Todd’s Blog

I don’t know if I can put my finger on it, but there was something about Dean Shareski’s presentation that just put me at ease. Maybe it was the manner in which he spoke. Maybe it was it the things he spoke about I could relate to it more on a personal level, about things that I could more easily relate to. I don’t know. I just found that the things he said made sense. One thing that stuck out was when he asked how people were in our networks. Panic struck me as I thought…”I don’t have anyone in my network!” Then as he talked about some of his projects and letting others in his network help him get things together, I realized “I think I do have a network!” Sure, I don’t have a network anything like his, but I do know people. I realized this as I stopped and talked to people at Showcase this past few days. But as Dean talked about all these people around the world he has contact with, I began to see I too have people like this available to me. People in this class would be there if I asked. People like David Jakes, who have posted on my blog, would be there if I needed. As was mentioned in our Skype session last night, there are so many good people out there.

I can’t put my finger on it, but Dean’s presentation just seemed to put my mind at ease and I think I finally feel like I’ll be okay. The overwhelming feelings are still there, but I understand I’m not alone.

It is absolutely amazing the network that exists out there. Before this class I used to think I was fairly technologically saavy. You know, up with what’s going on in technology. Boy, was I wrong. Sharon introduced us to a culture of collaboration and social networking like nothing I’ve ever seen. There are so many experts, or enthusiasts out there. So many ways to stay in touch and learn. Yet, how do you keep up? The answer came in a blog I read (and know I can’t find it!) about how others do it. The answer was connections. The social network a person develops can expand their circle of knowledge. You don’t have to be everywhere doing everything. You just need a network. Someone will find something you need, or know someone who can help you. It’s mindboggling.

 In all it kind of scare me. Building these networks takes time. Time has generally never scared me until now. How do I keep up these networks? It’s like keeping friends. Can a larger social network be maintained and built in a time of work, extra-curricular, family, and other responsibilities? I certainly see the value of all of this. When I read about Kim’s social networking, she is flying all around the web. She strikes me as a Social Networking guru. Any tricks to share?

As I read through the article Minds on Fire I found myself attracted to an early statement. “The social view of learning says, “We participate, therefore we are.” It reminded me of something I’ve heard many times over in the education field. We learn more by doing than listening. This concept is nothing new; it just is being used today in reference to the internet. So why the resistance to use it? We’ve been told for years as educators that we need to get students actively involved in their learning. Don’t the internet and the Web 2.0 tools provide that opportunity? Yet there is so much resistance? Teachers don’t want to use the internet because, as Walter states in his blog,  “Let’s face it – most teachers are creatures of habit. Once they find a good thing, they will continue to use it until they retire.”  Many teachers are intimidated by the computer and use of the many tools of the web. They don’t know a lot about it, don’t have the time to learn it, and even if they did the students would know more than they do. So what! As Brown and Adler make reference to, understanding is socially constructed. So let the students know more! Let the power of the internet guide them to learning. I admit it is a stretch, but with a little guidance teachers can be shown how to let the students learn. This is where support is required from the division. That support needs to come in the form of time to allow learning, and tech support (hardware/software/educational). I finish with a quote from Brown and Adler’s article. One which I think shows the need for educators to get on board with the concept of social learning: 

“In the twentieth century, the dominant approach to education focused on helping students to build stocks of knowledge and cognitive skills that could be deployed later in appropriate situations. This approach to education worked well in a relatively stable, slowly changing world in which careers typically lasted a lifetime. But the twenty-first century is quite different.”