On-Line Mixer Activity: “I am”

Penny Haun has borrowed an activity (from an unknown author) that has worked well in her online classes. The activity is called "I AM," and its goals are to offer students an opportunity to get to know one another and to gain increased self-awareness. No materials are necessary other than digital connection.

The Process:

1. The facilitator asks each participant to email five true statements beginning with the words "I am…" None of the sentences may include information about the person’s appearance (height, weight, sex, race, etc.). Example: I am an optimistic person. I am an Easterner by birth but a Westerner by choice. I am the mother of two children. I am a great listener.

2. Tell students that you are going to post these sentences within the class Bulletin Board without their name attached and other students in the class will not immediately be told this information but that others in the class will eventually find out who wrote the sentences.

3. When all of the email sentences are posted, ask students read a few at random and hazard a guess as to the writer’s identity.

4. For each guess, each week, student’s responses eliciting a guess are asked to post anonymous clues as to their real identity. (This is easily facilitated in Blackboard by enabling anonymous posting. Using other platforms, instructors will have to post the messages to preserve anonymity.)

5. After the students have read the clue sentences, the group members guess who wrote them and discuss why they think so.

5. After the group has had ample opportunity to guess which member wrote the sentences, the author identifies himself or herself.

6. 7. After all identities are revealed, schedule an online or whiteboard chat session where everyone can meet. The facilitator leads the class in discussing questions such as:

	How did you decide what type of information to write about yourself?
	Was it difficult to come up with five sentences beginning with "I am"?
	How much did you really tell us about yourself?
	What have you learned about yourself?
	What have you learned about other members of the group?
	Do you feel that other members really disclosed much about themselves?
	Have your feelings changed toward any member of the group? Yourself? In what way?
	In what ways have our digital identities enhanced our online learning experiences so far in this course?