Image credit: Kevin Hodgson

Welcome to Make Cycle #1 in CLMOOC 2016! This is the fourth year of CLMOOC (Making Learning Connected Massive Open Online Collaboration) and each one includes introductions —  getting to know and connect with each other to cultivate our community, to grow together as we learn together.

Make Cycle 1 includes three activities to connect learners:

• Introductions
• Connections
• Cultivations

Part 1: Introductions 

Connected Learning principles pull us together through our shared interests. We often begin this process of community building by getting a sense of who we are as a group, by crafting and creating introductions that captures us as well-rounded individuals, not just in our formal roles as educators and learners. As always, how you introduce yourself is up to you, be it avatar, movie, links, or a collage, etc. Show us who you are and what your interests and passions are; your choice of medium is part of who you are.  Check out the examples below, try a new tool, and share your experience too. Maybe a collage would work best — still shots framed or a slide show movie (Animoto, for example). Perhaps you could share a video of your day or your interests. Perhaps you write or share a poem or an ABC list.  Options are open for you to create in ways that make sense for you. Participate in any means that is comfortable for you. By sharing, we network together and connect to support our successes and failures. Some of you will create something elaborate; others will lurk and learn, perhaps commenting: all are welcome.  Be sure to tag your post #clmooc

If you need help, just ask — the CLMOOC Google Plus Community, the Twitter #CLMOOC hashtag and the Facebook Group are all there to assist.

Wade into these ideas, be creative with your own, or try one from the Make Bank.

Dip In

Do something quick and easy — use what you’re familiar with (PowerPoint or Google Slides, an acrostic poem, a poster you snap a photo to share).

• Google Story builder by Sheri Edwards
• Collage by Susan Watson (could use PicMonkey or BeFunky) 
• An object that introduces you by Merisenda Alatorre
• Picasso by Katie Britt
• Picasso by Jason Shiroff
• Superhero by Charlene Doland
• Superhero by Kevin Hodgson
• Superhero by Allie Bishop Pasquier

Swim in

Try something slightly more time-consuming and detailed.

• ABCs in easel.ly by Rita DiCarne  — or written on paper with a picture or typed in a Google Slide
• Thinglink by Jennifer Dunslow and another Thinglink by Ida Brandão
• Dopple Me by Eng Teacher
• Fantasy Avatar by Susan Watson

Dive in

Learn a process and app while creating.

• A Day in the Life by Laura Lopez, a movie created in YouTube SlideShow Creator (More info here.)
• Bits and Pieces by Sheri Edwards created in Animoto
• Voki by Martha Kein
• MakeGif by Melvina Kurashige

Dive Deeper  (for rerunners and returning CLmooc-ees)

Encourage and review what you’ve done in past years of CLMOOC to help spark ideas for others.

• Reflection of past bios like Helen’s  The True You: Iterations of a ‘bio
• Selfless Selfie by Jonathan Worth; You Can’t Do a Selfless Selfie Alone by Alan Levine. Someone else takes a selfie of you!

Snorkel Through These Additional Resources

• YouTube SlideShow Creator or Animoto
• Easel.ly
• Thinglink
• Picasso Head
• Dopple Me
• Voki
• MakeGif
• Fantasy Avatar Creator
• Super Hero Name Generator
• Marvel Super Hero Generator
• Superhero Hero Machine Generator
• Collage Makers: PicMonkey, PhotoVisi, BigHugeLabs Mozaic Canva

Part 2: Connections  

Once you’ve shared your introduction in the CLMOOC Google Plus Community, navigate through and comment on a few other participants’ introductions. Start building your community within our larger one.

If you are seeking more daily activities, we have the Daily Connector site — these are quick and easy ways to connect each day. You are free to partake in the ideas or ignore them, as your time and interest allows. You can even submit a Daily Connect idea for the site with this form.

Part 3: Cultivation

What did you discover about the participants you’ve met? Cultivate and share:

• Introduce a new friend like Susan Watson did here in a Google Plus post.
• Or curate your connections in an annotated “found poem” with quotes from your new friends, adding them to CLMOOC Found Poetry slideshow.

Summary of Make with Me

Choose an option to support our community connections and show your gratitude and support for participants’ “makes.” Remember to participate at your comfort level and always feel free to ask questions. If you know an answer, jump in and share.

• Introductions: Create and share your introduction in CLMOOC Google Plus Community, the Twitter #CLMOOC hashtag and/or the Facebook Group
• Connections: Comment on others’ introductions.
• Cultivation of our community
  • Introduce your new friends like Susan Watson did here in a Google Plus post.
  • Or curate your connections in an annotated “found poem” with quotes from your new connections, adding them to CLMOOC Found Poetry slideshow.
  • Or pursue your own idea.

Places to Share

• In Google Plus, you can join and post to our CLMOOC Community.
• On Twitter, we encourage you to follow and use the #clmooc hashtag this summer.
• You can post your blog post / makes on Twitter, in our CLMOOC G+ Community, and/or in the CLMOOC Facebook group.
• We also encourage you to share your makes in the CLMOOC Make Bank. Make Cycle 1 makes in the Make Bank include Curate: Assemble, Sort, and Showcase, String Postcards, and more. If you do any of these makes, add links to your examples.

Live Events

• Join our Make With Me live broadcast with chat on Tues., July 12 at 7p ET/4p PT/11pm UTC live streamed with a synchronous chat here at CLMOOC. This session will also be recorded so you can watch the archive later.
• We will be hosting a Twitter Chat for Make Cycle #1 on Thurs., July 14 at 7p ET/4p PT/11pm UTC with the #clmooc hashtag

Need More Information?

• Check out our FAQ page.
• Reach out to us with questions or suggestions in the CLMOOC G+ Community, in the Facebook Group, or via #clmooc on Twitter.
• Learn more about Connected Learning.

Finally …

Have fun and have some conversations with participants about commonalities, surprises, how to questions, etc. Our CLMOOC G+ Community will soon be bursting with color, conversation, and connections. Lurk around a while to catch the wave of connected learning, or launch right into conversations and creations. Be yourself; we — the community — are here to support each other as we become connected learners.

Thank you for sailing with us!

Sheri Edwards @grammasheri
Sarah Honeychurch @NomadWarMachine
CLMOOC Make Cycle 1 facilitators