Mid-Atlantic Regional Technology in Education Consortium   1301 Cecil B. Moore Ave. Ritter Annex 9th Floor Temple University - CRHDE Philadelphia, PA 19122 800-892-5550 215-204-5130 (fax) General Inquires: Laurence Peters Judith Stull   Technical Assistance: Barry Mansfield   Professional Development: Joan Pasternak Temple University Center for Research in Human Development and Education When considering the potential of the Webcentric Community, one must also consider possible limitations, which include such factors as • Educating the community about the possibilities for the virtual community as a means for learning and dialog • Ensuring that all members have equal access to equipment that will allow them to participate, • Providing training to all participants • Educating the community about the use and value of the virtual community • Ensuring that all members understand the purposes of the community—its purpose and limitations • Overcoming the dependence on face-to-face contact.     The following is a list of projects supported through the Webcentric Community: Education: K–12 • Assistance with teacher candidates—K–8 student Internet-based projects • Collaboration with technology representatives in schools—workshops, assistance to teacher candidates • Assistance in redesigning the Judy Center site and training of staff to maintain the site • Development of school website for elementary schools • Development of “challenges” for students in the gifted and talented programs; assistance with development of technology-integrated lesson exemplars.   Education: University • Assistance with web-enhancement of courses by faculty • Assistance with integration of technology in courses. Community and Organizations • Work with FSU’s VOICE Volunteerism Office and the Volunteer Center of Allegany County (VCAC) to compile their volunteerism data into a centralized, web-accessible repository. The result of the collaboration is the Community Service Database of Allegany County, an electronic community service clearinghouse where visitors can explore volunteer opportunities within the community and organizations can seek volunteers. Monitoring the results of the efforts to meet the objectives for the Webcentric Community will help to assess the viability of the webcentric concept for establishing a community of practice and learning. It will assist in determining the impact of the Webcentric Community on the learning and information exchange of all partners. In rural areas, it is important to have a delivery system that allows for anytime/anyplace learning and dialog with peers, experts, parents, teachers, and the community. Partners should feel comfortable in and out of the virtual community so they can contact any parent, community member, or educator via the Wweb for support and expertise. Attaining this comfort and understanding should allow the partners to reach out to other virtual communities throughout the world.   References   Gabelnick, F., MacGregor, J., Matthews, R. S., & Smith, B. L. (1990). Learning communities: Creatingconnections among students, faculty, and disciplines. Jossey-Bass Inc.: San Francisco.   Previous    Page 1 2  3 4  Copyright 2001 © MARTEC