Week Seven: Are you a Learner or a Student?

We have already passed the half-way mark of the semester.  As such, if you were an undergrad, we would probably be talking about mid-term exams or papers. . .two things that have caused more night-sweats, loud shrieks, and sleepless nights than the totality of all the horror in the Hollywood All Hallows' Eve cinematic masterpieces. . .But of course, you learned a lot in the process.  And the letter grade you earned accurately represented your learning, right?

This is the second time I have been fortunate enough to teach this course.  EDUC 578: Learning and Technology. I'm not sure any of you knew what you were in for when you signed up. As I reflect on the title of this post, I wonder if it is too late for MA level students to truly become learners in school.  Most of you have so much experience being a student and so little being a learner (at least in your formal educational experiences), that when I ask you to stop being a student and focus on being a learner, the discomfort is palpable. . .What do you mean? Can't we just get back to our regularly scheduled program. . .Wapner is on at 3:00. I'm an excellent driver. . .What's going to be on the test?  How many pages does the paper have to be?  What font?  How many required references and how should I cite them?
Let me ask you some real questions: Is this a systemic problem?  Is it a problem at all? What is the difference between a learner and a student? Is school always simply going to be a means to an end? What do you propose we do?

So how should I presume?

You are at a point where you should be directing your own learning.  You should be reading, writing, sharing, commenting, archiving/curating, and, most of all, learning.  We discussed this in class last week. You have all of the tools that you need. So, why so little novel work from the group?  I would propose to you that it is because you are so used to being a student, used to having someone else responsible for your learning, used to specific assignments with pre-conceived outcomes, that the freedom to just "learn" is overwhelming. There is also the novelty of taking a class with different expectations and so much flexibility. With that said, there is still time for you to begin to document your learning journey, but if you haven't begun, you are definitely quite behind. I'm a patient man, but this is a graduate-level course.

Monday. . .

You were to have finished Pink before class.  In class, we will discuss the six senses and the project that you will be undertaking regarding the book.  If you haven't already, I would like you to look over the PLN Guidelines that are posted on the class blog. I don't like to think of this as a rubric because then it makes the process (learning) inauthentic, as you wait for the extrinsic reward that comes with completing a task or finishing a checklist (free puppies for anyone who learns). . .but this is a class and checklists and expectations are a part of the scaffolds necessary to get you to do the type of learning I hope you do. . .I have not lost the inherent contradiction in that a "personal" learning network should be just that, "personal," and to force someone to do this tends to give me the type of results I see in the first few weeks of the process . . .However, I still believe that with enough support and encouragement, you can all begin to forget the process and just "learn out loud!"

Think of these two quotes to help guide you in your quest to cultivate your PLN:

"When you learn transparently, you become a teacher."
"You are what you share." 

Some nuts & bolts for the cause . . .

• Have you started your 20% Project?  I really need you to document your journey and don't forget that you will be sharing the project results on your blog and with your peers. . .The end of the semester will be here before you know it.
• Have you participated in an educational chat?  If so, did you write a reflection on your blog and share it on Twitter?
• Are you archiving/curating resources and information around your passion?  What tool are you using?  Are you sharing your findings?
• Are you following interesting links on TweetDeck?  If so, are you reflecting about them on your blog?
• Are you commenting on the class blog entries that ask you questions?

I must say that Lindsay did have an amazing find for me this week: Seth Godin's talk at the Brooklyn Free School from his self-described manifest Stop Stealing Dreams. . .if you haven't watched it, you really should take the time.




Do I dare
Disturb the Universe?

Question:  What should every teacher know about you?