I love the idea of adding asynchronous
content, maybe even in the middle of a live session. In the
best f2f settings, we add time to reflect. We are trained
somewhat to use online tools to quickly jump, file, delete,
forward, share, and keep moving. Getting everyone to take a
breath and think and return to the conversation at some set
time is golden.
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I¡¯ll admit that when I saw the length of
the exchange below, I thought, ¡°I gotta go. There¡¯s no time
for this.¡± So glad that I slowed down for all of 2 minutes to
read and think about this.
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Many thanks ¨C Bill
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Bill
Withers
Breakthrough Coach
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Dear Nancy,
Thank you for writing this. I find it refreshing and a
positive sign in all the current "covid-19 mania". I get the
impression that "everyone" is literally trying to redesign f2f
settings and be online to not miss out on anything or anyone.
It's paradox - while the virus forces us to slow down and shut
everything down, the craziness continues online. We transform
our structures and patterns to a virtual world.
So I appreciate your thoughts very much. Mixing asynchronous
and synchronous as well as using different media sounds like a
very effective plan.
I am hosting a group of students this coming Saturday. We
would have met f2f. The university is open-minded and
encourages teachers to make the most of the situation and
continue with their sessions, either via distance learning or
live online.
So I have decided to do a blended format. I am currently
designing the agenda and I have realised that all the tech
craziness and the lack of crisis management in some
organisations prevent me (I can only talk about myself here)
from thinking creatively. I need to really get rid of all the
noise and distraction created online and focus on my group's
needs, their learning goals, my goals, the topics we are
dealing with etc. While tech savviness is super important -
which is why I am so thankful that you initiated this exchange
and that so many people share webinars, links, etc. - all of
this is so absolutely helpful and provides so much support
right now - I think the overall challenge for everyone, for
society, is to focus on what we really need and want (to
change).? I think that's the challenge for society, no matter
where.
So I'd be happy to learn along here with you. As said, I am
currently designing my agenda for my group of students and I
will use zoom for their presentations, I have designed some
quiz material with moodle, and I have set up some materials
that I find helpful for them, plus some prompts that they need
to work out asynchronously but in collaborative teams. For
this, we use google docs, mentimeter, and probably some 365
video presentations.
I deliberately want to keep it simple technology-wise but
make it complex challenge-wise. And I am curious to get
students' feedback. They are currently also under pressure as
everything has changed. BTW, in that case these students all
have a job, they are learning workers.
Regards from Vienna,
Christina
Am 19.03.2020 um 14:48 schrieb Nancy
White:
This post is part "thinking out loud" and part
action/question. So if you are interested in both, please
read till the end.
One of the things that is showing up for me is people
writing/calling/texting asking "how do I convert this F2F
meeting to online?" (More on that in a separate message.)?
Well, last night I made the mistake of looking at FB before
bed so I slept very poorly AND I had a lot of ideas swirling
around in my head. One was a flashback of the online events
many of us designed and hosted back in the "olden days" when
most online events were primarily text based and
asynchronous. There would be discussion threads rolled out
over a period of days and people would generally have a
24-48 time period to read, post, and respond to others
before we moved on to the next "agenda item." When we got
really fancy we would add periodic telephone conference
calls (yes, telephone!) and things really broke open when we
could start to embed media like visuals, audio and video.?
The ideas behind this work was that we could include many
more people than could fly to a meeting, and when we had to
support access to local connectivity, it was very often FAR
FAR FAR more economical than bringing people to a physical
gathering. While those who were used to F2F meetings
pooh-poohed us, those who never got to go to those meetings
were deeply engaged, appreciative and brilliant
contributors.?
Arrival to March 19 (it is March 19th, isn't it? How many
days have we been quarantined in each of our corners of the
world??) After 10-14 days of super intense Zoom meetings, my
brain and body was not happy. The intensity (yes, of course,
jacked up by the pandemic) was showing on our faces as we
stared into our cameras, still wearing the same sweatshirt
from ... how many days ago?
It hit me, we DO HAVE the ability to use asynchronous tools
with our lovely synchronous tools. Many of us do it every
day (yes, email, basecamp, trello, teams, slack) but those
uses have been for tasking, small message exchange, and not
really deeper conversation. (Yes, JonL - the ?conversation!) Set
up a discussion board, parse out the things that can go
slower, that don't need video, that focus on information
exchange or slower, calmer (and deeper) conversations. Let
people figure out how to take care of the kids and work by
making some of the meeting time a slower, asynchronous
time.?
Today I have two calls about meeting design and I wondered,
how would I convert those meetings? What are some of those
great approaches and techniques that worked so well 15-20
years ago??
So what I'd love to discuss - yes asynchronously for now on
this email list - is our ideas for rethinking F2F longer
form meetings (3 day strategic planning, 2 day training, 5
day intense team consultation) into synch/asynch online
meetings. How do we rethink of time (believe me, we aren't
going to sustain all day online meetings and raise the kids
etc, folks. Get real quick!) What rhythm works well? How
does this enhance cross time zone work.?
I have a lot of ideas, but they are all a-jumble. Please
join in this thread and think with me. I'd like to bring
together our best thinking over 3-5 days and then write it
up (we can do that collaboratively too if folks are
interested.)
AND THEN, I propose we do a series of redesign-shops where
one org brings their old meeting agenda, and we offer
redesign ideas. What do you think?
Chime in!
--
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