Thu, 30 August 2007 This is the second in a series of five presentations sharing the ideas for a new education paradigm. Comments[3] |
This is a good elaboration on the original presentation that I saw/heard. It's fun to listen -- this is the first one I've tried. Just a couple of comments to clarify:
1. In the point about learners also learning outside of the current school structures and context, the point is made that some learners have less opportunity to learn outside of school. It made me wonder in my head, "learn what?" Is there a definition of the content or nature of the learning that relates to being an educated person? Otherwise, you could dismiss the other informal learning about language, culture, people, life, problem-solving, etc., that takes place in the home, on the streets, in out-of-school groups and activities of a learner who is in many other respects "under-resourced" when compared to, say, a middle-class learner who travels with family to interesting new places every summer. So the podcast imnplies that there is a certain content or type of learning that is the focus or purpose of the network around tghe learner.
2. The second idea that popped into my head was a comment by Judith Warren Little when she came to our summer incubator session on professional learning communities (for teachers). She talked about some research on "the power of weak ties." So the stronger ties would exist within the professional learning community within a school, for instance, but the less frequently accessed, less formal ties with people and groups outside the core network can be extremely valuable, as Steve suggested re: accessing advice on handling middle-class debt. I'll try to get the article(s) on this topic, if you're interested.
Sorry, I'm listening to the podcasts out of order, so my comments might not be relevant, as they may be covered in the toher podcasts.
1. In the point about learners also learning outside of the current school structures and context, the point is made that some learners have less opportunity to learn outside of school. It made me wonder in my head, "learn what?" Is there a definition of the content or nature of the learning that relates to being an educated person? Otherwise, you could dismiss the other informal learning about language, culture, people, life, problem-solving, etc., that takes place in the home, on the streets, in out-of-school groups and activities of a learner who is in many other respects "under-resourced" when compared to, say, a middle-class learner who travels with family to interesting new places every summer. So the podcast imnplies that there is a certain content or type of learning that is the focus or purpose of the network around tghe learner.
2. The second idea that popped into my head was a comment by Judith Warren Little when she came to our summer incubator session on professional learning communities (for teachers). She talked about some research on "the power of weak ties." So the stronger ties would exist within the professional learning community within a school, for instance, but the less frequently accessed, less formal ties with people and groups outside the core network can be extremely valuable, as Steve suggested re: accessing advice on handling middle-class debt. I'll try to get the article(s) on this topic, if you're interested.
Sorry, I'm listening to the podcasts out of order, so my comments might not be relevant, as they may be covered in the toher podcasts.
Sorry I am behind schedule. I enjoyed the insights about networks contained in this podcast. There are a couple of ideas that struck me.
One is that there is an assumption that parents would like their child to be autonomous learners. Many many do, But in a surprising number of cases, I have found parents who explicitly do not want their children to explore their interests. They feel there is content kids should not have, whether about sex, or certain beliefs about science, etc. I have encountered parents who do not want kids to reflect on their learning or develop diverse positions about history, think that is harmful,etc. It is my belief that kids are learners 24/7 and however they are shaped or thwarted in pursuing their personal learning program, they keep on doing it. I appreciate Jean's question about what learning is valued in this sense.
Another idea that hit me is the assertion that within 5 years everything a teacher would normally invoke in a classroom will be available online for free. I would like to believe this could be true, but the tendency is for content owners to try to control access for purposes of profiting from it. We see it all the time.
Journalism is undergoing a sea change (as is everything else, I guess) Circulation is declining, and newspapers are cutting back. They are trying to use the net but haven't yet figured out how to create revenues sufficient to maintain a robust cadre of journalists. To some extent blogs and other web 2.0 mechanisms are taking up the slack, but the jury is still out, imho, on whether the content of the web will be commoditized.
Finally, because of the rapid technological and social shifts taking place, all of the elements of these structures seem very dynamic. I wonder how you deal with the likely reality that anything you create will be in need of re-creation in a relatively short time. How do you build into the structures you create the capacity for rethinking and renewing those very structures as you go forward?
One is that there is an assumption that parents would like their child to be autonomous learners. Many many do, But in a surprising number of cases, I have found parents who explicitly do not want their children to explore their interests. They feel there is content kids should not have, whether about sex, or certain beliefs about science, etc. I have encountered parents who do not want kids to reflect on their learning or develop diverse positions about history, think that is harmful,etc. It is my belief that kids are learners 24/7 and however they are shaped or thwarted in pursuing their personal learning program, they keep on doing it. I appreciate Jean's question about what learning is valued in this sense.
Another idea that hit me is the assertion that within 5 years everything a teacher would normally invoke in a classroom will be available online for free. I would like to believe this could be true, but the tendency is for content owners to try to control access for purposes of profiting from it. We see it all the time.
Journalism is undergoing a sea change (as is everything else, I guess) Circulation is declining, and newspapers are cutting back. They are trying to use the net but haven't yet figured out how to create revenues sufficient to maintain a robust cadre of journalists. To some extent blogs and other web 2.0 mechanisms are taking up the slack, but the jury is still out, imho, on whether the content of the web will be commoditized.
Finally, because of the rapid technological and social shifts taking place, all of the elements of these structures seem very dynamic. I wonder how you deal with the likely reality that anything you create will be in need of re-creation in a relatively short time. How do you build into the structures you create the capacity for rethinking and renewing those very structures as you go forward?
Thanks so much for all of the thought and cooperative work that you three dedicated people have put into this project.
I feel, just from viewing the first two podcasts (they're dense, and I feel the need for space between them to digest, absorb the ideas presented), like I'm back in grad school, taking a course on Creative Educational Theory and Practice!
So far, the question that is puzzling me is:
With autonomous learners, and open/ accessible resource networks of human grown-up helpers, how do students take advantage of, and learn/grow from, everyday experiences & opportunities for caring that occur amongst themselves, out of the presence of adults?
Here's what I'm thinking: A girl returns from school, sees another, younger child sitting and crying. Does she stop and talk to the child? Offer consolation or help? Get a grownup involved?
There's so much influence AGAINST acting in caring ways, even THINKING about caring in any analytical or introspective way, in our "None But Ourselves" culture. Even legal and social obstacles that many children know, which make for complications inherent in any caring action.
On the other hand, there is a world of learning that can derive from such an opportunity!
How do teachers, parents, other caring adults in any child's ideal, accessible, network, juggle encouraging children to BE caring individuals, to THINK empathically, to VALUE each individual and creature and part of our environment and ACT according to the child's autonomous will to learn, in light of cultural roadblocks to doing so?
Sandy Greenberg
Sunnyvale, CA
I feel, just from viewing the first two podcasts (they're dense, and I feel the need for space between them to digest, absorb the ideas presented), like I'm back in grad school, taking a course on Creative Educational Theory and Practice!
So far, the question that is puzzling me is:
With autonomous learners, and open/ accessible resource networks of human grown-up helpers, how do students take advantage of, and learn/grow from, everyday experiences & opportunities for caring that occur amongst themselves, out of the presence of adults?
Here's what I'm thinking: A girl returns from school, sees another, younger child sitting and crying. Does she stop and talk to the child? Offer consolation or help? Get a grownup involved?
There's so much influence AGAINST acting in caring ways, even THINKING about caring in any analytical or introspective way, in our "None But Ourselves" culture. Even legal and social obstacles that many children know, which make for complications inherent in any caring action.
On the other hand, there is a world of learning that can derive from such an opportunity!
How do teachers, parents, other caring adults in any child's ideal, accessible, network, juggle encouraging children to BE caring individuals, to THINK empathically, to VALUE each individual and creature and part of our environment and ACT according to the child's autonomous will to learn, in light of cultural roadblocks to doing so?
Sandy Greenberg
Sunnyvale, CA
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