personal achievement: What will each individual in the learning circle have as a specific objective?
2 Questions about the structure of the meeting place:
- Who will facilitate your learning circle?
- Will it be primarily online, primarily face-to-face, or a combination of online and face-to-face?
- What kinds of communication and collaboration are you planning with regard to options such as asynchronous communication, synchronous communication, collaboration in a workspace, document sharing and final publication?
- What digital tools and resources will facilitate these interactions?
- What level of training will be needed?
3 Questions to consider for preparing to facilitate the circle:
- What roles and responsibilities will your participants have?
- Are there others involved in the learning circle that will have roles and responsibilities (e.g. a “secondary” facilitator)?
- What is the schedule for development, implementation, and closure of the learning circle?
- How will you use of digital tools and resources interact to share the final product?
A recommended collaboration space for your learning circle is a wiki. Click here to download the PBWorks Manual (PBWorks is free for educational use).
Source: onlinelearningcircles
Upload your Learning Circle Plan using the submission facility at the bottom of this page. Give the Plan a unique name when saving it so that it reflects the nature of your learning circle project. e.g. Using-digital-content-for-maths
