[Teaching_Composition] Participation @ COIN?

[Kathy Fitch]

I think Doug captures the dilemma very well, indeed.  We all see how useful
databases or archives of online teaching sources can be, but it is very,
very tough to find the time and energy to contribute, especially since there
is so much available already.

Also, it seems like there are two divergent inspirations at play, here.
First is the desire for support--providing a place where teachers can talk
pretty freely about their experiences, questions, successes, failures,
confusions, etc.  That requires, it seems, a sense that the space is free of
administrative monitoring of the type that might be tied to sanctions.  No
one wants to be the one to say, "how in heck do you do so and so?" in a
setting in which that could lead to negative consequences--or any
consequences, really--for them, even if the only negative is confessing
publicly to any sort of weakness or uncertainty.  

On the other hand, if participation were required, you'd probably get a far
bigger and better collection of materials, but posting them--having to post
them--could be a source of strain that seems to contradict the first
inspiration, as well as really constraining the possibilities for free and
open discussion.  It would all become another assignment.

If you have truly excellent administrators--not of the site itself, for you
two are already beginning with all of the best and most generous intentions
there, but of the overall department or discipline in which this is
housed--then maybe you can find a way to bridge the gap, a bit.  It would be
fairly easy to fill the space with resources without seeming to dominate it
personally if you tagged entries with "brought to you by COIN" (a sign in
that can be passed along and shared over time) or some such, instead of with
individual names, but more important is probably working with the support of
an administrator (someone cut from the same cloth as a Michael Day would, of
course, be ideal!) who shares your vision of a kind of online workshop and
teaching center for beginning teachers--a space that is excellent to learn
in and with, but also utterly safe and inviting (even while being an
expected or routing part of training).  

Such an attractive puzzle!

Kathy