Wall from 11/26

Week Eleven: Just Hanging Out (Google+)

They're not a Gang, They're a Club ;-)

Last week was so much fun for me on so many levels.  We were able to learn a new tool, play a bit, and see the power that this type of tool can have in education.  I think Alexis remarked that there was just some so cool about seeing each other in our home environments. . .messy hair, dogs, turtles, cats, kids, and everything else that distracts us on a daily basis and makes our lives richer. Besides a few technical glitches, I would call it an overwhelming success. In Edmodo, I requested that you write a blog post reflecting on the experience. . and I must say that Alexis went the extra mile by including a time-lapsed video of her comparison of the Google+ Hangout to an actual face-to-face class. . .It's not the video that impresses me so much, although it IS impressive, but the fact that she took the time to learn a new tool and showcase it in a post that she didn't necessarily have to write. . .She LEARNED something that she was curious about, something that wasn't required, and SHARED it with her PLN. . .(insert picture of your professor doing a backflip -  and yes, that does require a bit of suspended reality). . .
I think last week was also exciting for me as well because I am finally seeing everyone grow as autonomous learners. I have seen Angelica connect to an article I shared on Twitter on a real level and reflect on her blog.  Kristen is not just tweeting, but sharing and curating content about multiple topics. . . and if you haven't been reading Nora's blog, you are missing a very interesting and introspective learning journey. Maureen's in mouse ears, Stephanie wants more virtual classes, and has even admitted she kinda-sorta likes Twitter. . .Jeff S. comes to CSUSM to pursue a personal interest, on a Saturday. . .then blogs about it. Lindsay is, I think, sending us a sign(language). We have made amazing strides, both Nour and Far (Click Here).

I think this has as much to do with trust as it does intrinsic motivation. . .I only wish we had another month to sit back and watch the magic happen. . .whatever it has been, I can sincerely say, "Thank You," for trusting me enough to take this journey!

Question: What is one of your favorite poems or poets?  Feel free to share a poem in the comments. . .

Week Ten: What's the Desired Answer?

As I was reading through some EDUC 578 student blogs, I came across a post where a fairly typical statement was made.  It was in response to my request for students to reflect on their learning in the course.  It is also most likely a thought in the minds of most students when asked by their teacher to respond to an idea/concept where the answer to the question is perceived to have been predetermined.  It has led me to reflect and respond. . .

"What have I learned in Educ 578?  This seems like a loaded question. I feel like I know what the desired answer is, but I'm not sure that that answer has been my experience."

I'm not sure even I know what the "desired answer" is. . . except that it be a sincere reflection of your experience.  As I mentioned in class, Tolstoy said the true judge of art, or in this case "learning," is the sincerity of the artist/learner.  All any teacher can ask for is that each student give a sincere effort in all that she does.  The end result will almost necessarily be different for each person, but as long as it is sincere, then I expect that to be closer to the "desired answer" because authentic learning can occur in this mental space. Unfortunately, sincerity is not something that can be easily judged, it usually takes a strong relationship. . .This is why technology will never replace teachers.  It seems part of what it means to be human is to learn in social interaction. The relationships between a teacher and a student is often tantamount to learning (true in both formal and informal student/teacher relationships). When the teacher knows what the student is capable of achieving, the proper amount of encouragement, pressure, or assistance can be seamlessly applied. What the Internet, and the tools of technology can do is to allow for the teacher/student relationship to exist in cyberspace.  It is not identical to a brick-and-mortar experience, but it has the power to facilitate strong relationships that can transcend geography. But it's still about the relationships, not the tools.

The true value in establishing these relationships with students in the K-12 classroom is that you can begin to understand to a close approximation what a sincere effort is, and in that case, can begin to push students to measure their effort/outcome against their ability. In this way, teachers are more like mentors or coaches, the proverbial "guide on the side." I believe this can be accomplished either face-to-face or online. But the whole sincerity part can become murky or even misleading. In the case of a college course where the meetings are so minimal, it becomes harder to determine when someone is being sincere and when they are playing the "school game."  

I think I despise the school game. Students get so caught up in what they think the teacher wants them to do that they often sacrifice any opportunity for authentic learning. Teachers get so caught up in a narrow definition of success in their courses that they miss a golden opportunity to inspire authentic learning. In this and a few other college courses I teach, I have been trying, with mixed success, to provide students the opportunity to experience authentic, personal, and deep learning. Some students thrive, some are paralyzed by the unique nature of the experience or see it as an opportunity to slide by with minimal effort, and the rest are waiting for the rubric or the step-by-step instructions to replicate the preconceived outcome that exists only inside of the professor's head.  

For me, the struggle is about sincerity. In the traditional college course, I cannot easily tell which of the three aforementioned groups my students are in.  I can deal with the first and third, but the second group is a struggle for me because no matter how I structure the course, I have to give grades at the end of the semester. Personally, I think grades get in the way of authentic learning, so I usually let students assess their own learning. For those in the second group, this could be a golden opportunity for the stereotypical "Easy A." Maybe it's that part of me who thrived as the student, as someone who was really good at playing the school game, someone who always chased the grade, that I just can't bear to give an "A" to someone who gives much less than a sincere effort. Whatever it is, I think my own mind is making this more of a challenge than it needs to be.

Another very important fact that I have come to understand that the type of educational "risks" that I ask from my students takes trust.  This leads us back to the relationships.  Perhaps meeting one day per week in a semester isn't enough time to develop the type of relationship necessary for students to trust the teacher enough to learn in the raw. But in every semester, I have a number of students who prove that authentic learning is not only plausible, but entirely possible.

My last random thought is that once people can begin to truly follow their passions, the "formal" teacher becomes much less important in the learning process. It's as if the desire to learn, to follow that which is my calling, transcends the need for a formal learning opportunity. This person will seek to learn anywhere and everywhere the opportunity presents itself. . .that's when someone can begin to change the world! 

 In terms of this course, blog reflections, the sharing (on Twitter and other mediums), and the comments on your peers, becomes a great barometer of both sincerity and learning (for both teacher and student).  This is why I have been pushing everyone to sincerely cultivate their PLNs. . .

Week Nine: Sharing Pink Project and your Progress

My Daughter Zoe (right) at the Breast Cancer 5K

I hope that everyone has had a great week. I had a crazy but awesome one as I changed jobs at the SDCOE and gave two presentations at the 2012 Fall San Diego CUE on Saturday. However, I always look forward to our time together on Monday.   For many of you, I'm sure that Monday creates a bit of anxiety as, no matter how you "learn," it is still a good amount of work and not easy to squeeze into your busy lives. If you are still struggling with balance, read the advice from some of your peers: Maureen,  Far, Nour, and Lindsay.

In Monday's class, I want to have you all present the Pink/Whole New Mind collaborative project.  I also want to ensure that it is linked to all of your blogs.  I also want you to share your progress on the 20% projects with your peers and me (if you read this early, you could write a blog post!).  I haven't noticed any reflections on educational chats. . .let's take a deeper look at the schedule and expectations to ensure you know what to do.  I also want to share and discuss all of the various PLN checklists and guidelines you created.  

Next week, you will have the evening to work on your 20% projects. . .so it is important that we set a date for the classroom/individual school visits as well as ensure any questions you might have about what you should be doing to cultivate your PLN.

I almost forgot. . .there is a new Edmodo interface!!  You should have received emails notifying you of the change. . .we'll look at it and how it has changed!!

Question: What is your favorite holiday and why?  

Week Eight: Taking Time to Reflect. . .

Our grand experiment has reached week eight.  If someone you didn't know asked you about the class and what you have learned, what would you tell them?  What proof would you offer that documents your journey, your learning?  As your mentor, or guide, in this process, I have two main places where I go to see your progress, Twitter and your blogs.  I look for reflections on your natural curiosity and what you are learning. . .There should be multiple posts that discuss something you find curious, interesting, or challenging.  I look at my Tweetdeck and the #usdedu and our educ578 stream to find things you have discovered and shared. Is there ample evidence of your learning?  Are you curating content or using Diigo to bookmark your progress.  If so, how are you sharing? Are you fostering your passion? Have you participated in an educational chat?  If so, what was the chat hashtag, the topic, and is there a reflective blog post on the experience?  Have you been commenting on your peers' work?  Have you been sharing your work and your peers work by re-tweeting and adding hashtags that other people/groups would find interesting? Are you already involved in your 20% project?  What have you learned so far and what is your evidence?

Franny the Wonder Dog!

In the name of learning transparently, I would like you to write a blog post, in class this evening (or from home if you cannot make it to class), that captures an assessment of your learning so far this semester. . .please discuss the evidence for your learning. Discuss your successes and your challenges. . .and comment on your peers blogs. 

Then, I would like you to make a list (checklist or diagram, or. . .) that represents what you believe all students should be doing to document their learning in this course each week. . . (wunderlist.com is a great tool for this) and post it in your blog post or link on the side. This process might help you help yourself understand and/or quantify what you should be doing each week. As we have already discussed in class, I think some people really need to see a checklist or some other medium that represents work that needs to be completed. It will also help me understand what you believe learning should look like. I am also trying to find the balance between too much and not enough support. . .I have the matrix, but perhaps one of you could come up with a way to visualize the process. If you want to see some tangible examples of learning transparently, look at the following blogs: Alexis, Angelica, Far, Lindsay, Maureen, and Nour.  I see authentic and continued learning on their blogs (multiple original posts) and on Twitter. . .

Tonight, I will help you with the Pink project, whether it be brainstorming or technical support.  Also, we need to discuss your class visit to Encinitas.  I have heard from Dr. Miyashiro and he is happy to have us and can take us to two schools!  We need to pick a few dates tonight please.

I hope you will all be wearing black tonight to support Maureen as she mourns the death of her beloved Tigers. . .or at least pour out a little of your Starbucks in her honor. . .

Question: Who is your current favorite musical artist or musician?

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?

Week Six: Who is Responsible for your Learning?

We have spent the better part of the last few weeks getting  you up to speed on some of the tools you can use to create and cultivate you PLN.  You have looked at theories that support this type of learning and discussed how it applies to you. You have thought about your passion and a topic for your 20% project.  Now, it is time for you to use this personalization process and begin your learning journey. . .It will look different for each of you.  What should be the same is that you are each learning. . .Learning about a topic in depth, about how to connect to other like-minded educators, about how to take responsibility for what you get out of this course, about how to really learn. . .

I mentioned last week, and we discussed in class, that you need to begin to cultivate your PLN. This includes doing more reading, writing, connecting, and sharing online. . .You are beginning your professional/educational "residency."  Uh, yeah, about that. . .I didn't see too much sharing on Twitter, or personal bloggging, or sharing of resources. . .I hope this will be the last week of relative inactivity.  I will go over the matrix that I have created on how to cultivate a PLN, but you are going to be the ones responsible for your learning from this point forward.  I can create conditions under which you can learning, but any actual learning is completely up to you.

Tonight, we will discuss the first part of Pink's book and how it relates to education. I gave you the following guidelines on Edmodo:

1. What is the Conceptual Age (explain in detail).
2. Why does Pink believe this "Conceptual Age" requires a whole new mind?
3. Do you agree or disagree with Pink and why? (Don't forget to read and comment on the work of your peers.)

Here is a link to my notes on the first part of Pink's book from last year.  I will continue to give you reading that you can blog about.  I think Edmodo does a great job allowing me to give you a virtual checklist of what you should be doing and for you to check your progress.  I have begun to give you credit for your work in Edmodo. . .please look for my comments and resubmit if you have missing or incomplete work.


Question:  What is your biggest "takeaway" from the first part of Pink's book?  (click the comment and add your response)