wiaoc2007

Writingmatrix: CONNECTing students with blogs, tags, and social networking
and **Doris Molero** (many blogs from URBE keep turning up ;-)
 * Vance Stevens, Nelba Quintana**, **Rita Zeinstejer**, and **Saša Sirk**

We presented at the Webheads in Action Online Convergence held **May 18-20, 2007**. [|http://wiaoc.org], with archived presentation details at [|http://schedule.wiaoc.org] and http://www.webheadsinaction.org/wiaoc2007; recordings linked from http://streamarchives.net/ Vance Stevens, Nelba Quintana, Rita Zeinstejer, Doris Molero, and Sasha Sirk gave a presentation entitled //Writingmatrix: CONNECTing students with blogs, tags, and social networking//
 * Vance's slides: http://www.slideshare.net/vances/vance-writingmatrix-wiaoc2007/
 * //(no longer available) Other contributions posted at http://webheadsinaction.org/node/174.//
 * //(no longer available) Audio recording: http://streamarchives.net/node/48//
 * Elluminate recording: https://sas.elluminate.com/p.jnlp?psid=2007-05-18.0447.M.FF88B318415986DF118835E10F8CB7.vcr

We are contributing to the proceeds, working document here: http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=dr22kn2_24dpqdgg&hl=en


 * For our presentation, be prepared to talk about**
 * **your experiences with the project**
 * **how it has helped student writing**
 * **what you have learned**
 * **how the students have responded**


 * If agreeable we will present in Elluminate**
 * We could have from 12:30 if we want to take 1.5 hours**


 * __About the presenters__**


 * Vance Stevens**

//**Times available:**// Vance sleeps from about 20:00 GMT (midnight my time) to 2:00 GMT (6 a.m. my time). My best days are Friday and Saturday because I work on Sundays (write your name and times best or worst for you here)

All contributors to this project are invited to join the presentation. We will need to negotiate a time suitable to all in the far corners of the earth in this project. I am thinking to hold it over an hour and a half in case contributors would like to have 15 minutes each to present.

(I might //change// sleeping hours if need be...)
 * Rita Zeinstejer:**

Most unfortunately, I need to be present at a f2f seminar on Saturday 19, from 12 to 16 GMT (but might get up early, say, 9 am GMT, and for 2 hs), and am working on Friday from 15 to 22.30 GMT, but I'm ready to change my Friday morning timetable at work, to be available as from 10 am to 15 GMT, 7 am to midday my end, (or I can get up earlier....)
 * //Times available://**

(Friday and Saturday are the best days for me too, esp. Friday from 7 GMT to 13 GMT. I'm pretty flexible at other times too if you tell me in advance, so I can find somebody to look after my boys. We generally sleep from GMT 22.00 to GMT 5, but I can adapt if necessary)
 * Saša Sirk**
 * //Times available://**

Abstract
Writingmatrix is a worldwide collaboration project involving students blogging in countries including Argentina, Venezuela, and Slovenia. The project utilizes tagging and social networking to make it possible for students to locate each other's blogs and then interact with each other. Teachers on the project will report their experiences and those of their students using this system.

Summary
The Writingmatrix project is an experiement in writing collaboration utilizing wikis and blogs, tagging, and social networking as facilitated by sites such as [|http://del.icio.us] and [|http://www.technorati.com.] Since its inception in early 2007 the Writingmatrix project has accumulated a growing archive of explanatory web pages, recorded presentations, and of course student blogs and teacher reflections on the project. These (as well as the current presentation website) are linked from the Writingmatrix portal at [|http://writingmatrix.wikispaces.com.] In this presentation the coordinator will lay out an overview of the project, including techniques used to locate and aggregate blog content created by students) and the teachers participating with their classes of blogging students will follow with reports of progress and reactions of students in their respective classes.

Bio Details

 * Vance Stevens** is a long-time Webhead - founder, coordinator, and contributor to Webheads events.


 * Nelba Quintana** is Teacher on English Language and Literature ( [|National University of La Plata] - Argentina) and Sworn English<>Spanish Translator, Distance Education Tutor ( National University of Córdoba- Argentina) and creator of the e-group English Virtual Community http://ar.groups.yahoo.com/group/inglesunlp/ . She is a new Webhead.

[|Multiliterate Doris], and loves to see people sharing, shining and having F.U.N!
 * Doris Molero** is an EFL Professor at [|Universidad Dr. Rafel Belloso Chacin] - (Maracaibo, Venezuela), Webhead since 2004, creator of several e-groups for her different classes: eflcenterlevel1 to eflcenterlevel5, eflcenterengineeringgroup, eflcenterwritinggroup, eflcenterspeakinggroup. Also creator of the website [|Doris3m EFl Center,] and the blogs [|Doris 3m EFL Center] (here you can find a list of her students blogs) and


 * Saša Sirk** is a Webhead since 2005, an EFL teacher at [|Vocational College] of [|Tehnični šolski center in Nova Gorica] and a proud member of [|The Slovene Association of LSP Teachers]. Her class blog is at http://www.rostilj.blogspot.com/ and personal at http://sasasirk.blogspot.com/.

rita@zeinstejer.com, her 2006 students' blog at http://caeb2006.podomatic.com/ ; her 2007 students' blog at http://caeb2007.podomatic.com/ CALL SIG conductor in Rosario, Argentina, for 6 years now. http://callsig2006.pbwiki.com/
 * Rita Zeinstejer** is a teacher in Argentina, who is using the techniques presented here to CONNECT their students through their blogs. A "veteran" Webhead by now, an EFL teacher with 30 years' experience teaching English at all levels, mainly preparing students to sit for Cambridge FCE and CAE. Cambridge Oral Examiner, Area Manager for Advanced Courses, and Self Access, Laboratory and Multimedia Coordinator at the Asociacion Rosarina de Cultura Inglesa. Participant and Presenter in online seminars and Congresses, an advocate of ICT and CMC tools for language learning, and of communicating with people worldwide.

(Please add more information here if you are joining us in this presentation)