Finding the Fulcrum

In 2016, twice as many Americans obtained their news online instead of print. Approximately 3/4 of adult Americans interact with others through social media. Nine out of ten Americans are online, and a majority of these users are using time online to support personal or professional learning. I'm sure that I'm not the only person who finds it challenging to find a balance between personal and professional learning while online.

As time passes, an increasing percentage of the information and interaction that I seek in the name of learning is gathered online. The line between personal and professional learning is becoming blurred. I'm not sure if this is the result of time limitations, or professional ambitions putting the squeeze on personal interests. For example, I would like to start a podcast about pond fishing, but here I am writing about learning and education.

Reading Aaron Davis's recent post, "Templated Self", my perceived challenge of online time took a turn when he asks, "what do we mean by "real world" experiences, what do we mean by digital literacies?" I found myself wondering if my online presence is templated, and if so, how much control do I have in my online identity? In other words, are we manipulating our online spaces, or are they manipulating us?

It was Dave White's "Visitor / Resident" mapping exercise that prompted me to map and share my digital interactions. Initially, I used icons as hyperlinks to invite more engagement and interaction. Later, I realized the V/R mapping activity, which is an ongoing process, allows for deeper reflection of how I leverage online spaces. It's a visual interpretation of my digital self. Is this the same as a template?

At ISTE 2016, Dean Shareski challenged a group of us to consider digital dualism. Does online branding dehumanize us? Like others in my PLN, Dean suggests it's better to own rather than rent. Each person should have an online space to establish residency, contribute to communities, and create their templates. He encourages us to keep it real by retaining our humanity and authenticity in digital spaces.

Recently, Danah Boyd suggested that increases in online participation are shifting the ways in which we are manipulated by digital information. What are the motives of gaining attention and sharing information online? Are we becoming a generation of skilled manipulators?

The original intention of this post was to express a personal challenge of balancing time spent learning between personal and professional learning and balancing digital and analog resources. That ship seems to have sailed. The theme of this post then shifted to finding a balance of control over our online spaces. Are we living two lives? What is the appropriate mixture of online and offline? Where's the balance? The thought of misrepresenting myself with a digital template is a bit disconcerting. I've never personally met many of the folks in my personal learning network, but I believe that when we do finally meet face-to-face, it will feel somewhat like a reunion of old friends.

photo credit: Pixabay CC0 - Public Domain; Ralf Kunze

Self-Directed vs. Self-Determined Learning; What's the Difference?

"We need to move beyond the idea that an education is something that is provided for us, and toward the idea that an education is something that we create for ourselves." - Stephen Downes In this age of abundance of information, shifting classroom pedagogy isn't nearly enough to make learning in school more relevant and authentic for the learner. Self-directed learning ( andragogy ), and self-determined learning ( heutagogy ) are the ideals necessary in making students " future ready " to live and learn in a web-connected world. While original research applied these concepts to mature learners, it has become apparent that even young children have an abundant capacity for recognizing and directing their learning. Anyone who has observed toddlers learning how to walk and talk understand the motivation and skill development that quickly develops during these processes. Considered by some to be on a learning continuum, self-directed learning, and self-determined

Board Games in the School Library: 3 Reasons Why It's a Winning Play

"Play is the highest form of research." - Albert Einstein “Play is the work of the child.” – Maria Montessori In our recently remodeled school media center, we have a space dedicated to active engagement in fun learning activities. Part maker space, part literacy lounge, board games are being incorporated to promote a culture of joyful learning. Whether it's a game of Rummy , Yahtzee , or Scrabble , family game night serves as a communication elixir and solidifies our domestic climate of togetherness. Shouldn't similar opportunities for interaction, challenge, and fun exist somewhere in our schools? Broken families, cultural fragmentation, and poverty are impacting opportunities for children to play. As we unpacked and tagged our new media center games, I was more disappointed than shocked by the number of students who had never played Monopoly , Boggle , or Sorry . One skeptical teacher commented, "Oh great, now we're letting students pl

The Classroom Experiment - Strategies to Promote Engagement and Learning

Dylan Wiliam is a prominent educator in the United Kingdom. His ideas and strategies are consistently mentioned in education reform circles. On an uncharacteristically quiet evening at home, I stumbled across these BBC videos, The Classroom Experiment . Although it took nearly two hours to get through the videos, I came away thinking that the teacher is certainly the most important factor in student learning, and that student learning can be improved with persistence and a willingness to become better at failure. For those folks that feel that teachers can be replaced by technology, these videos suggest otherwise. The Classroom Experiment - part 1 (58:00) The Classroom Experiment - part 2 (59:00) Dylan Wiliam at The Schools Network Conference (38:00) Here is a summary of the strategies and changes that Dylan Wiliam instituted to increase student engagement and advance student learning. No raising of hands - use Popsicle sticks, or some other mechanism to randomize th

Nocking the Arrow

Search This Blog