Digital Habitats KMLF Background Slides

Making sense of the technology landscapefor groups &communities

Nancy WhiteFull Circle Associates

Digital Habitats

This knowledge thing...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sporkist/157543688/

enable people to…

• discover & appropriate useful technology

• be in and use communities & networks (people)

• express their identity • find and create content• usefully participate

Tech + Social:Tech + Social:Technology has

fundamentally changed how we can be together

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ecstaticist/2918198742/in/set-72157603453505459/

Go Solo?

file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Nancy%20White/Desktop/Australia%202009/Photos-Sydney/IMG_2539.JPG

Fly with the flock?

Roam the network?

Assumption: Social Learning

(and? “social objects” and “socio-material networks la Engstrom...)

http://mohamedaminechatti.blogspot.com/2009/11/laan-vs-activity-theory.htmlh

Many: Networks

We: Communities

Me: the IndividualPersonal identity,

interest & trajectory

Bounded membership; group identity,

shared interest, human centered

Boundaryless; fuzzy, intersecting

interests, object centered sociality

(Engeström)

Many: Networks

We: Communities

Me: the Individualconsciousness, confidence level, risk tolerance, styles, emotion Distinct power/trust

dynamics, shared forward movement or strong blocking, stasis, attention to maintenance, language Flows around

blocks, less cohesion, distributed power/trust, change

Many: Networks

We: Communities

Me: the IndividualIndividual access, personal learning environments …

Classes, informal learning cohorts, conferences, clubs…Facebook,

Twitter, YouTube, Wikipedia,etc…

the CONTINUUM...

Triangulating to Outside

Connections

Alone... in prison…

Hopefulness…support

Connection

Innovation…

External Validation

Frame #2Polarities

Togetherness Separateness

Interacting/participation Publishing/reification

Individual Group

TOGETHERNESS SEPARATENESS

http://www.flickr.com/photos/angerboy/201582453/

community timecommunity space

shifting engagement & rhythm...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/worldcafe/227358678/

Participation Reification

http://www.flickr.com/photos/worldcafe/227358678/

INTERACTING PUBLISHING

Vocabularies, tools, concepts, methods, stories, papers, pictures, reports…

Conversing, experimenting, practicing, learning, planning…

INDIVIDUAL GROUP

Designed for groups, experienced as individuals

Does not imply homogeneity

Multimembership

Attention

Togetherness Separateness

Participation Reification

Individual Group

Roles

facilitators community leaderstechnology stewards network weaversIndependent thinkers

What the %&*# is a

technology steward?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dani3l3/364684710/

Nancy WhiteFull Circle Associates

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dani3l3/364684710/

“Technology stewards are people with enough experience of the workings of a community to understand its technology needs, and enough experience with technology to take leadership in addressing those needs…

Stewardship typically includes selecting and configuring technology, as well as supporting its use in the practice of the community.”

Wenger, White and Smith, 2007

Frame #4 Orientations

… meetings

… relationships

… community cultivation

… access to expertise

… projects

… context

… individual participation

… content publishing

… open-ended conversation

Community activities

oriented to …

Base material from: Digital Habitats: Stewarding technology for

communities© 2009 Wenger, White, and Smith

activities oriented to …

Example: The Birdwatchersof Central Park… open-ended

conversation

… meetings

… projects


… relationships

… context… community cultivation



Weekly bird walks, winter bird feeding fillings, irregular celebrations and events…

Advocacy drives, adopt parts of the park, bird counts…

The participation of the “Big Guns,” and “Regulars.” Mostly F2F

Note when people missing… Invite people in

Internal and External focus: Publishing, the “Register,” available to media…

While everyone pays attention to the community, no centralized efforts…

Anyone can bird watch, but sharing what you see/know is important…so the community accommodates both

The “Register” (print) is central to community…

Bump into another bird-watcher? Have a conversation…

Base material from: Digital Habitats: Stewarding technology for communities, © 2009 Wenger, White, and Smith


Community Name: KM4Devglobal knowledge sharing network


… meetings

… projects


… relationships






With only one meeting a year, large size and diversity, KM4Dev focuses on enabling individual participation.

Community knowledge wiki, content management system to bring together resources.

Email list is core of community activity

Once a year and only about 10% do/can participate.

When funding allows. E.G. supporting ShareFair

Informally via the email list by asking/answering questions.

Relationships mostly via meetings and core group. Strongly

external – all resources public/shared.

While everyone pays attention to the community, no centralized efforts…


Birdwatchers and KM4Dev-ers


… meetings

… projects


… relationships






How do we enable people to…

• discover & appropriate useful technology

• be in and use communities & networks (people)

• express their identity • find and create content• usefully participate

? ? ?

Epilogue

Resources:

www.technologyforcommunities.com

ContactNancy Whitenancyw at fullcirc dot com

http:www.fullcirc.com@NancyWhite

http://www.flickr.com/photos/poagao/527259905/

http://www.fullcirc.com/

Business

Digital Habitats KMLF Background Slides