What does COMMUNITY mean to you?
- Belonging
- Acceptance
- Respect
- Feeling welcome
- Supporting each other
- Sharing stories and wisdom
- Working together
(My favourite New Zealand Maori quote)
Are you a part of a community (Canvas, work, or neighbourhood)? What brought you there, or how did you initially get connected?
I've been fortunate to belong to a few communities. Some more effective and healthy than others.
- As a young mum belonging to parenting support groups helped create little villages to raise our children. I learned so much, then felt strong enough to support others. Telling our stories helped so much.
- As a teacher belonging to learning communities centered around specific curriculum areas or topics of focus helped me to learn from others then, in time, to nurture the learning in others. Again, sharing our stories of what works, what doesn't, and a few laughs helped also.
- Teaching in New Zealand had an extra sparkly community with the Maori Community who so desperately wanted to share their culture and language. So many magic memories were made singing, telling stories, learning, learning, learning. This helped me to learn more about acceptance and respect.
- Teaching in Tasmania has introduced me to the Tasmanian Aboriginal community. They are striving to show us how to make connections with the land and each other. I am new to this community but feel as though it's home and am looking forward to what I will learn alongside these wonderful people.
- My Blended Learning Team have become a tight knit group where we explore and create together. Then spreading our reach a little further are the great people in Curriculum Services and the amazing teachers in our schools.
- From day one the Canvas Community has been like coming home. First of all I was welcomed by someone across the planet - thanks stefaniesanders! Then another person shared how they use Canvas in different ways to what I thought it was capable of, my world opened up - thanks @lgibbs3 . Then others happily shared their stories, problem solved, told jokes, asked questions and before I knew it our little planet had become 'traversable' without getting on a plane.
- THEN the APAC group became a mini community where teaching with a similar curriculum and in the same part of the Pacific gave us some common ground to make connections and even meet in person.
Is there someone part of your community who you admire? How does their involvement or their overall participation influence you?
So many people. The people who welcome, accept, are patient when teaching, share, collaborate, and know when to share a laugh.
What motivates you to be an active participant in your community or group?
- When I need to learn something specific - ask a question.
- When I can help someone out with a question.
- When I realise that others might need to hear about something.
- When I need to collaborate with experts (that's you guys) in the Community to nut something out.
Have you used Canvas in a way that helps you or your team reach a unique goal for your community?
Creating Canvas Staff Rooms where school staff can not only curate their resources but they can start to immerse themselves in all that Canvas can do as a collaborative and personalising tool thus creating their own community of learning. Hopefully this models how they can use it with their own classes.
Do you or does your team utilise Canvas in a way which is innovative or customised as you serve a specific community of learners?
It never ceases to amaze me when I see all of the different ways that teachers use Canvas. It brings me great joy when people see a purpose and create courses and lessons that engage so well.
My extended team across the whole state, teachers, school leaders and the students themselves are my learning community. AND it's early days. Imagine what it will be like a few years from now. Exciting times!
Why do you value a project like this? How was COMMUNITY a motivating factor in this project’s completion?
This project has value for me because it's a way for me to say thank you for the genuine welcome, support, encouragement and wisdom I receive daily from so many of you.
It's a way to say to others - please share your stories.
How has your involvement impacted your life?
Belonging to these communities has helped make me - Me.
