Its almost the end of week 7 where we look into blogging networks and I have only just finished catching up on emails and blogs posts. I realise that I haven't updated my news reader with the feeds of some late comers to the course too! Better do that.2 things I am noticing over all. We are still tending to blinker our thinking with educator eyes. Most of us have the rest of our working days to think about teaching people we call "learners", how about taking some time out from that way of thinking and considering people as people, and facilitation not as teaching or an educational practice with some kind of learning objective. If you did try and think outside that box for a bit, as Bron has been doing for a few weeks now, I think you will discover ideas that will ultimately inform your teacherly practices, maybe even expand horizons to a possible new role in the community that is not all about learning outcomes. Perhaps listening to the meeting recording from last week will shed light on this line of thinking.
I have also noticed a slight slow down in blog posts, and especially comments and networking with each other. It is a shame to see more and more posts without comments, where as earlier in the course I was amazed by the number of comments helping to keep us stitched together. Naturally we all get busy, especially as the novelty of the course wears off, and it is in part due to the start of the CCK08 course for some of us, but I hope we can all keep up the effort for FOC08 and aim keep it going, networking with and supporting each other as much as possible. It helps us all along and keeps us feeling connected.
Not long now and we will be collaborating in the organisation of an online conference. I wonder how many people we will have with us for that? How many of us have started thinking what we will do for it? and how will we do it. Will we have panels, debates, discussion threads with summaries, photo stories, the development of a wiki document... I wonder?
So early next week I think we should aim to meet online again. I'm thinking Monday UTC at the usual two times.. 8am and 9pm UTC. One thing that really needs discussion at that meeting is what we should do about week 8! It has no instructions!!
2 comments:
"2 things I am noticing over all. We are still tending to blinker our
thinking with educator eyes. Most of us have the rest of our working days to
think about teaching people we call "learners", how about taking some time
out from that way of thinking and considering people as people, and
facilitation not as teaching or an educational practice with some kind of
learning objective."
Can you give us an example of such a communtity, where learning is not an objective?
Leigh, you are raising a point that plagues most human endeavors that I see -- new activities (courses, political campaigns, change strategies, writing projects, weight loss attempts, etc.) start off strongly and with conviction, and then they slow down. The status quo holds a powerful influence on our efforts. The challenge, as I see it, is to figure ways to keep things fresh and new.
Once you find that, you will be in high demand as a motivational speaker, author, and guru.
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