Learning4Content/Workshops/eL4C45/Introductions

Benjamin Stewart
Hello everyone and welcome to The WikiEducator "Invite them and they will come" Online Workshop! As your facilitator, I am thrilled to be part of an ongoing effort to help others gain the knowledge and skills necessary to great open educational resources in Wikieducator. I'm an EFL teacher educator and researcher at the Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes, Mexico and am originally from the United States. My interests are researching connective English language learnings, promoting distance English language learning, and conducting a ongoing, open, distance English language training workshop. My personal learning network primarily revolves around what I do in Wikieducator and my Collaborative Understandings sites: a blog, a Moodle, and main website. Don't be afraid to ask questions as there are many friends willing to help! See you in the wiki! --Benjamin Stewart 00:36, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

Peter Albert
Hello everyone. I am looking forward to exploring the options of providing content to a community of learners using wiki technology! My background is in engineering electronics, and adult learning methods. I have taught degree awarding electronics courses for the United States Air Force, created and managed CBT programs for the USAF, worked with, and taught sophisticated semiconductor manufacturing equipment to leaders in the semi community. I specialize in creating simulator technology for adult, performance improvement, learning initiatives. I am constantly searching for alternative ways to leverage the time I have with learners, in efforts to maximize their learning potential and maximize their performance competencies. I am looking forward to learning with some new friends!

Join me on Linkedin...

Welcome Peter! It's great to have you in the workshop and look forward to seeing your contributions. Be bold and feel free to ask questions if you have any doubts. --Benjamin Stewart 23:24, 19 September 2010 (UTC)


 * Welcome! It seems that we can learn a lot from you Peter.--Nadia El Borai 04:02, 22 September 2010 (UTC)

► The business suit in the photo looks good.--Matthew Wai 27 September 2010

Dr.S.Ramakrishna Sharma
Namaste dear All,

I am from India, that is BhAratam. To be precise, from Karnataka, coastal region, Mangaluru. Serving as Professor&amp;Head, Dept. of English in an aided college, in Sringeri which is a hill station 125 kms away from Mangaluru. After two years, I am participating in this WikiEducator event, again. To know more about me you may visit my User Page at Dr. S. Ramaskrishna Sharma. I believe that "Heritage Awareness makes one an enlightened, proud and responsible Citizen." This is the motto of my Google Group: The large amount of material gathered therein needs to be put in the form of age appropriate OER. I hope to get it started this time here!

A Three Day International Conference on Decoding Veda Vidya is being organized in Jan, 2011. I am proud to mention that I am one of the coordinators. Take a look at the Brochure here:


 * [[Image:80px-Wikineighbour V2.png|60px]]It's great to have you back Dr. Sharma! Your user page is really coming along wonderfully. I hope this workshop can guide you to becoming a WikiBuddy! --Benjamin Stewart 12:27, 22 September 2010 (UTC)

Victor Hugo Rojas B.
Hello you all,

I associate professor of language teacher education at U.N.E. and U.N.M.S.M. in Lima, Peru. Over 25 years of experience teaching at schools, pedagogical institutes, language centres, and universities. I currently train pre- and in- service English teachers.

As a course developer, I’ve applied my elementary knowledge of Web 2.0, Personal Learning Networking, and e-learning in developing my courses using Moodle, Blogger, Twitter, etc. About this course, I’d like to learn and improve new ways of integrating technologies, using Wikis, to elaborate, deliver, and evaluate distance and blended EFL teachers training courses.


 * Welcome and I am sure the wiki skills you will learn here will be of great benefit to you --Nadia El Borai 04:06, 22 September 2010 (UTC)
 * [[Image:80px-Wikineighbour V2.png|60px]]It's great to have you here Victor! As you know we share similar interests and will continue to seek your advice on how Wikieducator might improve the teaching and learning of English in Mexico! Enjoy the workshop and feel free to ask questions if you feel so inclined. --Benjamin Stewart 04:45, 22 September 2010 (UTC)

Rwagasana Gerard


Hello everyone. I am very happy to meet you (virtually) on this forum, I am sure we'll have agreable and funny moments together in "wiki-ing" together.

My name is Rwagasana Gerard, 64 old, retired. I am an independent researcher and international consultant. Master ICT in education; MSc.Physics, I taught Mechanics, Electromagnetism, Optics and Introductory Modern Physics for more than 25 years in Universities of Rwanda, Congo, Niger and Burundi. I taught ICT Skills at the National University of Rwanda and organized workshops and trainings for lecturers in using ICT in the classroom, elearning pedagogy, tools and techniques.

My research area: The impact of eLearning / OERs on the access and the quality of education in african higher educational institutions.

I participate in Wikieducator workshops because wikis are very usefull tools for modern collaborative teaching and learning, especially in our countries. My objective is to be a true wiki ambassador in my country so that more and more rwandan educators will become active members of our community.


 * Welcome and I am sure you will be able to master wiki skills easily, just try it --Nadia El Borai 04:08, 22 September 2010 (UTC)
 * [[Image:80px-Wikineighbour V2.png|60px]]Welcome Rwagasana and congratulations on reaching Wikiapprentice 2 certification, good for you! I hope this workshop will assist you in becoming a Wikibuddy! Also, I wish you all the success as you pursue your interests in becoming a wiki ambassador. --Benjamin Stewart 04:40, 22 September 2010 (UTC)

Hello Rwagasana, I am excited to see someone who has experience working in electro and optical science. I taught optical lithography to semiconductor manufactures, like Intel, IBM, and Nikon. I look forward to possible collaboration regarding some sort of optical engineering curriculum? Sound interesting? Regards, Peter Albert --Peter Albert 09:10, 22 September 2010 (MT)

Eleni Kabaraki
Hello to all of you, I am from Greece,and I teach Technology and Biology to a junior secondary school in Athens. I teach about 28 years.I am interested in incorporate different methods of teaching in my classroom. It's my first participation to wiki Educator. I am very exited and I hope that I will manage to follow the activities.


 * Welcome Eleni, we are all here to help you, just try it and I am sure you will do very well --Nadia El Borai 04:09, 22 September 2010 (UTC)
 * [[Image:80px-Wikineighbour V2.png|60px]]Hi Eleni, and welcome! The best advice I can give you is to just jump right into the workshop and ask questions when you are not sure. The workshop is a "playground" for experimentation, so don't hesitate to get started to see where it will take you. Click here to see a tutorial on how to add a signature when posting a comment to a wikipage. This will confirm who posted the message and also provides a link to your user page, which is a great way to learn more about the author. --Benjamin Stewart 04:32, 22 September 2010 (UTC)

Cecilia Mercado
From the Philippines, I would like to say hello to everyone. I am Cez Mercado, currently the Dean of School of Computing and Information Sciences at Saint Louis University, Baguio City. While I would like to enhance my skills as an educator, foremost I would like to meet colleagues who advocate OER. Being in a developing country, initiatives such as this, would definitely enhance the academic landscape as well as provide more opportunities for education growth. I am looking forward to meeting new partners and to interacting with all of you.


 * Hello Cecilia, or should I say Cez, looking forward to working with you.--Nadia El Borai 04:11, 22 September 2010 (UTC)
 * [[Image:80px-Wikineighbour V2.png|60px]]Welcome to the workshop Cecilia and I agree with you...Wikieducator is a great way to connect with colleagues from around the world who share similar interests. By the way, click here to see a tutorial on how to add a signature when posting a comment to a wikipage. This will confirm who posted the message and also provides a link to your user page, which is a great way to learn more about the author. --Benjamin Stewart 04:27, 22 September 2010 (UTC)

Mark Spain
I am Mark Spain. I live in Canberra, Australia and work as a designer and facilitator of leadership development and organisational cultural change programs. My business is Global Learning. I also use Global Learning's face-to-face and online collaboration tool iMEET! to run high stakes meetings and planning sessions for business, government and community organisations. I am excited about the possibilities and challenges in working with others to create a world that is environmentally sustainable, socially just and spiritually fulfilling. I would like to be more skilled and flexible in using online tools including wikis to build and sustain learning communities. Some recent community capacity buiding projects I have been involved in are The Art of Hosting and Harvesting Conversations that Matter Transition Towns Canberra and Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream symposiums --Markspain 01:30, 22 September 2010 (UTC)


 * Hello Mark and welcome, we are in the sort of same time zone, it seems that you will be doing very well from your background, it will be good to have your expertise here too.--Nadia El Borai 04:13, 22 September 2010 (UTC)
 * [[Image:80px-Wikineighbour V2.png|60px]]Hi Mark and welcome to the workshop! Your Global Learning project looks very interesting. If you need assistance at any time during the workshop, just ask! --Benjamin Stewart 12:22, 22 September 2010 (UTC)

Mariya Dsouza
Hello everyone ,I am Mariya dsouza from the land of rich culture and diversity, India.This is my first participation in wikieducator .I have completed my Bachelor in Education and currently preparing for my Masters in English .I am interested in using wiki for teching learning process, looking forward to intreact and contibute to wiki.....


 * Hello Mariya, this is the right place to learn to contribute to wiki, I am sure you will enjoy learning, a big welcome --Nadia El Borai 04:15, 22 September 2010 (UTC)
 * [[Image:80px-Wikineighbour V2.png|60px]]Welcome Mariya to the Wikieducator (WE) eL4C45 workshop! And good for you in pursuing your Master's degree. Be bold and don't be afraid to ask questions if you need assistance. You'll find that there are many within the WE family who are eager to help. I look forward to seeing your contributions! By the way, a note to everyone: Click here to see a tutorial on how to add a signature when posting a comment to a wikipage. This will confirm who posted the message and also provides a link to your user page, which is a great way to learn more about the author. --Benjamin Stewart 04:22, 22 September 2010 (UTC)

Natzyelly Gonzalez
Hello, everybody, I am a teacher from the Autonomus University of Tamaulipas in Mexico. I am teaching English as a Foreign language to preschool childre. and also, I am the facilitator of CALL subject. The reason I joined this workshop is to learn more about the use of wikis and make the most of it in Education.

I also love the idea of meeting new people and learning from them. I have one starting question... How can I insert my pict?


 * Talofa, I am a teacher educator who is not new to Wiki and would like to improve my Wiki through collaborating with others. I have several colleagues who will be joining up soon ...if they havent already. Most of them are totally new to the world of WIKI'ing or WIKIdom

Although I enjoy pressing buttons and playing around with programs, most of my colleagues are not! What I would like to see is all of us making the most of this fantastic opportunity.


 * [[Image:80px-Wikineighbour V2.png|60px]]Hello Natzyelly and welcome! I love the picture you uploaded to your user page, by the way. Enjoy the workshop and ask if you have any questions. --Benjamin Stewart 01:00, 24 September 2010 (UTC)

Sherise D'souza
Namaste everyone! By now you may have guessed that I'm from India! I am an instructional writer, currently working in an e-learning company based in India. My current areas of interest include instructional design, the use of technology in education, study of human behavior and Human-Computer Interaction. WikiEducator is my open window to being a part of this wave of open educational resources and collaborating and sharing educational content. My learning objective is to learn how to use Wiki tools to create and manage content that can be delivered in an interactive and engaging format. I look forward to learning and collaborating with you all!


 * [[Image:80px-Wikineighbour V2.png|60px]]Welcome Sherise! I added a user page boilerplate to your user page just to get you started. Feel free to adapt it to your liking. This is your user page, right? --Benjamin Stewart 01:07, 24 September 2010 (UTC)

Hello everyone, My name is Sharon Mangroo. I work in the Ministry of Education, Trinidad and Tobago as the Director of Curriculum Development. We are about to begin a revision of the national primary school curriculum and I hope to learn to use wiki to allow for interaction and feedback as we write.


 * [[Image:80px-Wikineighbour V2.png|60px]] Talofa Sharon! What a great idea. Samoa is right in the thick of changing their national primary school curriculum. I am involved in the area of assessment. Next year we'll be training the trainers before implementing into the Primary Schools. It is really exciting. Anyway, I was just thinking with time and wiki training, how much this wouldve assisted with the rewriting &amp; planning of individual subject areas. All the best for the project &amp; maybe we can share notes. --Lumaava Sooaemalelagi 17:26, 28 September 2010 (NUS)

Matthew Wai
I am a native Chinese living in China all along. I am a voluntary translator on http://www.scn.org/cmp/index.htm


 * [[Image:80px-Wikineighbour V2.png|60px]] Hello Matthew and welcome to the workshop! I've added a note below concerning learning contracts, but feel free to contact me if you have any questions. --Benjamin Stewart 11:50, 28 September 2010 (UTC)


 * Learning contracts may be scanned and emailed to wikieducator.L4C@gmail.com. --Benjamin Stewart 11:50, 28 September 2010 (UTC)

Lumaava Sooaemalelagi
Talofa everyone, great to read all your inputs and from such diverse cultural backgrounds – given that Oceania has the fastest rate of language erosion in the world, for me, trying to invest in ways to reverse this trend is one of WIKI's key attractions as a collaborative tool. My name is Lumaava Sooaemalelagi and I am a teacher educator with the National University of Samoa http://www.nus.edu.ws. Wiki'ing is not new to me; in fact I have been both a trainer and a participant having attended two Bootcamps.

My purpose for joining up is to reignite my wiki skills and in particular, encourage our teaching staff/colleagues to become competent and active users of WIKI educator. As we know, it is such a useful collaborative tool that once people give it a real try, they will see its positive, addictive, and exponential benefits, that it will be just too hard to put aside.

Thanks for the open workshop and the collaborative learning opportunities for both myself and colleagues.


 * [[Image:80px-Wikineighbour V2.png|60px]] Hello Lumaava and welcome to the workshop! I'm interested in knowing more about how you plan to connect WE with what you are doing at your university. --Benjamin Stewart 23:35, 28 September 2010 (UTC)

Hi Benjamin, for immediate purposes, my team &amp; I are wanting to do more collaborative research. In the past, with everyone's different schedules, it has not always been possible to keep to meeting dates/times. As such, piecing together ideas can be somewhat stilted and frustrutating. I think the WE will allow a more fluid flow of 'thought traffic' and exchange of ideas as individual inputs can be viewed immediately. I love the idea of being able to 'backtrack' to a previous inputs no matter how far back it occurred.

There are other areas of WE such as using it within our own courses and with our students, that I would like to pursue further. However, at the same time I will need to think about how we can get the hard/software required. Until then, its concentrating on advancing my wiking skills.

I know segments of courses (life skills &amp; disaster management),that have been developed in Boot Camps, have been used in varying degrees through some of the courses we offer. There is always support and encouragement from the higher echelons as to whether wiki is being utilised. The simple answer is yes but there is ample room for development. With new staff being employed, these courses that you offer are much needed. I can offer support back up (albeit basic)to newbies, but main goal is to create Wiki work environments within our own faculty. Hence, this first step of encouraging staff to enrol in this course ...and it looks like I may need to send out a few life boats as I have yet to see any of my staff surface. chuckle!

Wafaa TAJRI
Salam to all participants! Finally I joined the course yesterday and thanks to Nadia El Borai I'm updated about the workshop.

I'm an independent translator, based in Casablanca city, Morocco. I'm very interested in Wikis, and hope i'll be able to share/learn more about it.


 * [[Image:80px-Wikineighbour V2.png|60px]] Hello Wafaa! Your user page is really coming along, good for you! Enjoy the workshop and feel free to ask questions if you need assistance. --Benjamin Stewart 23:41, 28 September 2010 (UTC)

Terri Tomassi
Hi. I'm Terri, a primary teacher in the US who recently moved back from England. I am completely new to Wiki and have heard about the wonderful applications for my class. I was touched when I read the goal of providing free, collaborative educational resources worldwide. I got a late start, but look forward to learning lots! Cheers, T


 * [[Image:80px-Wikineighbour V2.png|60px]] Hello and welcome Terri! Take a look around the various workshop links and jump right in.  Feel free to post questions if need be. --Benjamin Stewart 12:30, 2 October 2010 (UTC)

Savitha Harish
Hello everyone.I am so happy to be a part of this great wiki family.Iam Svitha Harish, an English teacher from India, participant of eL4C45/Workshops. I think its a rare opportunity to experiment with our creativity and imagination. Online Workshops are really helpful to extent our technical skills..I am so thrilled to attend the workshops.I teach communicatice English in grade xii & xii and do online tution also.I am here to extend my career skills and to keep myself uptodate in the education field. I am so glad to create good friendship and share and gain knowledge. I strongly believe that OER cocept will create wonders in the world.Friends, pls feel free to connect with me. savith02@yahoo.com