I have taken a bit of inspiration from my daughter’s Ski Lesson and thought about better ways to get to know learners than traditional assessments. If we watch them come down the hill and struggle with their turns, I think we get a much better picture of where they are in their progress. If we can be with them in their learning and catch them if they fall, we will be better teachers and we will change the conversation to be more about them as people than them as a score on a test.
Whenever we accept the first answers from learners, we are saying that first drafts are enough. As Luke Cowdell references, we need to be pushing one another to move beyond First Draft Ideas and collaborate with one another by using two simple words: "Say More."
Original Luke Cowdell video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymkgMM7pNdg
Reflective Practice Vlogging Community: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/116395158372553895482
My learning network is invisible. At least it is to everyone but me. I see the connections I have made and know the level of depth our conversations represent. I have seen changes in learning spaces and whole systems shift because of the power of this invisible network. I am proud to be surrounded by people that support me and sustain my growth. I am proud that you are one of those people.
But, I would like to do something in the next week to show just how powerful this network can be. For a few short days, I would like to make the connections visible to everyone, and show just how much expertise and value you all provide.
You see, I have an opportunity to become the Director of Blended Learning for Denver Public Schools, and while I am excited about this chance on a personal level, I am much more excited because I get to take you and your supporting connection with me.
I believe that the best way for me to demonstrate my expertise is to show DPS the power of a networked teacher and learner. So, I had an idea of how to make that happen.
I made a video explaining it, and I would love for you to watch it and take action if you are so inclined:
(If you don’t have time for the 4 minute video, here is the gist: Answer in a comment or video response: “What would you do as a Director of Blended Learning?” Because, in essence, by taking you along in my network, that is the question you will be helping me to answer every day.)
I was inspired by the concept of learning a teacher rather than a subject and I wanted to dig more deeply into whether or not it was something to pursue or avoid. Essentially, I believe that learning without a way to demonstrate that learning and someone to demonstrate it to isn’t learning at all. We should avoid Khan-ification of learning, as it removes any kind of authentic audience.
Original Inspiration Video from The NerdWriter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aNktszr2rA
Reflective Practice Vlogging: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/116395158372553895482
Collaborations aren’t merely good as a 21st century skill. They are good because of the networks of trust that they create, and because they generate more collaboration and connections. Establish projects that allow you to do something you wouldn’t be able to do on your own.
Reflective Practice Vlogging Community: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/116395158372553895482
As the Catawompus Cousins have so eloquently put it, we are constantly asked to judge the media in front of us and make calls about who is "in" or "out" of our networks. We do this with books, blog posts, and even tools for learning. If you don’t know about these things or don’t agree with them, you will be ostracized. How about we stop doing that. What if we started looking at these people for the value they can provide rather than what they already know and have been exposed to.
Thanks to the Catawompus Cousins for the inspiration: http://youtu.be/Wciv–Vo_iQ
Reflective Practice Vlogging Community: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/116395158372553895482
I believe for us to transform the ways in which we teach and learn, we cannot be self-conscious about the ways in which we express that learning. Dew2Circumstances has some advice for first time vloggers and creators, that I think is essential: Own the four walls of your videos. You can be and do whatever you want within them.
As good as we have gotten at aggregating all of our content into readers and websites (portals and hubs), we still have a terrible time aggregating conversation and comments. I think we need to fix this.
One of the best parts about learning in a community, is when you let the community affect your understanding. I let Phill Macoun and Darren Kuropatwa help my understanding of the role of the teacher in a MOOC and other connected learning environments. The result was to suggest that we allow 5 curators to create paths for us through ETMOOC. They could act as mentors and help us see what there is to see.
Original video from Phil: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWbXrcSPaXQ
Original video from Darren: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=is5Ea8DNd9M
Reflective Practice Vlogging Community: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/116395158372553895482
