Teaching with WordPress: Exploring Open Pedagogy

I am participating in the cMOOC, How to Teach with WordPress.  Today, I attended the live kick-off webinar and after my usual argument with Blackboard Collaborate, I had an enjoyable 30 minutes. My interests in enrolling in this course are primarily to gain more expertise with WordPress.  My institution, CSU Channel Islands, started CI Keys, an off shoot of Domain of One’s Own (a la @JimGroom and crew) and faculty and staff have been digging deep into the potential of WordPress.

I’ve taught in an LMS since I started teaching online ten years ago. However, throughout most of those years, I designed my learning environment to incorporate tools from the web (VoiceThread, Ning, Tackk to name a few). These tools were used to enhance the collaborative nature of the environment, as well as foster a my instructor presence and social presence. The idea of teaching in an “open” environment and embracing what we’re calling “open pedagogy” is exciting to me. Yet, I am fully aware that this is a huge barrier to the faculty who teach at institutions that have not established a position about teaching and learning in the open web. On the other hand, there are faculty doing incredible work in the open web and I want to learn more about this niche.

Today’s webinar touched upon some unexpected topics, which I appreciated. The facilitators shared a table that provided a lens for examining different quadrants of “open pedagogy.” A quote by David Wiley was used to frame this concept: “At it’s core, the question of open pedagogy is ‘what can I do in the context of open that I couldn’t do before?’” I like this question, as it provides a starting point for each individual educator to reflect on where they are and where they could go in an open learning environment.

This is important to me, as I have transitioned from an instructor role into a faculty development role. As I approach a new pedagogy, I view it through the lens of different instructors and students (with varying attitudes and perceptions about technology).

For me, my goals are to understand how to use WordPress in a way that is clear and simple enough for students to learn effectively in classes that do not denote a technology requirement (lower division general education classes, for example). Honestly, WordPress has not been as easy for me to learn to use as I had hoped it would. I’m still learning through trial and error, not to mention endless Google Searches. Yet, I am committed to the need to ensure students learn in an environment that is aligned with the same challenges and opportunities they will encounter after graduation. And no LMS can provide that.

So, I’m looking forward to the weeks ahead, improving my WordPress skills, and plunging into the depths of the messy, murky topic of open pedagogy with some fabulous connected educators.