The Program for Online Teaching, or POT as it is affectionately known, has been around since 2005. I think I saw it around 2007 or 2008. Having read some of the writing of Lisa Lane and seeing that it was a class for teachers, run by teachers, with a goal of learning more about how to choreograph learning opportunities, I was hooked.
POT was a gateway drug for me. Shortly after experiences in POT I dabbled with some #ds106. I never tried to mainline a MOOC, but I signed up for a few. Thankfully, I stayed away from Coursera, EdX, and the Kahn Academy. I just wanted friends to talk to and I found them in the Program.
Sometimes it is hard to see the road with the smoky haze created by modern “Learning Management Systems.” It can feel like a small smoky car while the rest of the glorious internet rolls on by. But from inside the LMS, it is hard to even know if you are on the internet….
Alright, enough LMS bashing. Enough of the drug metaphor. There is more to learning that one book, one lecture, one discussion at a coffee shop or one tool. Right?
What I most admire about Lisa Lane is her commitment to trying to get it right. Or at least closer to right, and not being afraid of trying. She is fearless. She may not agree, but her fearless attitude envelopes the course and the participates feel safer with such an intrepid leader. Or organizer. Or whatever she might call her role in this group of people.
The community has travelled through the mediums of Facebook, G+, WordPress, Google Sites, and now Canvas. It has had conversations in Twitter, Hangouts, Diggo, and about every other tool that might improve experiences for learners. It is a voyage across the internet, not a conversation in a grain silo. And through all of the places and conversations, pedagogy and teaching are always held high and used to guide the travelers.
I learned a lot and I have made valuable connections and friendships through this course. You can too.
The Program is open to all and there is no charge.
You are invited.
We start Monday October 3rd.
Go here: https://canvas.instructure.com/enroll/APJCWL
You might meet someone who can help you. And if you do not want to have to take a class or go to a camp, you can always joing the Facebook page. It is active and you can ask questions that may be answered by the many awesome faculty there. Visit the POT page.