Stepping to the side to learn upon re entering-- CCK08

Sun shining --a fall walk and not appreciating the beauty of the red and yellow colors of the maples, the searing blue of the clear sky, the gentle but insistent chatter of the birds—

Instead brain churning –immersed in this notion of complexity—and seeking connections—

The fall season -- leaves down and brown and curled from many trees, yet maples still proudly strutting their colors –golden pine needles, once green and thick on evergreens, now cover driveways, paths, and the wood’s floor, yet others cling still to branches high above my head –and with each wind gust, no matter how slight, leaves and pine needles drifting sometimes slowly, often swiftly to join the others on the earth. A complex system—

The body of my soulmate -- fighting poison of cytoxan as it attempts to restore some balance to his system, to strengthen and repair some neural pathways so we can walk again together in the park, to halt or hinder the progression of MS -- his strong will and mind that rise and greet each day ready to deal with all challenges, to adapt to new refusals by his leg or foot to listen to his brain and move, to go beyond himself and always think of us. A complex system—

An aging, wise and loving German Shepherd – with great heart but no longer with great legs, with cortisol levels near raging but yet not at level for treatment once again, with a desire to run but unable as discs degenerate along his spine, with increased deafness -- yet an all abiding and extraordinary loyalty and loving for our home and for “his people”. A complex system—

A new, emerging online community of learners-- great enthusiasm of new members yet fearing transparency, the current sharing somewhat shallow, members connecting more in private group areas yet beginning the process of building trust and online identity, new discussions with no responses, yet acknowledged lurkers on the periphery – my seeking how best to encourage participation in a diverse community, to engage participants in process at this point as opposed to content. A complex system--

Economic turmoil – volatility following great uncertainty, announcements met with varying reactions, one institution following another and still more foreclosures, more unemployment, and the “r” word looming (at least in my country). A complex system--

The political arena – the ads, the innuendos, the misinformation, the fact checks, the debating, a country torn by misogyny and racism yet an opportunity, if taken, to rise above it all for love of country. A complex system--

A rather large open online course -- inviting yet so challenging to this learner, exhilarating with an “aha” moment yet so demanding, availing new strategies for learning yet still requiring all the lifelong learning strategies in my repertoire, offering new landscapes for my thinking yet so many views confound my brain-- the myriad of applicable resources to sift through, filter, make sense of and then connect -- the potential opportunities that may arise as a result of this learning. A complex system--

Shaking myself, stepping back and to the side, I stopped-- too much churning, too much chaos and complexity- And so for some few days, seeking balance, and trying a new approach, perspective if you will, I just enjoyed and reveled in the sunshine, the color and the falling leaves, and the company of loved ones. Back now to make connections to my learning and my practice with a new appreciation for the intricate, dynamic relationships and nuances in complex systems. Seeking coherence, “..rely(ing) on one’s learning network to filter out nonsense and to draw attention to key ideas.”

I’m wondering if recognition in and of itself of the features of complex systems isn’t of some value as I face the world and learning each day. I’m thinking, yes, at least for me, and these words of Harsbarger’s provided some guidance:

“The main feature that characterizes complex systems is the dynamic interaction of various elements of the system over time such that the results of these interactions are not entirely predictable or proportional. A complex system, due to its dynamic and sometimes chaotic and random self-interaction, cannot be reduced to simple parts which relate to each other in very predictable ways.” Chaos Complexity and Language

Next, as George Siemens guided me to turn to fluid structures to help me function in complex/chaotic environments:

“..Complexity and chaos are like this. They are too large to be grasped with a frame of reference that is founded on non-complex views of life. …we need to let go of the notion that we can know a field in its entirety. All knowledge is in the connections – how we’ve connected concepts and how we are connected to other people and sources of information. …our best opportunity to function in complex and chaotic environments is found in structures that adapt and respond to feedback. Change requires structures that also change. To this end, we turn to networks and ecologies as a model.. for learning… for managing complexity… ” Complexity, Chaos, and Emergence

I turned again to my expanding networks- medical (neurologist, neuro oncologist, primary care physician, nurse practitioners and nurses), canine (caring yet extremely knowledgeable veterinarian and technologists), virtual community (community organizers, leaders and community members), economic and political (somewhat trusted resources of information online, League of Women Voters), and CCK08 (a expanded list of resources in Delicious and connections through blogs). As Alec Courous suggested, the human filters, the humanizing of connections, my personal learning network-- has had enormous import in my dealing with complexity of the day.

From my CCK08 network, it became more evident that once again my “gut feelings and intuition”, (in this instance regarding current learning within a learning management system) were validated by “expert voices” in my ever expanding learning network who support non-linear, dynamic learning. With an excitement, I would imagine as great as Andreas’,

“Amazing, really. I read Developing Online From Simplicity toward Complexity: Going with the Flow of Non-Linear Learning and what I have found is a perfect description my experiences”

I eagerly continued my reading and listening.

As Grant Casey mentioned:

“Phelps’ article really sparked some more thoughts on how the whole paradigm of teaching must change as a result of the non linear opportunities presented by the new technologies.”

The underlying belief of the one organization with whom I’ve served as an instructional designer is one of simplistic, structured linear learning; in another post I noted a desire to impact their thinking and sense that if I draw from the Phelps’s paper, there might be a greater willingness to at least consider a more dynamic, fluid, non linear learning environment. Phelps notes:

"Complexity represents a recognition that the world is irreducibly complex, not determinist and predictable, and that the task before us is no longer to identify the simple elements of reality underlying complex appearances, but to work out how to study complexity in its own right (Gare, 2000).
Complexity provides a perspective on learning based on non-linearity of thought and on variation as a source and outcome of thinking (Bloom, 1998; 2000). Such a view leads to an emphasis on meaning rather than decontextalised content, an emphasis on creativity, a sense of connection to learners’ worlds and the development of a sense of ownership over what is learned (Bloom, 2000). Complexity views student thinking and learning as an emergent process where ideas and concepts arise from specific contexts in inherently non-linear and unpredictable ways..”

“Complexity-based educationalists (for example, Doll, 1989a; 1989b; Iannone, 1995; Sawada & Caley, 1985) see the contemporary focus on objectives and learning outcomes as representative of an obsession with domination, control and reductionism and an undermining of emergent learning. Complexity’s perspective is that teachers need to accept students’ ability to organise, construct and structure learning, combining supportive and challenging behaviour; equilibrium with disequilibrium.”

Jenny’s comment:

“I have always thought about learning objectives as being about clarity of forward thinking and about knowing what to assess. I don’t see that learning objectives need to control or undermine emergent learning.”

suggests perhaps a background and experience that differs from my own on both a teaching k12 and professional development level. With the “No Child Left Behind” legislation in this country for k12 schooling, many school districts expect teachers and their learners to work with discrete learning outcomes in strictly linear manner on designated days-- no going with the flow in many classrooms, no time to answer unexpected questions; it’s hard for any youngster to engage in messy, emergent and passion based learning. Some believe this linear, objective based learning has diminished deeper understanding of important concepts and contributed to fewer youngsters whose problem solving skills are well developed.

At TeachWeb2, Wendy wonders:

“Can we even create specific learning objectives within a framework of complexity? (Framework of complexity...Is that an oxymoron?) Phelps points out that real life is not ordered or structured, but I submit that's the reason we humans try so hard to put structure and order around it. Order facilitates our understanding. If we took Phelps' study to the next level, we might find that students learn more from a free, open, complex content environment. But, I wonder if we would also find (as I am experiencing with this course) a motivation to impose our own individual structure around the chaos. So, maybe it's not about a lack of structure, but more about who's imposing the structure. Do we learn from artificially imposed structure conceived by the teacher, or self-imposed structure that meets our unique individual learning needs? How can teachers help students build those individual learning structures? Is that possible or practical?”

Those questions resonate with me as it seems to me they are about process and lifelong learning. And I’m wondering, can learners in seeking the framework and/or structure (patterns as mentioned in the comments to Wendy’s post) that engender understanding find that with their personal participation in a network? I’m sensing that may now be happening for me; that in some way in the blog postings and readings I’m finding patterns that help deepen my understanding—and from those patterns emerge outcomes I’d like to see occur from my participation. Hmmm, with this writing that realization, and some deeper exploration on my part in the weeks to follow.

I’d like to see teachers have the opportunities to find perhaps a middle ground, one different from the one they grown in and to which they’ve become accustomed—I’m wondering if a model grounded in non linear learning that accommodates a district’s need to show accountability for learning and incorporates more “process” learning might be of value? And then employ that as a model for teacher learning in online professional development – one they might transfer then to their classrooms. Until that model, I anticipate Phelps’s resource may be of benefit in my conversations as I seek to nudge, cajole, and persuade folks to consider aspects of non linear and complex learning as a basis for course design and development.

John found an additional resource, the Harsbarger paper compelling as did I, in expanding my understanding, first with his summation of Jonassen’s discussion of a “traditional linear, computational paradigm” and conclusion that “Learning is much more complex and much less certain than these assumptions infer.” And next with his own assertions that:

“Adopting a dynamic systems model of learning will support and promote several fundamental changes in education: Emphasis on individual learning processes, Teachers as resources and models, Holistic engagement levels and proficiency change over time as the basis for program, teacher and student assessment.”

In my very humble opinion, these fundamental changes are in the best interests of all learners; although the third, on my part, warrants deeper investigation and consideration of how that might look within a classroom or in the current online environment in which I’m working.

Where I’ve come-- from a sense of brain racing, overwhelming information overload – to a feeling of some sense of peace given this writing and participation in various networks, to development of a novice understanding of complex systems – to a realization that potential here for continued learning is enormous – to a hope to impact adoption/adaption of a model that moves away from linear learning toward unpredictability and more “aha” moments.


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CCK08

Into the kitchen— making soup CCK08

Connecting my learning to one of my passions has been extremely valuable as I strive for understanding and deeper meaning. Attempting to discern correctly the different entities under consideration this week – groups, networks, and collectives- was no different. And as I watched others use metaphors to anchor their learning:

“This can be succinctly summarized by saying, in my experience groups are like fraternities, networks are like Deadheads.” --Tech Ticker

“These two metaphors provide me with a very clear distinction between these two concepts that help to keep them apart.” (melting pot and salad) -- Virtual Breath

“Is that what Connectivism is doing, making each of us a piece of a puzzle, that when combined is greater than each of us?”
-- Where Old Meets Now

The thought that awareness of the different entities and their dynamics could be exploited in designing learning experiences took me into the kitchen, making soup.

Some ingredients this week --groups, networks, and collectives-- as explained and described by experts and colleagues:

“At this stage the discussion on groups and networks seems to come down to two views:
1. Stephen’s view “groups require unity and networks require diversity. Groups require coherence, networks require autonomy and so on” Downes (2007)
2. George’s view that groups are one type of network where the context is critical. A critical difference though is that networks encourage the autonomy of the self where groups often result in the subsuming of the self. Siemens (2008)” -- Grant Casey

“Connectivism is about networked learning. This doesn't mean that groups won't form within networks. It just means that connective learning in its most powerful sense has the characteristics (my words here from the concept map—Connections, Diversity, Autonomy, Open, Distributed, Equal. Those characteristics are what differentiate groups from networks and connectivism from other learning theories.” -- Teachweb2

“Our classification begins with the often tightly formed and usually temporally bound entity known as the group or, in many corporate settings, as the team. From here we move to discussion of the network, a more fluid form of social entity in which members join, create and remove themselves through informal and semi-formal connections. Finally we discuss the collective, the highest form of social granularity in which members participate for individual benefit, but their activities are harvested to generate the ‘wisdom of crowds’. … Collectives are aggregations, sets formed of the actions of individuals who primarily see themselves as neither a part of a group nor connected through a network. Like the Network, the shape of the collective is emergent, not designed.… the distinctive dynamic is one of aggregation, not networking and the clearest way of distinguishing the two is that collective systems do not require a commitment to the Many. Collectives offer the major benefit of collaboration for free – simply interacting with the system is often enough for structures to form. … The collective thus serves as a visible entry point whereby the usually closed and hidden doorway to more intense networks and groups becomes visible.” -- Anderson

“So individuals are in groups, and groups expect certain behavior from their members. In some cases groups obscure pathways to certain types of information. Individuals can connect to networks, but only if their information-seeking behavior is not blocked by the behavior they are expected to show to remain a member of their group.” -- Gina

“To a fair degree Network Homogeneity does not inspire rapid innovation or alterations of perspective. By nature, if everyone in a network sees things the same way; has the same experience base and perspectives on a given subject matter; and indeed agrees on everything - you don’t have much fodder for discussion or further exploration. Heterogeneity on the other hand, can be an invaluable driver for learning.” -- Tech Ticker

Now Stephen Downes’ “salad” would go well with the vegetable soup I’m proposing which to me loosely joins all the ingredients which maintain their flavors. The many pieces of each vegetable (a group?) are added at the appropriate moment determined by the cooking time required. (a reference to different dynamics?). As the vegetables simmer, they retain some of their identity yet in the process change form a bit becoming more connected, offering a “mutual exchange of value” (a network). This soup differs from one that is pureed as the broth is an additional entity as it’s served at the table. I’m wondering if in that broth, taste buds find an aggregation (collective) of flavors directly influenced by the amounts of each veggie affecting the dynamics. My recent soup pot was deeply impacted by cauliflower as opposed to an earlier one by broccoli.

I’m certain that many will feel that I’ve carried this far too far; however, it is helpful to me as I then seek to apply this to practice where this soup pot can inform planning of learning experiences for students.. Jenny so nicely put what I am thinking:

“But I think Terry captured what it’s all about right at the beginning of his Elluminate presentation, when he said that teaching and learning can be enhanced by all three - group work, networks and collectives.”

Translating to practice, in planning, after determining goals and learning outcomes for students and deciding upon how students will provide evidence of mastery, I turn to the development of activities that lead to understanding. Once those are established, I think considering the dynamics needed for learning and understanding will then help in selecting the entity in the soup best suited for situation. It appears that Jenny and Grant might concur with my thoughts when they write:

“But I think Terry captured what it’s all about right at the beginning of his Elluminate presentation, when he said that teaching and learning can be enhanced by all three - group work, networks and collectives. Although it’s easy to start each of these up, we need to think about why we use them and which tools to use for meaningful contributions to be made. PURPOSE seems to be the key.” -- Jenny

“… the structure(s) we set up for teaching and learning (a group or a network) will depend on the context and the required outcomes.” --Grant Casey

I’m not sure I currently see the need for a process “to move students forward” as suggested by these statements:

“The process of moving the students forward from a group setting to a network will be required, so will an educator familiar with both. For this process to properly occur, curriculum will need to be specifically designed and implemented, taking into account, emerging technologies and student safety within an online environment.” -- Ubiquitous

As it seems to me that they can become immersed in a group, a network, or collective depending upon the context, and age and sophistication of students would determine the appropriateness of their knowing:

“You could be in a group, and/or a network, and/or collectives at the same or different times. It depends on where you are and how you see all these.” -- Sufaijohnmak

As this week began (as when I first began cooking), I wasn’t clear on how deep awareness of specific attributes and dynamics could be of consequence to my learning (cooking). I’ve come to understand that that naiveté diminished my learning and my cooking; hopefully more accomplished now as a learner and a cook, my practice and my soup will be the richer and more flavorful.

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CCK08

Wondering CCK08

There seems to be some focus on the Connectivism “course” as opposed to the concept. These posts and discussions around prior learning, bridging, and prerequisite literacies cause me to wonder if I have developed misconceptions about connectivism--

“… I think there’s a third dimension, prior learning, which plays an important role. While few of us know anywhere near what George and Stephen do about the topics of the course, neither are most of us novices. Many of us are familiar with social networks, concept maps, and learning theory, for example. Therefore we have some prior understanding in which to ground our thinking, leading to some intelligent comments and questions.

I am considering two possibilities.
a. The level of discourse correlates directly to the mean level of prior learning. If you put knowledgeable people together, the conversation will be good.

b. Discourse level correlates inversely to the standard deviation of the level of prior learning. I think of this in terms of knowledge/learning gaps. My imagined typical case is the standard freshman survey of X where the instructor knows quite a bit and the students often know very little.” -Connected

“Prerequisite Literacies
I think this kind of course needs a very specific description of what people are goign to need to know in order to be able to participate effectively. This might also include go forward models in terms of how people might go about doing that. For those of us who participate in online communities all the time it wasn’t terribly difficult, but i get the sense that more online participation would have resulted from added scaffolding.” -Dave Cormier

“I think, rather than a problem of prerequisite literacies, the challenge with the course organization, is that may of the learners were exposed to bridging strategies long before the course began, and therefore, were able to quickly adapt and develop their own learning environments. “ --Ingenuity

My sense of connected learning is that each of us, novice and expert learner seeks connections to deepen learning and participation in a network. I’m wondering if that network isn’t the richer for diversity—novice and expert. I’m currently involved in a new emerging community of practice in which novices and expert learn together—it’s an exciting community whose leaders will emerge and I daresay, some of them will come from the initial novices. (Wenger) The novices in the community have little prior learning, prerequisite literacies, or bridging strategies in the specific content of the community, but my sense is they are learners and because they know how to learn, they are beginning to network and grow.

I deem myself a novice in CCK08; I don’t have the prior deep learning in learning theory, semantics, and philosophy that is evident in many posts. I am, however, an “expert” learner (Bransford, How People Learn) and expect to return to those readings which are extremely challenging to me. I wonder if I misunderstand connectivism, as I thought that with the knowledge in the networks and the autonomous nature of learning, that novice and expert learners are welcome to network, connect and grow as best suits each one.

“---, we need to equate “learning” to “learning” and leave the discussion open to all forms that it may take. “ --Tech Ticker

Mike Bogle’s phrase resonates with me (forgive me if I’ve taken it out of context)-- my networks and connections have grown and my understanding deepened, not in ways perhaps of others in the course yet meaningful for me. I’m wondering if what I’ve experienced isn't encompassed by the openness and autonomy of connectivism?

"What some learners fail to see is the value in the processing or navigating of the chaos, and this can be a huge stumbling block to their learning. …George Siemens http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm believes self-organization in the face of chaos and making connections between sources of information is vital in today's climate of rapid information development and change.” --Sarah Stewart

Isn’t this quote from Sarah one key to understanding connectivism? Despite my novice status in the “content” of this course, I’ve created my “niche”; I’ve navigated the course and made connections in the way that best suits me, at this stage of my learning-- That holds value for me and has permitted me to get so far as to be able to wonder--

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CCK08

Through a different lens --- that of shades of grey CCK08

Perhaps a reflection of my age and the shades of grey in my hair, I seem to see the world through a bit of a different lens at times— everything is not black or white anymore, but various shades of grey. That’s not to say my “black and white” lens is packed in the back of the closet or deposited in the trash, just that it doesn’t seem an appropriate one for me for these circumstances. Given some of the passionate conversations around connectivism, “shades of grey” is a lens which is used infrequently by others; however, I find it serves me well as I attempt to filter and then synthesize the bits and pieces from this networked learning that might best serve youngsters learning and living in today’s world. I’m struck by statements that emphasize rightness and wrongness, the lack of wondering about potential bits of possibilities, and the dismissal of new frames for thought especially when considering-- at this point in the course-- the appropriateness of connected learning in K-12 (a North American term I realize).

I am, like others, seeking early on in our learning to attempt apply the concepts of connectivism to daily practice. As others have noted:

"I currently instruct Grade 7/8 Science and Math (and have taught High School Biology 30) and would not negotiate with my class what we are going to learn, there are groups and age levels that require/crave/demand structure even though they fight it at every step (Middle School is one of those times). I have asked repeatedly in many forums what are appropriate age levels for these theories, and have never gotten a straight answer..
At the K-12 level I can only see the most dedicated learners blossoming in this approach and more applications at the University level. However this approach also makes another assumption, that the knowledge guider is knowledgeable enough in their
field to allow this approach. At the K-12 level could you say this is true, could you say in any profession that all are experts, NO. -- Where Old Meets Now

"I don't yet believe that it will be the one and only solution to revolutionise education. I can already picture schools letting their students loose on the net to find their own PLEs and PLNs, but what they learn and understand is another question. More and more, I think that connectivism is a good way to learn in small doses. Yet, young people especially still need some face2face interaction, too. They need guidance about critical thinking, media literacy and focused reflection- I don't believe they will just 'get it'." --Sinikkaprojects

"You cannot empower learners and encourage them to seize hold of their own learning experiences while at the same time controlling what they learn, how they interact, who they listen to, the networks they form, the way they are exposed to the information, and the time frame in which they are expected to learn it. You can’t both give away control and keep it at the same time." --Tech Ticker

"By focusing on the formal aspects of learning such as course curriculum, learning outcomes, assessment and the like we place the highly personalised and locally contextualised notions of Connectivism within a highly structured, top-down, hierarchical framework of formal education.

It's of little surprise then, I think, that we're seeing so many stumbling points. To a large degree the two are out of phase with one another.

Especially given the point you mentioned about "externally-imposed testing routines", and teacher performance review (which I don't think mentioned) - the practical aspects of Connectivism in formal education will have to consider the local culture - including requirements, accountabilities, and learner (and parent) expectations.

As with most theories, I think Connectivism provides an ideal, or a mindset, that can inform practice - but I definitely don't think it dictates it.

So as far formal education is concerned, what Connectivism does is provide a new way of looking at learning that - along with other learning theories - can be rolled into plans that address the local needs of the community of learners." --Mike Bogle

I’m not finding the same stumbling points—-perhaps due to my lens or perspective-- or maybe because of the window I’ve had into Clarence Fisher’s classroom through his blog, a window open for you as well in which he shares how he nurtures his middle grades students and guides them in their connected learning, despite “highly structured, top-down, hierarchical framework of formal education.”
I wonder if the pedagogy and ideas in the posts linked below couldn’t be considered snapshots of connected learning by young adolescents?

“Thinwalls is the idea of moving beyond the short term international project. A thinwalled classroom is a space that is connected with another (or possibly several others) over the long term. Our concept was to put our kids in contact every single day across the entire school year. While we faltered some in the middle of the year, for the most part, we were successful. We used blogs and wikis. We used video and audio Skype. We used moodle and voice thread, instant messengers, presentation software and more. If we found a tool we thought would be useful, we introduced it to the kids and threw things up against the wall, seeing what would stick. We poured over each other's curriculum documents, got mad at each other and had our kids frustrated with things that broke down. We did not allow "the Moodle was down" to be an excuse. The kids had to have alternate plans, workarounds, and backchannels in place.” --Thinwalls planning

"Start off the year's readings with a shared iGoogle tab - I keep a tab with just a few blogs on it that I want kids to read. These are what I call "required reading" and often stand in as our textbook. I've only chosen a few as I don't want to overwhelm kids with information. Currently sitting on this tab for the beginning of the school year are the Nata Village blog, Worldchanging.com, Jan Chipchase's Future Perfect, Afrigadget, and Dvice. I've chosen all of these blogs for their currency, their global outlook and their interest. As well, Each student in my class will subscribe to the feed from at least one country and one topic of their own choice from globalvoicesonline." --Global Lives Unit One

"Relatively speaking, students have few feeds to look after. Typically I will give them four of five to begin and ask them to locate another five or six bring them to a total of approximately ten. Using iGoogle, these can be quickly organized into several tabs that might be titled "required reading" and "student bloggers." Students can flip between these two tabs, seeing, at - a - glance, what is new in both of these areas. As well, when needed, they can add more tabs focused on a specific project that will showcase all of the information they will need." --Personal homepages

"But in a 1:1 classroom, students could gain the same benefit from Twitter that I do as a hyperconnected professional. Think of a 1:1 classroom that is hooked up with one (or more) other classes located somewhere else on the globe and each of these students having subscribed to the Twitter feeds of the students in other classrooms. These classrooms could function as a single learning unit even though they could be separated by thousands of miles geographically. Now imagine these classrooms working on a single project or novel together. Students could pose questions on Twitter about the novel they are reading. They could ask for help on projects. They could post what they are currently working on in order to keep group members informed of their progress. It would draw students much closer together and keep each other deeply informed of questions, concerns, and thoughts they have, something that is often a struggle in international projects." --Twitter in the classroom

"This year I'm starting off the year with having the kids look at the required outcomes for the ELA (english language arts) curriculum. There are a whole lot of them and I've decided to start with this one document since it is the one I am most comfortable with. I have placed all of the outcomes onto a spreadsheet, and in the fall I plan on having small groups of kids take one or two outcomes, write it up in kid friendly language, make up a rubric for assessing this outcome and then make a work sample that would meet it. Once all of this documentation has been produced, it will all be assembled into a binder which kids can access.

But this is all background work. The purpose of it is to give kids choice about what they are learning. For example, if we are doing a unit on present day societal issues, at the beginning of this unit, I plan on having the kids choose possibly four or five of these outcomes that they want to pursue over the unit. They will then have to collect evidence and conference with me, showing me they have met the outcome. By years end, they should have spreadsheet that shows they have completed all of the outcomes. Done on a Google spreadsheet, we will be able to see its revision history, make comments on it, etc." -- The things I carry

"I believe that in a networked classroom, assessment needs to be ongoing and take multiple forms (as we've been hearing for years), but needs to be concerned with different things than in the past. We also need to think about the network's contribution to the final products that are set before us. We need to think about the validity of information sources and challenge our students to make their thinking visible and sound. We also need to acknowledge the fact that at least part of the idea "proudly found elsewhere" is realistic and OK." --Social Networks

But over the last few months, I've noticed the kids in my class have made a dramatic move to Google docs. Using Google docs they can work at school or at home much more easily. But they are moving there for other reasons as well, the biggest one being that they can simply share their work with me and with other kids in the class. For example, my students are currently writing a short, one page essay on a topic of their choice to do with life in ancient Egypt. They've chosen a wide variety of topics ranging from the Nile to make - up and dress, boats, farming techniques, and much more. I keep the formal essays that they need to write short, being much more interested in having students learn to write a set of coherent paragraphs and an interesting introduction and conclusion than I am in quantity. It's not hard to write lots. It's hard to write well.

But with these pieces, these students are more often sharing them with me so that I can help them with revisions and specific paragraphs. They will share their document with me so that I can write suggestions and ideas for them and then save them for them. The same is true among each other. As students have been working on topics that may occasionally overlap ("What kind of clothing did the farmers wear?") students are sharing their pieces with each other. I don't consider this to be wrong or plagarism of any sort. I consider this to be knowledge networking and making use of the resources n the classroom. It's called learning from each other. --Google Docs

"We are used to working with the kids in our classrooms and worrying about today and next week. But the organizational skills required to ensure tools are in place and working, time is scheduled for planning for both teachers and students, that the steps to success are clear, and that contingency plans have been made to support students who struggle with not only the content, but with the networking and collaborative components takes us into whole other levels where teachers are often not used to being. It is teacher as network administrator, but also teacher as human resources manager and teacher as workflow consultant." -- Tech Skills

"While I foresaw my students making their own pages instead of having to subscribe to a single pre- made page coming from me, I liked this idea, more for networks of learners that my students might find themselves involved in more then me pushing something onto them.

Which is why I was happy to see that iGoogle homepages now have the ability to share an entire tab with someone just by entering their email address. Similar to sharing a document using Google docs, you simply enter an email address and the invitation is sent off.

With this, I can see students who are working on projects with other kids across the globe constructing a tab and then sharing resources they have found with other network members in other places. An invitation could also be sent to the teacher to watch everything the kids are watching. Easy and valuable." --Igoogle

I just happen to think this is pretty exciting; don't you?


CCK08

Out of Blackboard and into networked learning CCK08

In September of 2004, Blackboard and I began a long journey into elearning (4 years of Blackboard seems long to me despite its upgrades that allow for blogging, wiki, and conferencing capabilities). As an instructional designer, contracting with a state agency, for online professional development for Ohio teachers, I was excited to be working with an organization that valued constructivist beliefs and the importance of engaging conversations for learning. In the last year, those values seem to have changed and/or I’ve come to be more reflective upon the design team process and the resulting learning experiences that have been developed. There has been far more talk of content itself as opposed to process and far less recognition of the power of engaged conversations and their importance in learning. It’s fair to say that I’ve entered a summer of discontent, unable to articulate clearly and persuasively possible alternatives to “learning segments” and discussions which ask “what was interesting” or to suggest reasons (that others would see as viable) for not “keeping participants within the BB environment”.

And now, with this opportunity to immerse in connected learning, to participate in networks that share resources new to me, I’m moving into a winter of discontent – one of this week’s resources really resonated with me and has helped me to grow (I hope) to a better understanding and consequent ability to begin a conversation of the opportunities arising if a networked belief in learning underpinned subsequent course design and development.

Stephen Downes' Learning Networks: Theory and Practice has been instrumental in my making these connections. It was this text in the presentation that provided the initial “aha” moment, if you will.

“E-Learning has been based on centralized systems
But these centralized systems, such as the LMS, are like a dysfunctional crutch…
There’s so much going on out there… you have to leave the cocoon and experience the web..
Stop trying to do online what you do in the classroom… it’s a different world online…”

If I were to make a case now (novice as it might be) with folks at the agency for connected learning that would dramatically alter the current design principles and development, I wonder if the following questions might be a good place to begin the discussion? Although these questions are based on an elementary understanding, I anticipate my understanding may become more expert as this course progresses.(This content is directly from Stephen Downes’ presentation—quoted and paraphrased.)

What if design was based on connected learning --resource based, not content based with open access--

What if content was not packaged but aggregated and not so restrictive--

What if the goal was learning as engagement and conversation--

What if we viewed learning as a process of connecting entities with the ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts as a core skill where the capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known--

What if we came to “recognize explicitly that what we ‘know’ is embedded in our network of connections to each other, to resources, to the world”-- George Siemens

How could we nurture and maintain connections needed to facilitate continual learning--

How might these design principles offer an advantage to learning for all participants:
Distributed
Network entities reside in different physical locations which reduces risk of network failure and the need for major infrastructure, such as powerful servers, large bandwidth, massive storage
Examples: Content syndication networks, such as RSS, Emphasis is on sharing, not copying

Disintermediated
Where possible, provide direct access with the purpose of mediation to manage flow, not information, reducing the volume of information, not the type of

Disaggregated
Units of content should be as small as possible and should not be ‘bundled’
Organization, structure created by receiver which allows integration of new information with old

Democratic
Entities in a network are autonomous and should have the freedom to negotiate connections and to send and receive information where diversity is an asset

Dynamic
A network is a fluid, changing entity in which the creation of connections is a core function
In other words: knowledge is shared understanding (and not copied understanding)”

What if this agency adopted the CCK08 course as a model? What might occur with elearning in this state?

Are these the right questions to help us out of our cocoon and into connected learning?

Hopefully I’ll be capable of suggesting some specific, persuasive answers as I continue to immerse myself in CCK08 in the coming weeks!

CCK08

Challenges, gardens, and growing CCK08

Intuition, gut feeling—have guided me throughout my professional life as an educator. Often, I was acutely aware that I lacked a sophisticated level of thinking or knowledge of theory or philosophy to support my actions. I was one of those teachers to whom Downes referred; I was about process and doing. I was and am frequently surprised when reading and research validated(s) those feelings.

Although her context was somewhat different, Barbara Ganley eloquently asks and answers my question:

“Why, then, am I worried about all of this? Because it’s too easy to stay in places I like and listen to people I admire and leave it at that. It’s too easy to slip into smugness, to be self-congratulatory.”

So late now in my life, challenging myself to understand more deeply, I’ve moved out of my comfort zone into the transparency of connectedness and connected learning seeking that knowledge. That I’ve found colleagues who have articulated this challenge of uncomfortableness (and I totally recognize that they are in a different place on this journey), I thank you-- for you’ve contributed to my moving forward.

“I think we’re all still learning how to be connected, …and where our comfort level begins to stray into uncomfortable territory.” –Fleep

“If I decide to participate publicly in a class with 2000 students enrolled, a “massively open online course”, what is the price? …the “price is transparency”. I suspect that’s a clue to my hesitation. …do you worry that someone else will have already posted every thought you have and so why should you bother? What is the CCK08 course costing you?” –Wendy

Wendy, I suspect increasing transparency is the price for me, although I’ve not been worried that others will already have posted; I have hesitated as I read complex writings by learners who are far more expert than I- What silliness on my part— the connected learning in this course, the beauty is —that “one size does not fit all” –that our varied experiences contribute to our varied understandings –that connecting these understandings to where I now am can lead to better connections and deeper connected learning. And it’s been through colleagues in this course that I’ve come to realize that so much more fully:

“One might think that the disagreements in our individual responses to the theory of connectivism might be due to the fact we've read different things, or that we've read things differently; but I now suspect that our diverse understandings are directly the result of our varied 'prior experiences'. After all, we have to 'connect' these new ideas, to existing understandings.” --The Clever Sheep

“What I'm able to connect with first will depend on my existing conditions and context. A node that's right next to me and I can clearly relate to will enable me to make a conceptual leap in understanding, which will then facilitate another, and another until eventually I've come to realise a far greater understanding of the subject that I possibly could have without the nodes present. You might say they act as a roadmap for learning perhaps.” --Mike Bogle

Keith’s closing sentence of his “Grounded Post” really resonated with me:

“I think the course is like my garden … blossoming through difference and sameness.”

I’d been out in my gardens, though it’s not spring here, but fall— so instead of blossoming, there’s fading with that similar difference and sameness. The course and the garden do share that connectedness. And for me, not only that connectedness, but also connections to my ferns that are fast fading and the mint in the veggie garden which is blooming in places I’d not suspected. There it was— distributed, rhizomes, nodes, growing, making connections. I looked at these plants and the readings with new perspective and understandings. Some seven years ago, a friend shared a node of a fern plant that I lovingly planted on the shady side of our home. This year I actually had to decide whether to enlarge the bed or pull out some of the many new nodes (I enlarged the bed), taking time to notice clearly for the first time how the fern grew. The small mint had been carefully planted in the veggie garden two years ago. It has distributed itself from one end of the fence to the other across the back, connected, still growing.

As with me, I’ve connected with new nodes and am growing, having passed through new seasons of my life, though some more dormant than others. This weeks’ major course concepts now somewhat more clear (and I anticipate further learning as I continue to reach out to nodes of various networks) because of the connections.

One view --that knowledge is obtained from the network.

Another that knowledge is produced by a network (downes) --that

“connective knowledge is knowledge OF the connections that exist in the world. It is knowledge about how such connections are created, and what impact, or effect, such a system of connections has. It is knowledge about how we see such connections, how we observe them, and how we observe their results. …connectivism is a new type of knowledge, but it is not independent of other types of knowledge. We need to be able to see connections, and we need to be able to count them, in order to talk about them” --Downes

And lastly the view that:

“curriculum is not driven by predefined inputs from experts; it is constructed and negotiated in real time by the contributions of those engaged in the learning process. This community acts as the curriculum, spontaneously shaping, constructing, and reconstructing itself and the subject of its learning in the same way that the rhizome responds to changing environmental conditions

In a sense, the rhizomatic viewpoint returns the concept of knowledge to its earliest roots. Suggesting that a distributed negotiation of knowledge can allow a community of people to legitimize the work they are doing among themselves and for each member of the group, the rhizomatic model dispenses with the need for external validation of knowledge, either by an expert or by a constructed curriculum. Knowledge can again be judged by the old standards of "I can" and "I recognize." If a given bit of information is recognized as useful to the community or proves itself able to do something, it can be counted as knowledge. The community, then, has the power to create knowledge within a given context and leave that knowledge as a new node connected to the rest of the network.” --Cormier

Each of these suggests to me, if I’ve understood correctly--distributed, diverse, autonomous, connected, open learning which I find particularly appealing and applicable to my practice. When Downes suggested the pedagogy that flows from these concepts --of teacher demonstration and modeling with student practice and reflection, it totally resonated with me! I’ve done that! Another clear connection –my experiences in national board certification late in my classroom journey had assisted me in concluding much the same--- And when he continued:

“Learning, in other words, occurs in communities, where the practice of learning is the participation in the community. A learning activity is, in essence, a conversation undertaken between the learner and other members of the community. This conversation, in the web 2.0 era, consists not only of words but of images, video, multimedia and more. This conversation forms a rich tapestry of resources, dynamic and interconnected, created not only by experts but by all members of the community, including learners.” --Downes

my level of excitement rose and I made the connections to the learning and work I’ve been and will be doing (I am so very honored and humbled) with Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach regarding online communities of practice! I do believe the word tapestry truly paints a picture that represents Downes’ thoughts; I’d rather though refer to changing “landscapes” that flow with the seasons, with the growth of new nodes for the ferns and the mint, that nurtured by expert and novice participation, connect to new networks and yet unknown possibilities for growth--

Just in this writing, my connectedness has grown and my view of the changing landscape has altered-- As more leaves fall here and the ferns brown and collapse in preparation for sleep only to grow in the spring, I eagerly anticipate the growth I’ll experience through the nodes I’ll connect to in the weeks to come with this new spring of my learning--
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CCK08

It's time to take on this challenge!

Find more videos like this on Learning 2.008 Shanghai Conference


Thank you Sheryl for your vision and challenge!

Spread the Word!! K12 Online

K12 Online is just around the corner. Pre-conference activities begin the week of October 13. Then, the following two weeks will be filled with presentations. The theme this year is "Amplifying Possibilities" and the flyer is now available. Spread the word! Possibilities do Abound!!!!

Powerful modeling, metaphors and connections CCK08

Upon quelling my initial panic (thank you Anne!), I began to approach this new learning opportunity with less trepidation finding that attention to the powerful model of the course itself, adoption/adaption of the metaphors that surfaced in various responses, and discovering new connections -- resulted in a landscape that was not entirely foreign and thus not so forbidding to me.

Stephen Downes (“That’s Week One in the Record Books”) comment at the end of the week really resonated with me as those were my thoughts as I began:

“I want to move slowly, certainly, through the basic ideas, not arguing for them so much as letting the idea make their own case for themselves. We’ll see. This is a fun and extraordinarily fascinating process, yet not without its challenges.”

I began to attend to the model the course itself so powerfully illustrates as I examined the suggested readings and collected passages that I knew I’d want to access again. Pasting these down here to help me with future connections:

"Hence, in connectivism, there is no real concept of transferring knowledge, making knowledge, or building knowledge. Rather, the activities we undertake when we conduct practices in order to learn are more like growing or developing ourselves and our society in certain (connected) ways.

This implies a pedagogy that (a) seeks to describe 'successful' networks (as identified by their properties, which I have characterized as diversity, autonomy, openness, and connectivity) and (b) seeks to describe the practices that lead to such networks, both in the individual and in society (which I have characterized as modeling and demonstration (on the part of a teacher) and practice and reflection (on the part of a learner))." Stephen Downes (Important to me as I’m feeling here is where George and Stephen’s course design both model and demonstrate key properties of connectivism-- diversity, autonomy, openness, and connectivity )

"Connectivism finds its roots in the climate of abundance, rapid change, diverse information sources and perspectives, and the critical need to find a way to filter and make sense of the chaos." George Siemens

"Instead of knowledge residing only in the mind of an individual, knowledge resides in a distributed manner across a network. Instead of approaching learning as schematic formation structures, learning is the act of recognizing patterns shaped by complex networks.

Previous conceptions of learning rested heavily on information and knowledge acquisition. The fundamental need of learning in our society has changed. Due to rapid growth of knowledge, the act of learning has shifted from acquisition to assimilation, from understanding of individual elements to comprehending an entire space and, thereby, understanding how elements connect.

Making sense of this complex conversation requires a shift to alternative models of management. It is at this stage that technology is beginning to play its greatest role; one that will continue to grow in prominence as knowledge grows in complexity. Learning, augmented by technology, permits the assimilation and expression of knowledge elements in a manner that enables understanding not possible without technology." George Siemens

The course model led me to the responses that suggested value in using metaphors to describe connectivism and learning. I’ve personally found that metaphors have been very worthwhile in my learning and this week was no exception. Some metaphors offered for consideration by course colleagues (and new connections) helped me as I attempt to wrap my brain around the concepts this week:

“Just enjoying a walk in the wood, one, two, many times and go where you see something you like. With the passing of time you will know that wood in your own way.” Andreas Formiconi

“I am not so comfortable with a fixed definition. Furthermore, I think its most interesting aspects are not only being a theory of learning, but offering a whole new view for much more. And all of these aspects have in common that they can be illustrated by the neural metaphor.” Matthias Melcher

“If you’re connecting it to existing knowledge, isn’t that sort of like a new branch growing from an existing tree? I’m not sure it’s clear here, but from Downes’ other writing, I think this is more about it growing internally, driven by the learner, rather than constructed externally. I admit I struggle with this metaphor though, and I’m not sure I quite get what he’s saying. I don’t think Downes would deny that learning can be work, but he would likely characterize that work as growing rather than building.” Christy Tucker

“And I think that’s why the metaphors matter–the metaphor we use to understand learning influences the language with which we talk about learning, teaching, and education.

So what language would we use if our central metaphor for learning was “growing” rather than “building”? Would we say we nurture instead of scaffold? Connect instead of bridge? Feed instead of support? Deeper roots instead of a solid foundation?
What metaphor for learning makes the most sense to you? How does it affect the language you use when you talk about learning?” Christy Tucker

The neural metaphor makes sense to me; I love the walk in the woods! And the “growing” metaphor strikes a real chord with me. In response to Christy, from one who has frequently, yes often, used “construct” and “scaffold”, I agree the metaphor matters. I know that “growing” really appeals to the amateur gardener in me and I’m feeling that “growing” gets to the core of how I see learning. In addition, “nurturing” speaks to what I see as a more human side of learning (as opposed to the current state of testing and how it impacts youngsters in the US). Nurturing-- I like that. Dewey’s:

"What avail is it to win prescribed amounts of information about geography and history, to win the ability to read and write, if in the process the individual loses his own soul."

– that speaks to nurturing-- Hmmm, is this the making of connections? connections to that with which I’m familiar and growing my constructivist leanings to adapt/evolve/develop understandings more appropriate to the “.. the climate of abundance, rapid change, diverse information sources and perspectives, and the critical need to find a way to filter and make sense of the chaos.” (Siemens, cited above) I’m wondering if “cultivate” rather than “support” might be a beneficial extension of the “growing” metaphor? Would that language create connections for you?

In addition to the connections established by the metaphors, Antonio Fini articulated what I had begun to realize, that, albeit not in the scope nor magnitude of many, I have become immersed in some networks and been connected in these last four years. I’ve read, and followed links and engaged in conversation – connections that have nurtured and cultivated growth/learning.

And as Alan Levine notes:

“there is the interesting part to chew on. I have to acknowledge I work on a base of many things I have stuffed into my memory; it does not always come from the cloud. So it cannot be all connectivism all the time. There is some foundation the ability to connect rides on.”

Perhaps, (extending the growing metaphor again) there needs some time for “composting” this abundant information – might this organic process yield richer connections and ideas for deeper understanding and learning in the weeks to come?

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CCK08

Embarking upon a new and exciting learning adventure

I am intrigued by the tension I always feel when I embark on a new kind of learning adventure. There is always a part of me that pulls back, uncertain, questioning the risk taking that always occurs with any good learning. And on the other hand, I’m ready to jump in, to learn something new, anticipating that incredible high of new insights and perspectives that will impact my ever evolving philosophy of learning. I’ve come to appreciate the tension more as I age and am thankful, that for me, the urge to jump in and learn something more always triumphs.

From my first online course in 1998 that involved readings and submitting papers (The Online Classroom with Dr. Eileen Cotton) to my work in MOOM (Moving out of the Middle with Concord Consortium) where we were immersed in inquiry based facilitation of online courses to my current participation in a “rather large open online course” with 1600 participants to experience connective learning under the facilitation of George Siemens and Steven Downes (Connectivism & Connective Knowledge), the excitement, the tension are palpable.

George Siemens has struck a chord with me when he posts on narratives of coherence for I anticipate this will be a challenge for me as I attempt to make sense of this new learning landscape. He says:

“I’m personally quite interested to see how the concept of a narrative of coherence will unfold in this course. We all face information abundance. We all face the reality that we will always be missing some key pieces of information. A common concern voiced by many of the active participants: how do we assimilate/makesense of this information?!? There’s just too much of it.

Part of the solution is to rely on one’s learning network to filter out nonsense and to draw attention to key ideas. This is particularly effective when we can “plug in” to a network with high levels of diversity and with people we quickly begin to trust.”

But I’ve jumped in again, with an introduction on the course Moodle, and this post --sensing some pretty special opportunities and possibilities for extending learning and deepening understanding-- disregarding the nagging “what have I got myself into this time”, “how can I manage the flood of information”. It’s just time to let the learning begin!!

Photo Credit

CCK08

Looking back, going forward

This post is dedicated to Teddy, Nakia, Charles, John, Rafael, Illiano, Juanita, Dorian--- and the many other students I came to know and love from CMSD. The ideas and content in this post are not unique, but these youngsters, now young adults, were and are. For the resilient students who are enrolled in large urban districts whose possibilities are limited only by their circumstance, who need you---

I spent a fair amount of time looking back today in order to move forward. I came across a paper I had written back in 2000 that was presented as part of the roundtable Professional Development and In-Service Training with Technology at the annual meeting of the American Education Research Association, New Orleans, LA in April of that year. At that time, I’d had the privilege of significant involvement in a large USDOE Technology Challenge Grant which provided professional development for teachers in the unique and compelling uses of the Internet in education. Unique and compelling were the buzz words within this large grant community: real time data, collaboration, communication, and publishing. This paper chronicled my experiences resulting from my participation and I concluded in the paper:

“Administrative recognition of the potential of technology integration coupled with a significant commitment to professional development is essential in transforming teaching and assessment practices for the benefit of all students.

A nurturing environment, one that recognizes and addresses the fears of those resistant to change, one that shapes new behaviors, one that provides significant, meaningful and effective professional development, one that supports with suggestions and "Teflon lessons," one that sends the message to educators 'you are valued, you are an educator', will empower educators becoming the wind beneath their wings as they then seek to change the way children learn, what children learn, and how children share what they know using technology. A nurturing environment leads to community, a vast community of educators dedicated to technology integration who support each other in the transformation of learning and teaching in classrooms across America.”

Almost a decade ago, how much has changed! The edublog and edtech communities take those four identified uses for granted. Real time data is everywhere, publishing has moved from webpages to blogs, wikis, podcasts, twitter, and plurk and become so easy. My dream of a community of educators exists, albeit loosely joined and not yet inclusive.

And yet how much hasn’t changed for many in public education, especially urban districts. The incredible work Chris Lehman heads at the Science Leadership Academy is the exception unfortunately. I often return to the website of the urban district in which I taught and learned for so many years, the last of which were spent in the Instructional Technology Office, staffed with 6 resource teachers. In those years, hundreds of teachers published web lessons for their students on the district website. Now there is no Instructional Technology Office; there are no teacher webpages. A search for a technology plan on the website comes up “not found”. There are, though, pacing charts for academic areas to which teachers are required to adhere. And when I inquired of my former colleague (she alone does Technology Integration in district of over 50,000 students), the only monies she has come from EETT grants, for which the state of Ohio specifies vendors from whom grant recipients can choose (Compass Learning, Plato Learning):

“A recipient of Enhancing Education Through Technology competitive funds must use at least 25% of its competitive grant award to provide sustained, intensive, high-quality professional development. The recipient must provide professional development in the integration of advanced technologies, including emerging technologies, into curricula and instruction and in using those technologies to create new learning environments. This professional development must be provided for and aligned to the web-based curriculum management and instructional design tools selected for the project. Recipients will be required to participate in professional development offered by vendors selected by the state, eTech Ohio and ODE on use of their tools."

Professional development in emerging technologies aligned to Compass Learning and Plato Learning. Somehow that doesn’t make sense to me.

No money, no administrator recognition of the potential of technology, no nurturing, no job embedded professional development around emerging technologies and communities of practice. I know many dedicated, passionate teachers in my former district who yearn for the opportunity to participate in a community in which they can immerse themselves in pedagogy and technologies that can transform their practice and not only learning for their students but their students’ lives as well. Yet without administration recognition of the potential and funds for professional development, in many ways their hands are tied. They work incredibly long hours, often in conditions unbearable to many; they spend hundreds of their own dollars to educate the children of the city; they seek meaningful professional development. They can’t do it without assistance.

Over a year ago, Sheryl Nussbaum Beach challenged teachers:

“Ask yourself- are the current methods and curriculum being used at your school going to equip a high poverty student to climb out of the circumstance that has been forced upon them? Will sequential, text based delivery of state mandated curriculum truly help your most needy students become literate in the 21st century?

I think you will see very quickly that if for no other reason than the changing demographics of students we are seeing in our classrooms, it is past time to make principled changes in the way we model learning to our students. Using technology as a medium for communication and collaboration isn't a choice or option any longer. 21st Century teaching and learning needs to be happening NOW. These kids can't wait on policy changes. Having access to a positive force (you) and gaining the knowledge of how to learn and connect in their world is going to be the difference between being locked in generational poverty or breaking out.“

She spoke of personal responsibility for teachers and that is crucial. I wonder if that responsibility doesn’t also extend to administration and extend that challenge to them.

There have been discussions of moving outside of the “echo chamber” for years-- Perhaps a move to foundations that grant funds for systemic change and presentations to school board members and administrators are possibilities. In the Great Lakes region, the Joyce Foundation “works to close the achievement gap by improving the quality of teachers in schools that serve low-income and minority children”. Could funding from regional foundations assist in reaching the critical numbers needed to effect change? At the upcoming NSBA (National School Boards Association) T+L Conference, they propose a focus on 21st Century Learning and list social networking and web 2.0 tools as one strand. David Warlick is one keynoter-- Wouldn’t this be a venue out of the “echo chamber” whose buy in could bring the change that’s sought?

My looking back included sorting and archiving letters, cards and snapshots of students. Teddy, Nakia, Charles, John, Rafael, Illiano, Juanita, Dorian– Where are you now? What are you doing? Are your children now students in the schools you attended? As you move forward in your lives, are your children engaged in 21st Century learning? My heart fills with great fondness and heaviness as I close the album, for I fear that they and their children may not have escaped the ills of urban education—

My greatest hope--- looking back again some 10 years from now after I’ve been afforded the opportunity to move forward, is that their children will be immersed in learning and sharing via emerging technologies with world. It can happen, it must—


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From the periphery

I’ve spent much of my life on the periphery. That’s not to say there’s been any lack of passion. On the contrary, I’ve always harbored deep passions for living, for loving, for learning, for teaching—almost always on the periphery, throughout high school, college, an extraordinary 35 years in the classroom, and now in the blogosphere. And it’s certainly not been on the sidelines, but on the periphery often by choice, deep seated beliefs guiding my path.

This path on the outskirts affords unique perspectives—often captured by embracing opportunities to step back, contemplate, consider— and most importantly listen, seeking to understand. Recently reading twitter, backchannels, and blogs --seeking to understand learning from NECC and from others --and sensing a competition, a drive to be first to be there, a need for incessant busyness, a clamoring to be in the “conversation” --that precludes seeking to understand, making connections and deepening thinking. Seemingly lacking reflection, lacking focus on improved learning for youngsters, and sometimes lacking graciousness and civility, I wonder where these were lost and why. I wonder what’s happened to listening – and how that erodes the potential for so many possibilities?

Can’t careful, active listening lead to deep understanding and learning? And doesn’t that listening require some silence as ideas and thoughts are processed? Even though it’s hard work (it is for me), aren’t the benefits worth all the effort? What might happen for all learners, if we listened, if we carefully sought to understand-- What possibilities arise with such dialogue? Down what path might we travel?

Just some thoughts, from the periphery--

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From transparency to transparency

Some years ago, teacher use of the word “transparency” always meant that sheet of plastic used to display notes or lessons on the overhead projector. I had a manila folder full of them; I always recycled them--washing them at night, hanging them by the corner from the cupboards to dry. That seems like centuries ago-- those days and years when I felt so isolated in the classroom, somewhat empty, yet not recognizing the yearning for collaboration and sharing in search of accomplished practice.

Those days are gone (or can be) as educators embrace the possibilities and potential of personal learning networks and online communities of practice that new technologies enable. And with these possibilities arise a new meaning for “transparency”. Not that it hadn’t always been one of a number of definitions, but now almost a buzz word, transparency suggests easily recognized and/or detected. Blogs, twitter, wikis, skype and innumerable other tools facilitate that transparency of practice, as the opportunity for improving and tweaking shared practice emerges when we all learn from each other.

It seems to me that there is no one better at breaking the “ice” of that isolation, having the courage to share globally, of being so transparent in practice than Darren Kuropatwa. I’ve had the pleasure of a front row seat as his pedagogy evolves, becoming more and more accomplished. As could you. How? -- through the windows of his class blogs. Since the addition of an interactive whiteboard to his classroom last year, he has posted slides of daily lessons on his class blogs for his students. It’s been fascinating to watch as his style has become more sophisticated and creative, especially since he has blogged how he’s come to consider the importance of creativity in learning after viewing Sir Ken Robinson’s TEDTalks which he quoted and added his thoughts in italics. Here’s just a snippet:

All kids have tremendous talents and we squander them ... pretty ruthlessly.
This comment reminded me of the song Flowers are Red by Harry Chapin.

Creativity is now as important in education as literacy and we should treat it with the same status.
I'm sympathetic to this sentiment yet ... how do you teach creativity? I suspect Sir Ken would reply that you don't have to teach it (see below). OK then, but how do you assess it?

I daresay that one strategy for enabling creativity in students is by modeling it as a teacher. Darren’s done just that. Here, in the pre calculus slides from 2007, you’ll find lots of calculus.

Here, in the pre calculus slides from 2008, you’ll not only find lots of calculus but also extraordinary use of photos from Flickr to initially engage his students in their learning. Darren’s willingness to share his pedagogy transparently on the class blogs not only enriches global practice but also provides an incredible model for his students.

That is evidenced in their extraordinary Developing Experts Projects, in which their learning and thinking become transparent and in which it is obvious they’ve internalized his underlying message. When they developed their rubric for this project, it was agreed that there would be bonus points for creativity. This year they’ve taken the projects to a new level. In every project, you can see the impact of Darren’s modeling, but especially in these:

Jamie and Nelsa"s Strawberry Fields Forever

Richard ,Justus and Lawrence's Mathematics is the Science of Patterns

Craig, Grey M, and Mr. SiWy's DE Vious

His pedagogy, their learning ---------powerful, creative, exemplary and transparent!

From transparency to transparency, what a distance traveled in such a short time-- what grand opportunities for learning and improving practice! Can we all dare to be as courageous? Just imagine, our globally accomplished practice and its potential---

Photo credits:

http://flickr.com/photos/wtlphotos/500667303/

http://flickr.com/photos/wtlphotos/500667303/

One is closing, another opens--

Four years ago when I began contracting with an Ohio state agency as an instructional designer, possibilities seemed to abound -- to contribute from home, to work in a new online environment, to deepen my understanding of online learning, to design and develop professional development that modeled constructivist learning, and to draw on all I knew and be challenged to learn more.

Unfortunately, today I lament the loss of possibilities after a design team meeting to edit an online pilot course for entry year teachers. I dutifully took notes as elements I deemed so important to good learning were put on the chopping block and began the edits with a heavy heart -- get rid of the blog, the teachers didn’t like it (gone the possibility to begin the journey of critically reflective teaching; the team work was too difficult for them, they couldn’t find the team area (it was linked from the main course menu), get ride of the teamwork (gone the possibility for sharing in the work of meaning making).

I worry as I see this happen not only here but with youngsters in classrooms across our country. Where is the nurturing and scaffolding when something is “too much for them” and “too hard”? What possibilities are lost when we don’t challenge ourselves as educators and challenge our students too? But I digress---

The door seems to be closing on this leg of my journey. The subject matter experts have become so instructive. I regret that; however, it’s time to move on. But the closing door is opening on new possibilities-- again -- to draw on all I know and be challenged to learn more, to make some small contribution that helps educators embrace and engage in 21st century learning, to deepen my understanding of the pedagogical possibilities that transform learning through the seamless integration of web 2.0 tools.

Possibilities do abound!!

Photo credit: http://flickr.com/photos/slabbers/23037726/

Checking In!

Wow! I’ve not been here in a long time—

First, I wanted to welcome any folks who have arrived here from PEARLS PLP! I am humbled and honored that Sheryl has asked me to participate.

Why I’ve not been here? I’ve been out in the comments and connecting with students. Why? I have learned so much from the dynamics, conversations, and thinking that permeate the edublogging community but from the voices of students on blogs, I’ve witnessed the power of this technology to engage learners in meaningful, constructive learning. Because I am not currently in the classroom with students, (and if I were, we all would be blogging) I’ve chosen to comment to students to encourage and nurture positive, honest conversations that I think can extend and celebrate learning. I am drawn to the student voices, wanting to make a connection, in some way to support their learning and let them know that their thoughts and their feelings are valued far outside the classroom. I hope that I can help them maintain their engagement and extend their learning by affirming what they have written and asking additional questions. Sometimes the comments are light and celebratory. Others are probing and questioning. All are in the spirit of deepened learning.

Where have I been?
• Creating a wiki on the significance of commenting called “Second Nature”
• Helping Harley to post on his blog to engage the 5th grade webwriters
• Commenting to high school math students in Canada on their exceptional projects. Examples here and here.
• Commenting to high school students as they e mentor an 8th grade group. Examples here and here.
• Commenting to Jo McCleay’s students in Australia
• Commenting to Ewa McGrail’s graduate students in a teaching course at Georgia State University with examples here and here.
• Commenting to a student at SLA who was working on a project

When I’m here I’m usually talking to myself, clarifying my thinking, considering all the possibilities, and celebrating good pedagogy and learning.

If you checked out the links to the conversations and dialogues in which I’ve been engaged, I wonder then would you agree-- one of the most powerful features of blogging lies in the commenting feature?

"Shifting the Sun"

Carol, my sister, has a gift for finding just the right words that others have written--

Shifting the Sun

Sitting on my hands-- riding a rollercoaster

It seemed natural-- my career in education having been the richer for the mentors who accompanied me on my way—that it was time for me to pay it forward.

After two years of e-mentoring National Board Certified Teacher applicants, two extraordinary opportunities presented themselves. In the fall of September, 2005, Anne and I met through the commenting feature on her Teacher Cadet blogging project and I have had the privilege of mentoring her students through the comments on their blogs to date. In March, 2006, Darren put out a call for mentors for his students and described his expectations. Despite the risk and it was great as I am not a math specialist (Darren’s students are enrolled calculus and pre calculus courses), Darren allowed me to jump right in. And so began an incredible journey over the past 2+ years that has been a joy and a challenge.

Darren’s recent brilliant initiative has two of his incredibly bright and giving seniors mentoring the grade 8’s in the Thin Walled Classroom of Clarence and Barbara and posting their efforts to a comment blog. Hoping to support this remarkable project and these exceptional young mentors in some small way, I’ve left comments that I hope might that may be of value as they embark on this amazing trek. Today, as I’m writing, Clarence has described the beauty of this “circle”.

In my enthusiasm to share what have seemed to be effective strategies for supporting learners, I’m finding it increasingly difficult to sit on my hands and not get in the middle. Having only moved out of the middle (after an exhiliarating learning experience in MOOM ) late in my career, and striving to perfect my own hybrid practice of teaching with my mouth shut , I’m far from expert. And I find increased tension as those old “instructivist” urges periodically surface. It’s then that I do have to sit on my hands and remind myself of the joy of construction of meaning and the possibilities modeling offers-- Only then, can I hope that my fingers can help me find the right tone for the opening celebration of the post I’m reading as Grey-M did so effortlessly here .

I find the dissonance rising anew while seeking a focus for a comment that might deepen understanding, sharpen focus, or extend thinking. Seeking to understand the protégé’s perspective, and then constructing a meaningful comment that will encourage and nurture, with question that may lead to deeper learning is good, hard work (Grey-M’s comment is a perfect exemplar as is Mr. MrSiwWy's ), especially when distance prohibits gauging reaction by searching deeply into eyes or reading body language. So much easier just to tell; yet always cognizant of Mary’s response to my comments: “You said in such a way it was like a gentle whisper in the breeze.” and her podcast that affirmed that the comments had been of value, I sit on my hands again.

In e-mentoring, sometimes the silence that ensues following a comment is almost unbearable until I remember there is great beauty in the silence of thought that pulls one to new levels of learning. Hoping I’ve been understood, I accept the silence and consider instead the possibilities---

The possibilities for developing meaningful relationships that positively impact the lives of all involved. The possibilities that joyful learning and discovery may ensue. The possibilities that those “Aha” moments will truly be remembered. The possibilities of learning more about mentoring, them pushing my thinking as I push theirs (perhaps this notion of mentor/protégé should be renamed?)-- And the possibilities that their protégés will pay it forward too!

This from an educator of 35 years--- I shake my head in amazement at the maturity and excellence of these teens as mentors, constantly reminding myself that they’re high school seniors-- Filled with exhilaration and the trepidation that accompanies good learning, I’m wondering if Grey-M and Mr. MrSiwWy are riding the same rollercoaster on this trek with me?

Photo Credits:
http://flickr.com/photos/ghindo/609213042/
http://flickr.com/photos/nic/125931314/