REFLECTIONS ON A NEW CULTURE OF LEARNING—CULTIVATING THE IMAGINATION FOR A WORLD OF CONSTANT CHANGE by Douglas Thomas and John Seely Brown
Chapter Four: Learning in the Collective
Quote: "Peer-to-peer learning is amplified by emerging technologies that shape the collective nature of participation with those new media." (587) I selected this quote as it isn't all completely a new concept, but it adds a new element to consider when structuring group work. In fact, I'd argue it turns traditional 'group work' upside down.
Question: How do we get past the "free-rider" problem when we work as a "collective"? This becomes more of an issue, the larger the group. How do we measure collective success? Are we losing site of the individual agency?
Connection: "It is the combination of the active and passive forms of participation that make a blog or website successful" (633). I resonate with this in several ways. First it reminds me a lot of New Social Movement Theory. Thomas and Brown even reference Benedict Anderson at some point in all of this which I reference back in my MA thesis from UCSD on Political Parties and Social Movements. It also connects with my own blogging experience for EDL630. Students need to interact with their environments to continue to learn and grow.
Epiphany: "Blogs generate the space for a collective to emerge" (633). Probably more a connection than an epiphany, but this is the same type of space the people in Egypt were able to use to mobilize. As an educator, I've always struggled with traditional 'group work'. I have ended up assigning both an individual grade and a group grade in an attempt to escape the "free-rider" problem and ensure that everyone is doing their part. However, the "collective" model, turns this upside down. It sounds good, but can we tie it to a learning outcome or an objective?
Chapter Five: The Personal with the Collective
Quote: "we shape and define the boundaries of our agency and identity within the collective" (672). This resonates with me partly as a student fascinated by collective action and social movements, but I feel it is here that new identities get constructed, and action occurs.
Question: How do we evaluate collectives?
Connections: With the rapid change of technologies, it has become easier to work as a "collective." My own experiences with my 20% project have convinced me of the benefit of reaching out to a larger community in order to expand my knowledge and learning. Despite my acceptance of the need to foster the emerging collectives, I hope that identity does not get lost in the process.
Epiphany: The idea that technology has provided a bridge between personal interests and collectives, and has caused people to "think outside of" and challenge boundaries. This relates to technology leadership, as you often have to think outside the box and challenge existing boundaries to move to the next level.
Chapter Six: We Know More than We Can Say
Quote: "We know more than we can tell" (955). According to Douglas and Brown the tacit dimension of knowledge has become more vital in today's world than explicit knowledge. I selected this quote because I agree with the idea that we learn by doing, through observation, and by experiencing something first hand.
Question: What is "indwelling" and how is it connected to inquiry?
Connection: The connection between passion, inquiry, and learning. The idea that student's learn best when they are able to follow their true passions. It is here when one tends to work harder to find the answers. I found this true about my 20 percent jam-making project. This project required inquiry, asking questions about what I don't know, and it required tacit knowledge. I had to experience making the jam to learn the process of making it.
Epiphany: The idea of collective indwelling. How we can use inquiry to turn diversity into an advantage our classroom. This will afford multiple ways to answer a question and we can approach it using multiple learning styles. Also, that we need to consider the learner's sense of indwelling when trying to engage with the learner's passions.
Chapter Four: Learning in the Collective
Quote: "Peer-to-peer learning is amplified by emerging technologies that shape the collective nature of participation with those new media." (587) I selected this quote as it isn't all completely a new concept, but it adds a new element to consider when structuring group work. In fact, I'd argue it turns traditional 'group work' upside down.
Question: How do we get past the "free-rider" problem when we work as a "collective"? This becomes more of an issue, the larger the group. How do we measure collective success? Are we losing site of the individual agency?
Connection: "It is the combination of the active and passive forms of participation that make a blog or website successful" (633). I resonate with this in several ways. First it reminds me a lot of New Social Movement Theory. Thomas and Brown even reference Benedict Anderson at some point in all of this which I reference back in my MA thesis from UCSD on Political Parties and Social Movements. It also connects with my own blogging experience for EDL630. Students need to interact with their environments to continue to learn and grow.
Epiphany: "Blogs generate the space for a collective to emerge" (633). Probably more a connection than an epiphany, but this is the same type of space the people in Egypt were able to use to mobilize. As an educator, I've always struggled with traditional 'group work'. I have ended up assigning both an individual grade and a group grade in an attempt to escape the "free-rider" problem and ensure that everyone is doing their part. However, the "collective" model, turns this upside down. It sounds good, but can we tie it to a learning outcome or an objective?
Chapter Five: The Personal with the Collective
Quote: "we shape and define the boundaries of our agency and identity within the collective" (672). This resonates with me partly as a student fascinated by collective action and social movements, but I feel it is here that new identities get constructed, and action occurs.
Question: How do we evaluate collectives?
Connections: With the rapid change of technologies, it has become easier to work as a "collective." My own experiences with my 20% project have convinced me of the benefit of reaching out to a larger community in order to expand my knowledge and learning. Despite my acceptance of the need to foster the emerging collectives, I hope that identity does not get lost in the process.
Epiphany: The idea that technology has provided a bridge between personal interests and collectives, and has caused people to "think outside of" and challenge boundaries. This relates to technology leadership, as you often have to think outside the box and challenge existing boundaries to move to the next level.
Chapter Six: We Know More than We Can Say
Quote: "We know more than we can tell" (955). According to Douglas and Brown the tacit dimension of knowledge has become more vital in today's world than explicit knowledge. I selected this quote because I agree with the idea that we learn by doing, through observation, and by experiencing something first hand.
Question: What is "indwelling" and how is it connected to inquiry?
Connection: The connection between passion, inquiry, and learning. The idea that student's learn best when they are able to follow their true passions. It is here when one tends to work harder to find the answers. I found this true about my 20 percent jam-making project. This project required inquiry, asking questions about what I don't know, and it required tacit knowledge. I had to experience making the jam to learn the process of making it.
Epiphany: The idea of collective indwelling. How we can use inquiry to turn diversity into an advantage our classroom. This will afford multiple ways to answer a question and we can approach it using multiple learning styles. Also, that we need to consider the learner's sense of indwelling when trying to engage with the learner's passions.
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