DigiLit Sunday: Join the Digital Maker Playground...Reader Response Focused

I'm curled up on the couch by my sliding glass doors watching a rainy snowy mix fall to the ground.  I pull my blanket a little more tightly around me as the wind outside whistles.  This is the perfect day to play on the playground.

What???

Have I gone crazy?

This is the perfect day to play on, not any playground but, the Digital Maker Playground.  The playground opens January 19th and we're hoping you'll join us.  The Digital Maker Playground isn't your typical professional development opportunity.  Instead it is a place where learners join together from around the globe virtually to consider, and work through, the new possibilities in literacy thanks to digital spaces.  This opportunity allows you to work from wherever you'd like, in times that work best for your schedule, while still connecting with others around a common goal.

Last year, as we explored digital tools, this virtual space hosted learners from around the world.  Our community includes members from states such as Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine and Wisconsin.  We were fortunate to have friends join us from Australia as well.  The playground is open to members around the world.

Our Focus:  Reader Response
This year, I'm once again hosting the Digital Maker Playground (#P2Lmooc) with Julie Johnson.  Our focus on the Digital Maker Playground will be around reader response.  We're looking forward to digging into reader response to deepen our understanding and open our eyes to new possibilities for our students.  It seems reading used to be an act of solitude, but digital tools and spaces have opened new possibilities for readers to extend their thinking beyond the text and connect with other readers.

There are four makes in this year's session, followed by time for reflection on reader response.  There is roughly two weeks between each make.  A focus will be selected for each make and community members will be asked to play around and respond digitally to a text.  Participants will have about two weeks to complete each make.  All digital artifacts will be shared in the Google community.

You Might Want to Know:

• To begin Join the Digital Maker Playground
• Our first make will be announced Saturday morning, January 16th (to be completed by 2/2). 
• An optional live workshop is offered for local participants (see Smore).
• Follow the #P2Lmooc hashtag on Twitter (@jreaderwriter and @cathymere)

We hope to see you on the playground!

*Hilliard City School educators can receive credit for this course.  Sign in on PD Express.  If you have questions, please contact Julie or me.  

As part of a continuous collaboration among educators interested in digital learning, Margaret Simon hosts a weekly Digital Learning round-up on her blog:  DigiLit Sunday.  Stop by Reflections on the Teche.