How to Build Online Community?

Personal Experience

            When I first started my Online Teacher Learning (OTL) courses at California State University East Bay (CSUEB), I was confronted with the challenge to learn a new technology and from there, create an introduction of myself, as an icebreaker. If learning a new technology wasn’t challenging enough, add to that a self-bio and working collaboratively with a group; which was our responsibility to create. I was extremely intimidated by this feat. My hands were sweaty and my insides were flip-flopping at the mere idea of the whole thing. It took me a day or two, but I took the bull by the horns, joined a group, and we all worked together to create our own blog with our individual introductions. This class was the one in which I had the best connections with my classmates, as we struggled together and learned more through the experience than if we merely interviewed each other. I equate the situation to facing ones’ worst fear with someone with the same fear; the bond built is undeniably unbreakable. I know some experiences will be void excitement, but it should be challenging and new.

How do you provide this? What are your ideas?