Community, relationships, authentic learning

“Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.”
― Dr. Seuss

That's true for this video too!

More than 30 minutes of video worth watching
As a group of learners collaborate
And relationships develop both between the learners and the Meadowlark residents





Michael Wesch and his students created a video that illustrates the potential of passion and relationships on many levels.

The video techniques are engaging, powerful and compelling.
The stories-- of the students, of the residents, of the assisted living model
Exemplify all that is good when people are open in engaging and sharing with each other--

The seniors' stories touched my soul-- of love, of life, of death, of coping.

The students' realizations of the depth of their authentic learning around both community and the impact of the relationships they developed caused me to smile broadly.

The model of community at Meadowlark, complete with bar, gave me great hope.

That each of us can experience this type of opportunity for learning, for caring and share that with our students-- what could be better?


And you've got to watch it to the end!
And then, smile because it happened--

Connecting and Caring

The Cluetrain Manifesto
Small Pieces Loosely Joined
Everything is Miscellaneous
And on my list to read Too Big to Know 

David Weinberger's books have always resonated with me.

In any number of inservices, I've used parts from What the Web is For -- his version of Small Pieces for kids.

His next to last sentence has always been one of my favorites:

"Now, if connecting and caring are what make us into human people, then the Web - built out of hyperlinks and energized by people's interests and passions - is a place where we can be better at being people." http://smallpieces.com/kids/spljkids16.html

So why this post now---

Clarence Fisher's recent post caught my eye-- What the Web is For Updated for 2012 

His students, in collaboration with Heather Durnin's students in Ontario, collaborated on Google Docs to update the book. As I read his post, my thought was what a tremendous learning experience. He mentioned that:

"I’ve been in contact with Dr. Weinberger about this project and he is pleased that someone took it on. The students in our classrooms were also very excited to receive an email from Dr. Weinberger at the end of the process which began “to my 7th and 8th grade co – authors.” Yeah….. how’d you like to be in grade 7 or 8 and receive an email like that from an authentic Harvard – based researcher? Cool stuff."

More than cool, Clarence!

Clarence shared his students' version and as I read it--
It was filled with passion and the technology of the web they know today--
The students mentioned that David Weinberger had used a Creative Commons license and so were they --
David Weinberger commented on their writing--

Just think, collaborating to write a book on Google Docs with other students hundreds of miles away, an author commenting on the adaption you have done of his work when you are in 7/8 grade--

Isn't this really such a good example of just what David Weinberger said?

"Now, if connecting and caring are what make us into human people, then the Web - built out of hyperlinks and energized by people's interests and passions - is a place where we can be better at being people." http://smallpieces.com/kids/spljkids16.html