EL-Week5-PostChat

T-Chart Collaborative Reflections about the Chat

Post your reflective comments about the synchronous chat in the T-Chart below. Please be sure to include your first initial, last name.

i.e. jsmith || **Content** Thoughts reactions, questions about the chat content || **Process** Thoughts, reactions, questions about the chat __**process**__ and the __**structure**__ that was used. || Harris || I thought that this was an eye opener from me in a few ways. I felt that everyone had a direct personal situation that was link to the school reform questions. It reinerated why it is critical to get all stakeholders on board in order for the program to sustain. I learned that it is vital for one to understand sustainability and maintaining. Lastly, all of the ideas of "buy in" of stakeholders, accountability, and sustainability is great but financial backing can be the deal breaker. || It was different, however it was very enlightening. I totally agree with Rej I also prefer the written format versus audio, as I am a hands on (typing) and visual (chat) learner. It's very hard for me to do audio with out that face to face dialogue. Overall, I think that you all handled all the audio issues with professionalism and did not allow it to totally interfere with the forum. ||
 * R. Dixit || The chat questions were great- broad enough to encourage a wide variety of answers and encourage others to bring in their personal experiences and expertise to the discussion. || The process and structure were similar to the real-time chat used earlier in the course using written discussion versus audio. I personally prefer the written format, as I'm a visual learner and felt like more people were able to participate using a written discussion format. I did feel like a lot of our chat time was spent testing and adjusting the audio as each person took their turns to answer the questions. ||
 * N.
 * M. Defoe || I thought the chat was an excellent forum to generate ideas and get feedback on what everyone's opinions were of the different questions, especially those who are in different groups. It is comforting to know that I am not the only one in a non-public who struggles with certain issues and although we aren't face to face, forums such as the one tonight makes me feel like I have a support system at Johns Hopkins of people who can relate! The ideas that were presented gave a different outlook on the questions and it was helpful to hear other opinions. || Although I liked utilizing different forms of technology, I must agree with Rej and Natasha. I prefer written text to the audio. It was difficult to hear all of the responses and I feel like if it was written and I missed something, I could just scroll up and re-read what was stated. I did enjoy listening to my colleagues answer the questions and was able to follow along for the most part. The immediate feedback, especially in the form of the follow-up questions was a good way to have us delve a little deeper into the questions being presented. ||
 * S.Alexander-Laville || The chat was great. I truly enjoyed hearing my colleagues views about school reform. I also came away with new ideas and reminders of old ones. I feel more informed. Many of the thoughts and opinions enhanced the readings. I found that the questions were well thought out and general enough for everyone to have innovative ideas yet specific enough for everyone to stay on topic. || I like the structure of the chat. It gave everyone a chance to respond directly to a question. I also liked the open-forum so we could piggy back on responses or just throw new one out there. I also like the multiple screens. I was able to look at the questions, scroll through the names of the guest and also see what others were typing at the same time. Even though there were a few kinks, I felt that they were handled well and because of the multi-media structure allowed people who were having problems with their audio to still state their opinion by typing. ||
 * N.Twilley || I enjoyed the setup of the chat. The questions were broad enough so that everyone could provided reflective answers and opionions regarding various types of school reforms. The questions provided to the team were well organized providing a chat which flowed. It was great to get input from different views based on the various levels of experience or field of expertise. || Even with a few technology glitches the chat flowed extremely smooth and everyone was able to be a part of the chat. Another positive attribute was everyone came prepared, which made the experience a success. I like how the questions were divided up amoung the teams and then everyone had a chance to add more in the open forum. I do agree with Rej and Tasha that audio alone can more difficult in comparison to seeing things in writing. Overall, everyone was professional and respectful, which allowed for an effective chat session. ||
 * M. Turnof || I, too, enjoyed the chat and hearing about everyone's various experiences. There were answers to the questions that I hadn't even thought of and was able to go away from the chat with a bunch to reflect upon. || I, too, agree with Rej and Tasha about the difficulty of the audio without the face-to-face contact, however, it was easier to follow along in hte moment than the written chat. With the written chat, I felt like I was always behind in the conversation but did have the luxury of looking back when I wanted re-clarification. I, also, agree that everyone was very profession, respectful and came to the chat with well-prepared thoughtful responses which was very refreshing. ||
 * CBreeze || The content of the chat was great. The questions were thought provoking and lead me to think about how I could apply them to my current situation. I also enjoyed hearing everyone else's response to the questions - as Michele noted it gave me some other ideas to think about. It was nice to hear everyone's voices again :-)! || This was a new experience for me and although I enjoyed the chat, I too am a visual learner and it was hard to remember and concentrate on all of the information that was shared. In addition, I had some technology difficulities that didn't occur during the test session. When I spoke and when the instructors spoke, I heard an echo. This made it difficult to comrehend what they were saying and it really made it difficult for me to talk coherently. I was able to hear all of the participants clearly and enjoyed their responses. Having the written component helped. ||
 * B. Ruch || I had added a comment after Rej right after the chat, but it didn't seem to save..so here it goes again. I felt the questions were thought provoking and allowed us to share our reflections on the various course reading and apply it to what is happening in our own schools. It is nice to hear classmates' perceptions of the readings and how it applies to them. We are all working in very different environments and bring a plethora of experiences to the group. || I thought the chat structure and process was well organized, efficient, and effective. Everyone had a chance to speak, the chat was kept moving, and it was completed in the given time frame. The pre-chat was helpful to minimize problems during the formal chat. I'm glad the chat was recorded so we can reference it again when needed, which is not something you have access to in a face-to-face class. ||
 * H.Vanhorn || I felt the questions were thoughtful and well spoken. In summary, it was an excellent discussion, one that I enjoyed. It was another great tool to use for our online course. This experience was wonderful!! || The chat was structured and the process was very well organized. Other then a few small glitches with speakers and such, I found the chat meaningful and thoughtful. I am also happy to hear the chat is recorded so I can go back an listen to it again to ensure I gather as much knowledge as possible. I do wish we had the opportunity to see each other face to face via a camera, I would like to be able to put voices with a face. ||
 * J.Broadwater || I enjoyed the chat questions. I thought they were cleverly crafted as to illicit a broad response from classmates including personal experiences and creative solutions. I would have liked a question that cross-referenced Chapters 1 and 6 in School Reform Models at Scale with the Century/Levy article. || I enjoyed the synchronous chat experience with sound. Logistically, it seems like the size of our group really pushed the envelope. I think using the chat forum for our teams may be more appropriate. The open and closed form management technique kept the chat moving. The interactive experience provided multiple fronts for group communication. Overall it was a neat experience- when the technology was working properly. ||
 * R.Furr || I enjoyed the chat. It was nice to discuss items in a different form. I thought the questions allowed for discussion with minimal confusion. It was interesting to hear about the personal experiences of some of my classmates. I have had the opportunity to participate in very little school reform, so to hear first hand information is very educational. || I liked the structure of the chat, but I do think our group is a bit large for a whole group discussion. It seemed to take quite a while for each person from each group to respond. I wonder if it would work for each team to answer the four questions in a separate chat? I know that would be more chats, but the dialogue maybe more informative. Could also be two teams at a time, that would cut down on the amount of people. I think it would be helpful for me to post my initial response in writing and then elaborate on the question/prompt orally. It was a very interesting experience. ||
 * A. Clancy || The content was appropriate and the group did a good job of both staying focused and bringing in a diversity of information and view points. A few times I started thinking "where are they going with this but people brought it together fairly quickly. The questions were thought provoking || The process was good. Perhaps if each group had one assigned question followed by an open question and answer session it would also work well, an ask the expert type activity. The tech support was awesome! ||  ||   ||

 The content of the chat was benefical to me because questions that I needed further explanations on where addressed and very informative. It was evident that everyone put a great deal of effort into structuring their thoughts. I can always appreciate when responses are direct and structured. Everyone in the cohort has different backgrounds and can apply real-life scenarios that are helpful when proccessing all of this information.
 * B. Richardson

The process had a format that kept each group in suspense. All of us do not have any idea as to what questions would be asked and who would be answering them. Allowing group members to respond and then indicating for an open discussion to occur, was helpful with keeping the pace of the chat. I am sure that this was a learning experience for us all, however, this was a very successful adventure! || C. Wilson

I think that the content was very effective in letting myself and I am sure others think in different ways. I found myself saying countless times, "Wow, I never thought of it like that." I think everyone did a great job in getting their thoughts together in a way that everyone could understand. The scenarios that people were using to apply the content really aided in making what we have studies have a deeper meaning.

The chat's format was very smooth.It made sure that everyone had done their preperation for this chat because you never knew what questions you were going to get. It also allowed people to comment on something that they were not asked. I also liked that the administrators of the chat were asking questions that allowed for deeper thinking.

The content: The questions were fair questions which provoked one to process the information read and then apply this. Each person dug deep into their personal experience superimposing the information on reform. I expected each response to be consistent but I did hear many ideas which had a perspective I had not considered.
 * M. Garcia

The process: The chat was really a wonderful way to review and support the material we have covered in our reading. I do believe that the CTE program is set up to reinforce and introduce a vast amount of information. Studying online does not allow one to "sit in the back row". Each individual's processing of information is probed consistentl as we document our reflections and synthesize projects with our teams. However, at this time it was refreshing to hear our professor and to hear the way that others process the same information that one has read. The questions were specific but allowed for each team to expand on the topic. Again, I gained much in hearing how others processed the information. Some of the individuals gave insight which I believe was unique to their experience. The technical problems which occurred were solved so quickly and the support team was so smooth that the conversation was able to flow. I think that all the folks that had a delay in the microphones still hear the others. However, I did not have any difficulties but perhaps the folks that did may have lost the flow. The audio recording resolved this problem for the most part.

J. Shambaugh

Content: The questions that were asked allowed for a great discussion. So many people had personal applications to each questions, which really broadened my views. It is nice to be able to correspond with so many people who have a variety of experiences.

Process:The chat went well, once I got my micophone working. I could hear everyone clearly. I liked how each team and then each team member was called on to answer a question. That allowed for good pacing and organization. I also liked that there was an open forum to allow others to contribute.