"...broadening the base..."

Duke Writing: The Sweet Spot-Forging the Blade

April 1, 2013 by lsniestrath | Leave a comment

The Sweet Spot-Forging the Blade

I love to knit! A small project fits nicely into my bag and provides my hands with something to do during short intervals of time. As an experienced knitter, I recognize that patterns require scaffolding in the form of multiple experiences with less challenging work. A desire to avoid errors precludes knitters from engaging with interesting fibers and patterns. While errors are not always visible to others, they are quite apparent to me. The repetition of a pattern, coupled with the feel of the garment, alert me to a mistake. To unravel an hour of work in order to locate one error is not always a display of my neurosis, but rather a desire to learn a difficult pattern. It is no longer an instance to admonish myself to practice harder. Because of reading Coyle’s work, I now consider the reworking of a mistake as an invitation to engage in deeper practice (Coyle 17), practice that leads me to “The Sweet Spot.”

Practice makes perfect,: an underlying thread through The Talent Code, is not a novel concept. Daniel Coyle invites readers to consider practice with a new lens, one that suspends conventional ideas about the cultivation of talent. “The Sweet Spot,” the introductory chapter of the book, unfolds as Coyle leads readers in a recount of his adventure to hot beds of talent. In his quest to understand how talent develops, he explores areas described as “tiny places that produce Everest-sized amounts of talent” (Coyle 11).

A whirlwind journey moves from tennis courts in Moscow, to soccer fields in San Paolo, Brazil, to a music academy in the Adirondack Mountains. He concludes with a visit to the islands in the Caribbean that produce an abundance of talented baseball players. These concentrations of talent reveal the paradox that deep practice builds when one operates on the edge of ability (Coyle 18). He asks readers to abort traditional assumptions, regarding the relationship between genes and environmental factors, as the key contributor to talent (14).

Coyle presents readers with scenarios to consider. Two individuals, male and female, from geographically diverse backgrounds, at the end of childhood and the conclusion of young adulthood, engaged in athletic and music fields demonstrate the advantages of deep practice. He contends that when we apply the concepts of willpower, focus and concentration (Coyle 13) we do not capture the “ice climbing particularity of the event” (14).

He acknowledges the human tendency to avoid errors, yet suggests that to revisit errors will make you smarter (Coyle 18). When an individual is forced to work through an error, examine and correct it, deep learning transpires. An exercise, created by Robert Bjork to sharpen memory skills, engages readers with an example of “deep practice.” Participants read and recall a set of word pairings, one with complete sets of words and one with letters that are missing (16). Bjork, the chair of the psychology department at UCLA suggests that “We think of effortless performance as desirable, but it’s a really terrible way to learn” (18).

The metaphor of memory as a tape recorder of our experiences is erroneous. If we consider, Bjork continues, our brain to be a living organism then we recognize the infinitesimal size and capability of it (Coyle 19). He suggests that in selecting a goal directly outside of our capabilities, that we have the scaffolding in place that is necessary to encounter and overcome the struggle. This optimal gap between what one knows and what one is trying to accomplish is “The Sweet Spot.” Intuition tells us that practice is to talent what the whetstone is to a blade. Coyle asks us to consider the possibility that the solid blade is one’s natural ability. Could deep practice be the way to sharpen the blade itself? (19)

Coyle’s invitation to explore the cultivation of talent is warm and congenial. He writes for those intrigued by popular culture and psychology. As an introduction to the development of talent, it is void of the language and conventions of peer-reviewed writing. Although he presents specific questions in the introduction of the book, (Coyle 1) he fails to reveal the genesis of this exploration to readers in “The Sweet Spot.” I am left wondering what events propelled this initial journey to discover talent. Coyle seeks to establish credibility through through a well-known psychologist. It concludes abruptly with a statement regarding the expansion of Clifford’s Brazilian Soccer Schools. Anecdotes meant to captivate me do not engage me with the depth of his research, which I assume unfolds in the proceeding chapters. I am left contemplating why he does not invite me to consider what follows as he explores The Talent Code.

Work Cited

Coyle, Daniel. The Talent Code: Greatness Isn’t Born. It’s Grown. Here’s How. New York:

Bantam Books, 2009. Print.

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March 24, 2013
by lsniestrath 2 Comments

Duke Writing: One’s Handiwork in View

The summer that I was seven years old, my mother hung new curtains on our kitchen window. Its position captured the morning and afternoon light, as well as a clear view of an empty field behind our home. I spent hours looking through this window, imagining games that newly found friends would play with me. the new curtains, hung to soften the light and to provide privacy, would now impede my view. these daydreams occupied the loneliness I felt in a new community. Within days of hanging, my mother discovered a finely crafted letter “L” prominently placed in the middle panel of curtain. there was no doubt in the minds of either parent that this was indeed my handiwork. the scenario that followed was certainly not one of my finest moments. cornered, at the hand a of a disappointed father and a livid mothers, I fabricated a tale in which I implicated both my brother, age five and my sister, age three. The storyteller in me was squelched as the axiom, “Spare the rod, spoil the child,” pervaded my home. The writer in me discovered the sheer joy in seeing one’s handiwork in view!

I am a writer…with a garrison of pens, pencils, markers, crayons & colored pencils.

I am a writer…with a collection of anecdotes, phrases and quotes for “someday.”

I am a writer…who consumes words, extending ideas to the margins of books & journals.

I am a writer…who considers the invention of the sticky note one of the greatest achievements of the 20th century.

I am a writer…who enlivens the bare surface of a board with the glide of a colored marker.

I am a writer...whose digital world is an adventure through emails, text messaging, tweets & blog commenting.

I am a writer.

Task: Compose an essay (~300 words) about yourself as a writer.

Edcmooc: #2 “A slice of technology with a dollop of utopia on the side!”

February 2, 2013 by lsniestrath | 8 Comments

Harry first encounter with "on the side."
www.goodfoodstories.com

I am a filmaholic! I look for connections. I consider how interactions between the protagonist and antagonist mirror the events of life. A well crafted line lingers like a rich cup of coffee. Naturally, my reactions to the four short video clips for this week’s topic, “Utopias and Dystopias: looking into the past” is to make connections to what I already know. This is no different from what I would do with my students; build upon what they know to build upon the learner’s schema. The teacher in me never dies simply transitions from one setting to another.

http://www.tvtrops.org

The first film, Bendito Machine III, reminds me of the scene in the movie,

“The Gods Must Be Crazy,”where the people in the Kalahari Desert encounter technology for the first time in the shape of a Coke bottle. The finder of the Coke bottle brought it to the members of his tribe and wondered why the gods had sent it to him. They played and explored with it discovering a new use for it everyday, as it could be a real labor-saving device. A thing that people never knew that they needed before caused negative behaviors to surface among the members of the community.

In my last teaching position, I taught both Language Arts and World Geography to eighth grade students. We’ve done such a fine job, in America, instilling a sense of social and racial justice that my students would react with outrage over the portrayal of the characters. While I think that it’s of cultural interest to note that both films use native groups of people, my students would be horrified at the exaggerated heads of the characters who seem to refer to people of Sub-Saharan Africa. These cartoon characters, in their minds, would be no different from the Jim Crow character from the 19th century! It would take an entire class period of heated discussion to unfold the elements of economic greed and the dystopian undertones of the “We’re Not Worthy” prostration of the natives.

See…you’re offended, too!
stopracismucsd.wordpress.com

The creators of the Bendito film clip superimpose something evil over something good displayed on the television screen. Television provides a standard of living encased in evil. Exercising leads to obsessive displays of pageantry. A boy with an automatic rifle surfaces, while a nice man sings about a Swiss Cream Sandwich. The wicked witch from the Wizard of Oz disrupts the native’s opportunity to enjoy a soccer game. Subliminal messages surface in many forms. The negative aspects of technology create a patina of darkness over societies obsession with technology.

The Bendito community obsesses, or fixates, on objects in similar ways to those in today’s society. How often do people find express dissatisfaction with the things in their lives? A child plays with a toy, enjoys an electronic game for months until he recognizes that a newer, flashier and more expensive model is introduced. Like the pit of useless idols thrown away, we cart our belongings down to the basement for the next yard sale. Every time I open my refrigerator, I want to raise my fist and say, “Die, will you? Die,” for I have already selected a model to replace it. We could move the old one into the basement and use it for the excessive overflow of goods purchased at Sam’s Club. There’s a quilting shop in town that I intentionally avoid as there’s an oh, so sweet, new Bernina machine that I would love to have. I could sell my Elena on Ebay if only I had $12,999 for this computer activated model. PLEASE Santa Baby…hurry down my chimney ANYTIME!

We await the newest form of technology that will covet and occupy our consumer need for objects, many of which are technology activated! While the characters in the Bendito film has no choice in what the gods give to them, in the United States, our options are endless. With unlimited purchasing power, we are able to find technology that accommodates every demand. My son came home from school after winter break and announced that the top Christmas gifts among seventh graders were 1. Beats 2. I Pad Minis and 3. I Phones while removing the headphones from his neck and placing his new electronic device on the table. As Meatloaf would say, “Two out of three ain’t bad!”

The second film, Short activated knowledge for which I wished that there was no schema, the AOL Chatroom. Where was Howard Rheingold and his lecture on “Crap Detection 101″ when I needed it? Hurrumph, maybe he draws upon experience? Nah….but one never knows.

http://www.im.about.com

I recall how easily one could become sucked into this vortex, where lies and deception permeated so many conversations. A Google search to discover the digital footprint of the writer didn’t exist in 1996. (and I won’t even touch the concept of cyber sex!) In Nora Ephron movie, “You’ve Got Mail,” conversations transpire through months of electronic exchange. Characters interact with a contemporary form of technology, whereby allowing movie viewers to vicariously explore the complexities of an on-line persona with little evidence that the person on the other end has honestly represented himself.

The “meet cute” between the male and female characters in Inbox signal to the viewer that something is about to happen. I found this clip charming. It made me a bit nostalgic for time when exchanges between people required time and patience. My best friends and I use to send notes to each other via our mothers who met once a week for choir practice. A telephone call was a “toll” call that would cost my parents extra money and might be overheard by someone on the party line. (Boy, does this date me!) The equality between both characters was evidenced by the fact that they had the same gift bag, pens, markers and sticky notes. Interestingly enough, the male character, like Tom Hank’s character, Joe Fox, holds the key that binds the relationship just as the male character holds his trump card, the stuffed animal. Corney and sappy, yes, but perhaps a slice of nostalgia camouflaged as utopia! In the end, we are left to believe that the boy and girl’s “meet cute” blossoms into a sweet romance.

What I find so interesting is that the viewing of this segment occurs at the same time that Tuiasosopo tells Dr. Phil why he ‘killed’ Te’o's fake girlfriend. Okay, just to place all the cards on the table, I don’t watch daytime soaps or self-help programs. My mentor is a licensed counselor who found it professionally interesting. I thought that it was rather timely. (It’s ok, you can cough up a choke now!) How does something like this happen, I wonder, in this time of openness? Hum…maybe assumption that the young are digitally savvy walks together with the myth that the young are natural digital natives? In what way does technology provide the bed in which deception is cultivated? As the older folks would say, things like this just didn’t happen in my day. I’m inclined to believe that they’re right.

Let’s not kid ourselves. Technology is wonderful until it doesn’t work. My husband and son spent a considerable about of time this afternoon trying to figure out why his PlayStation will not allow him to have on-line access. (If I can talk to people on-line that I don’t know, why can’t he?) After they exhausted every four letter word, a call was placed to customer service. The opportunity to hear a warm, live voice after the first several rings is certainly a slice of utopia that one can only dream about. Somewhere in any given city in the world, a young person clad in loud, Bermuda shorts sits in a large cubical similar to the one in the third clip, Thursday. (Please note that this is a stereotype meant as sarcasm, not as a microaggression.) English is probably his second language. He stimulates his brain with an I Pod of contemporary tunes and a refreshing can of Jolt . There are 500 people just like him answering calls about a myriad of technology problems. With technology, comes automation and lack of personal contact and service. Perhaps it’s a slice of the technological determinism created as a result of technological growth?

Yesterday was the first time that I have posted a comment on YouTube where I used my real profile. I noticed that several people referenced #edcmooc, which intrigued me.

Me: How very real all of this feels when the power goes out for extended periods of time and suddenly, we are no longer able to function without all of the technology that consumes our daily lives. How fortunate we are that there is a green movement that is experiencing a resurgence as we remind ourselves to unplug and reconnect with the natural world!

http://www.flickr.com

Howard Rheingold admits to spending a considerable amount of his time on-line. The incredible garden that he has created in sunny California provides the perfect medium to connect on-line when in-line with the natural world. I’d like to believe that he embraces the best of both worlds, thus setting a standard for those who desire to keep a foot in both worlds, technology and nature!

I’m probably one of the few individuals in my PLN group, the Fraingers, who had not watched The Matrix prior to signing up for this course. I took the plunge and watch all three episodes in January. It was something that I really avoided as I find this genre of film difficult to wrap my head around. My husband gracious agreed to watch them with me, as he owned the films and was quite familiar with the plot line. I interrupted our viewing numerous times as I tried to sort out the protagonist and antagonist. I pushed myself to considered where the elements of conflict occurred, man vs. man, man vs. the environment, man vs. himself and why were there so many Mr.Smith characters? After numerous pauses, my husband remarked, “You really don’t have much of a fantasy life, do you?” My fantasy life revolves around my gardening , where in a utopian world the concept that if I plant it, they won’t eat it lives to bring me hours of joy. I nodded off several times during each film, which fueled my husband’s irritation with my less than imaginative mind.

The music and dark screen paint a rather ominous tone for the clip, New Media. Objects, which I assume are machines, but resemble octopi, move stealthily though the sky while man, engrossed in technology and the details of his day, is oblivious to the doom that awaits him. When I was a girl, learning about the end-of-the world, the book of Revelations, the dark horse and the apocalypse was in vogue during the 1970′s. It did not enthrall me, but rather terrified me. I found The Matrix to be rather dystopic, a world full of as much violence as any other Die Hard, Die Harder or Die Even Harder. (Yes, we have all of them, and no, I won’t watch any of them!)

This entire scenario in When Harry Met Sally, written by Nora Ephron, pretty much sums up my attitude toward technology and my reaction to the video clips for the first week of discussion about Utopias and Dystopias.

Sally: I’d like the chef salad please with the oil and vinegar on the side and the apple pie a la mode.

Waitress: chef and apple a la mode.

Sally: But I’d like the pie heated and I don’t want the ice cream on top. I want it on the side, and I’d like strawberry instead of vanilla, if you have it. If not, then no ice cream, just whipped cream, but only if it’s real. If it’s out of a can then nothing.

Waitress: Not even the pie?

Sally: No, just the pie, but then not heated.

Harry: On the side is a very big thing with you.

Sally: I like it how I like it.

As unattractive as it is to reveal this about myself, I like technology just how I like it, with little discussion or revelation about how it could impact my life negatively. I like it with a dollop of utopia on the side!

Harry’s first encounter with “on the side.”
http://www.goodfoodstories.com

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Etmooc: #1 “Oh, the places I’ll go!”

January 19, 2013 by lsniestrath | 15 Comments

Me as a “homo floresiensis woman.” How is this for an introduction?
The Natural History Museum, Smithsonian, Washington, DC

Introductions are always tricky. What to wear, what to say, how to say it, what is the context and the setting and what do people really want to know about me? Sometimes is a tough call to make. Do I really want to make something that probably no one will view? So many questions with unresolved answers. I have spent the first week of this new MOOC understanding that any resemblance to any other MOOC that I will take may be minimal. After all, this entire experience is to be about making connections. I spent a considerable amount of time reading the blogs of others, participating in the initial twitter chat and watching the introductory programs on Blackboard. Here is my ever so brief introduction: #Etmooc-It’s me…Laurie

In my quest to make connections this week, I found an short, informative YouTube clip on the blog page of Karin Gitch. Dave Cormier‘s ideas about How do Succeed in a MOOC, asked me to consider how I will approach this experience. He suggests that students consider the following five steps in order to be successful.

Orientation-Where will I find the materials?

#Etmooc-Educational Technology & Media

That’s a no brainer, as the organizers of the #Etmooc have done just that! They have organized everything that I will need on a web page, have created Blackboard programs that contain a section of archived programs. I looked forward to listening to Sue Water’s presentation about blogs. I included Sue as part of my initial “Tribe” when creating a Prezi about my Personal Learning Network for Adult 641. What a let down when the connection did not occur! She and I chatted briefly this week on the twitter evening about “quadblogging.” Three women from my EDCMOOC group blog, connect on FB and will soon use Google+ to “stay connected.” Sue has graciously offered to hold another live session as there were many of us who struggled with computer glitches that night. The “archive” tab for this MOOC will provide an opportunity for me to catch up with the group at a later time.

Declare-What do I wish to accomplish, what is my goal in taking this course?

The only reason that I knew about this course is because Dr. Alex Couros posted a tweet several months ago. Talk about making great connections! Connectivism is such a new theory of learning that it is not even presented in the theories of Adult Learning “bible.” While considerable time was given to the exploration of , unpacking and application of the five major theories, connectivisim, the theory vitally important to those in the “Teaching and Learning with Technology” track of my graduate program was not discussed. Connectivism is so new, that I needed to add it to the dictionary on my computer! I am keenly interested in learning more about this theory, exploring how it relates to digital learning and how I can use this opportunity to make stronger connections with others using digital and social media!

Network-building smart rooms one network at a time! (thank you, David Weinberger!)

The possibilities are endless for how smart the rooms can become where I live and interact. Already I have built a strong room of connections through another MOOC, E-Learning and Digital Cultures and the class has not even begun! Understanding how important sharing and creating is to the digital world is one of the most significant components of becoming “networked.” While this new MOOC is less than two weeks old, connections are forming based on location, interests and yes, movies! A crucial factor in becoming a smart part of this new room is the willingness to extend myself. Several of us dip into both MOOCs. This will provide for an interesting ‘hangout” where we converse about what we are learning in both MOOCs!

Cluster-How do I move from the “floor” to the “ceiling?”

After a semester of thrills and roller coaster rides through the tools associated with social media, I am ready to engage them with the tasks associated with this course.
Theories of learning, ideas that surround connectivism, organization and digital literacy are topics that I consider”clustering around.” In the orientation this week, Dr. Couros talked about the idea of digital literacy as the “floor” and “fluency” as the ceiling of learning. His community is considering how to implement changes with students to move them from the “floor” to the “ceiling.” I am ready to make this move. My professors provided a solid “floor” on which to stand. It’s now time to develop a “ceiling” that reflect my philosophy of “The broader the base, the higher the tower!”

Focus-baby, focus…

Educating Rita-wonder what her life would be like with digital tools?

My mentor is so generous in saying that I am someone who is able to get back on the path even when I stray to pursue other venues. Our conversations this week over coffee at Panera brimmed with discussion about this class, my graduate studies and where I would like to share what I learn.
The group study, posters and presentations created in Adult 601 linger with me as I transition from course to course. I a rather visual and can picture the image of each poster that hung in the classroom, the discussion that surrounded each theory of learning and then the application that ensue when applying it to the film, Educating Rita.
The posters are long gone and have transitioned through the cycle or renew and recycle. I wish that they were in the “clouds” for seamless transition from topic to topic.
David Cormier suggests that students in a MOOC set a goal for the class. I think that a Glogster poster would be a great tool to use for future learning opportunities and presentation.
A glogster engages the important ideas about how a hyperlink, as Weinberger suggests in his book, “Too Big to Know,” extends the experience of the learner.

Oh, the Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.

You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

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EdcMooc: #1 “Are you my people?”

January 8, 2013 by lsniestrath | 27 Comments

A favorite childhood story, Are you my Mother? by PD Eastman tells the story about a baby bird whose mother leaves her to secure food. The impatient baby bird embarks upon a journey to discover who her mother might be and where she would find her. Like the baby bird in search of a “mother,” I have spent the last several years taking graduate courses, exploring different universities with the desire to discover “My Mother.”

Unlike the mother bird is this story, my professors at Virginia Commonwealth University have not left me in search of food, but have prepared a platter of delectable entrees from the social media and adult literacy menu. My mother, in the form of a structured learning environment, has prepared me to venture into the world secure in knowing that I can always return when lost, when in need of redirection, or to share my new adventures. I feel confident to say that I have a mother. I am now in search of my “people.”

The most significant by-product of higher education and learning is the knowledge derived through study and interaction with media tools and the ideas proposed by forerunners in the field of networking and adult learning. Entree choices from the “social media” menu energize me as a learner. Wednesdays night class sessions provided something new to taste and savor. Dining adventures, while encrusted with frustration, confusion and a wide learning curve were congenial. My frustration rarely involved theories and tools, but rather where to continue the conversation in real-time with the real people in my life. Friends often ask about my studies. The “deer in the headlights” look surfaces when the discussion involves digital media. The adage,”Tweet to connect, blog to reflect,” asks me to consider the new ways in which I interact using the network. No longer am I tied to Facebook and the social conversations among friends. Social media is a ripe place to hunt and feed. (My apologies to Stephanie Myer!)

During the summer of 2012, I learned about MOOCs, Massive Open-Online Courses, as a result of the University of Virginia’s controversial near dismissal of their president. Discussion about free courses through an organization called, Coursera, became a topic of discussion in periodicals such as The Chronicle of Higher Education. DIY education is the basis for my philosophy, “The broader the base, the higher the tower.” E-Learning and Digital Cultures, a Coursera program offered through the University of Edinburgh, complements the Social Media course I completed in the fall of 2012. Teaching and Learning with Technology should certainly involve exploration and study that engages the skills learned I developed. I was game for anything, particularly when coupled with digital literacy and global connections. Friends and acquaintances continue to express a polite level of interest in my graduate studies. Conversations quickly move to safer, more tangible topics, when puzzled expressions surface.

Two months before the beginning of the course, the organizers conveyed a hearty welcome along with ideas about media tools that we should consider for January 28th. Connections began through Twitter and moved quickly to a Facebook Group. No formal assignments were given, yet members began to create tasks to do. (Remember when the children who created homework were those who “played school” in their free-time?) What has unraveled over the last two months certainly doesn’t resemble anything that I have read about MOOCs. Where are those people who are looking for a “free” Ivy League education? Where are the slackers who have less than a distinguished grade point average? Where are those students who were “unable” to make it in a real collegial setting?

An editorial in the December 4, 2012 edition of The Guardian reflects similar ideas across the pond. I responded by referencing my engagement with the members of my MOOC. The level of commitment to educational pursuits, the wish to learn, and the willingness to share knowledge is exciting! Our collegial group transitioned from the Facebook page, to small, quadblogging groups. Facebook is a form of media that I did not include in my Personal Learning Network presentation in at the end of the semester. I have always considered it a private place. What I did recognize and share with my graduate class, was the current transition of my tribe from published writers and academics to the members of my MOOC. After several weeks of chatting and sharing, I have done what I considered the unspeakable. I have “become friends” with relative strangers on Facebook!

In the late 1980′s, the public library in my community provided a public service forum about a new idea that would soon be available to the average person,the Internet! I remember calling my father to convey my excitement over the idea of being able to use a machine to send messages to people. I purchased my first MacIntosh Apple Computer in 1994 and entered the world of AOL Chat Rooms. With these memories still fresh in my mind, I wondered how this new community of practice would function? I recall how every chat room seemed to contain a Howard Walowitz, character who cornered me with a list of recycled one-liners. I have found the members in this group to be professional, well-educated and thirsty for knowledge. Nearly everyone is beyond busy, yet takes the time to look at a video clip, explore a social media program or read and reflect on an article. this morning I sent a message to a member of my quadblog wishing her a happy first day of the second semester!

Thirty years ago, my friends and family members would be alarmed to discover that I spend hours in front of a machine, talking with people whom I had never met. We share ideas and a laugh. We recommend movies to watch and programs to try. The idea of synchronized YouTube, watching videos simultaneously with people we have never met remind me of the relationships that Russell Crowe’s character created in “A Beautiful Mind’.”

When I refer to the MOOC that I will take, the new friends that I have made and the relationships that I have formed, I realized that I am like the little bird in the story. The bird, who upon meeting the power shovel shouts, “I want my mother.” I want to shout, “I want my people!” My people are not the individuals in my life who are unlike me, with dissimilar interests, reading lists and social media apps. While I recognize that many of the members of this MOOC will move to different horizons when the course concludes, I am hopeful that a few will linger and remain as “my people.” I am reminded of the relationship between Julia Child and Avis DeVoto. The two women engaged in a cross Atlantic pen-pal relationship for years before they actually met. Imagine how “servant-less” Americans would have mastered the art of French cooking if not for the correspondence between these two women? Two key ideas that encapsulate their relationship, be generous when you can help someone, don’t hold back and collaborate with people who share your passion are important ideas when networking. Their writing, while confined to the limitations of the postal service, created a new way of thinking about cuisine for generations of cooks. Who knows what the relationship between me and the networks of individuals who reside in my computer will produce? Perhaps not a new cookbook, but certainly novel ways to connect with learners around the globe. I’m happy to say that I think that “I’ve found my people!”

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Adlt 641: 12 “Building smart rooms, one network at a time.”

December 10, 2012 by lsniestrath | 13 Comments

Student teaching is an experience that I anticipated with enthusiasm. After several years of hard work, tutoring, internships and participation in an emergency school setting in Philadelphia I was now ready to become the teacher. All eyes would soon focus on me, rather than the cooperating teacher. For as all good students knew that the person in the front of the room was the source of all knowledge. Suddenly the anticipation that I felt was overpowered with anxiety and fear. The confidence build over three years began to erode with the mere thought of being responsible for all the knowledge necessary to progress front he beginning to the end of the day.

In the days before anticipation guides and reading strategies such as K-W-L charts, I would pay games with children to encourage them to pay attention to the content surrounding the lesson. ”Who could stump the teacher?” would challenge learners to pay attention to lessons or read the homework.assignment the night before class. A student generated list, at the beginning of each unit of study, identified the knowledge at the class as a whole brought to the unit. Elementary students enjoy the opportunity to bring knowledge that they’ve discovered on their own to the lesson. As the list lengthens, we marvel at how “smart” we are as a class and how the members have contributed to the knowledge shared and collected as a community. The practices of this new little community invigorate them as pursuers of their of knowledge, knowing that what each contributed was welcomed and acknowledge.

Educators will point to hormones and socialization as two key factors that influence this change between primary and middle school years. What happens, though, between middle and secondary, secondary, and higher education? The subtle shift between students as possessors of knowledge and students as recipients of knowledge is very real, yet very telling when considering the question, “What is knowledge?” When the teacher as facilitator moves from the coach on the sideline to the sage on the stage, the message that the smartest person in the room is the teacher is quite clear!

David Weinberger’s work, Too Big to Know, is a comprehensive look at what constitutes knowledge in a networked society. As technologist, professional speaker and commentator he postulates that society should reconsider what is knowledge now that we know that the facts are not the necessarily the facts and that experts are everywhere. This idea is relatively easy to digest considering that; our society is awash with information. The idea that the smartest person in the room is the room requires one to consider how the world of knowledge has changed with as a result of the internet.

His work addresses ideas that surround knowledge as well as exploring how the body of knowledge is lifted now that the limitations of the old medium of knowledge are lifting. I “scooped” articles, video and audio recordings that support many of the ideas within his body of work. The “Scoop it” contains his bibliography, where some links are provided that support his research. The “scoop” is certainly not inclusive of each piece of data used; however, it is sequential and does not deviate from the text. The resources within it give extensions for learning and knowing on the part of the reader. The topic is daunting at best, yet worth the time to consider each component carefully before proceeding to the next. The Scoop it collection is arranged by topic for personal consideration. I have extrapolated ideas that both resonated with me and challenged me. Here is the Scoop it: Too Big To Know

The Crisis of Knowledge-
- The foundations of our most important institutions are being shaken as we ask questions that we thought were already settled.
- Traditional journals are now being viewed as blockage systems.
Knowledge Overload-
- Then-
  - Knowing by reducing what fits into our library or journal.
  - Old knowledge institutions derived their authority by filtering information for the rest of us.
  - Knowledge was structured by a foundation.
- Now-
  - Include every draft of an idea-the web is full of loosely connected ideas.
  - Our social networks are our new filters. Authority is shifting from experts to networks of people that we know and respect.
  - Filters no longer filter out-they filter forward.
  - Knowledge is taking the shape of the net; it is messy and does not have any edges.
Bottomless Knowledge-
- Then-
  - Massive amounts of information can cause us to go wrong.
  - Too many facts prevent us from drawing a conclusion.
- Now-
  - Learning a fact can be the same as publishing a fact
  - Networked facts point to where they came from and sometimes where they lead.
  - The new medium is shedding the old optimism-we can no longer all agree on a conclusion.

The Expertise of Clouds-
- Then-
  - Professional knowers needed professional institutions for support
  - Information was “fenced in”
  - An enclave-work produced by those who share your assumptions
- Now-
  - What’s difficult for an individual to know, can be easy for a network
  - Connections find and generate experts
  - Expertise multiplies when it exists between people
- A Marketplace of Echoes?-
  - Then-
    - Echo chambers like quiet libraries in quiet communities
    - Within a discourse, some interpretations are privileged
  - Now-
    - The net is transparent-outsiders look in and insiders look out
    - Connections occur across boundaries
- Long Form, Web Form-
  - Then-
  - Physical books-dominant culture of society.
  - Everything that is relevant is contained within the covers.
  - Author determines sequence of ideas, when they start/finish
  - Now-
  - Web-form allows ideas to ‘uncurl into their natural shape’
  - Ideas escape the author’s grasp-change the world
- Too Much Science-
  - Then-
    - Facts are about particular things, knowledge should be about universals.
    - Amateurs can succeed because institutional professionals can validate them.
    - Old model of publishing-a point in time.
  - Now-
    - Bigness is the first property of networks the scientific world is absorbing.
    - The engagement of/with amateurs is widespread-we take it for granted.
    - Hyperlinking of science-links back to sources, links into human context and process that produce it, use it, debate and make sense of it.
    - Media may always get science wrong because of the attractiveness of a dramatic headline.
- Where the Rubber Hits the Node-
  - Then-
    - Top of Pyramid-all big decisions would flow.
    - Hierarchical, top-down decision-making prohibits the common person from contributing. Local knowledge is not used.
    - Lack of resilience-when pointed end of pyramid is on one individual.
  - Now-
    - Hyper-networks-huge organizations spread out and differentiate to solve a problem.
    - Network decision-making motivates people to use their local knowledge.
    - Moment of decision is a node in a network, which contains more knowledge.
- Building the New Infrastructure of Knowledge-
  - Then-
    - Technodeterminism- technology causes us to use and understand it in prescribed ways.
    - Important knowledge was kept from the “common folk.”
    - Academic journals are so costly that only a few are able to access them.
  - Now-
    - Social class, age, and subculture affect how we use the internet and what it means to us.
    - The abundance is apparent and changes how we understand knowledge.
    - Knowledge is a playlist-not a realm, but a path that gets us to where we wish to go.
    - Links change the topography of knowledge.Every evening my family and I discuss the events of the day over a shared meal. They know that I am engrossed in a big, semester long project, but find the ideas that surround it rather dubious. In an attempt to prepare them for the premise behind Weinberger’s ideas, I shared the quote that is attributed to Daniel Moynihan: “Everyone is entitled to his own opinions, but not to his own facts.” * My husband’s eyebrows arch and his mouth begins to form a little, “Oh, I don’t think so….” I thought that this would be a good opportunity to engage in a little bit of lively discussion. “Take the common tomato,” I suggest. It is a plant grown during the warm months of the year. My son quickly counter points by reminding me about tomatoes that grow hydroponically or in hot houses! The door opened for a discussion that touched merely the tip of the iceberg. I’ve begun to talk with my son about his learning network and how his is “personal,” that each of use has a network that surrounds us. The key lies in understanding how to use this knowledge now that the facts are no longer the facts, that experts are not necessarily experts and that the smartest person in the room is the room. Therefore, hinges the door of our smart room, built by one network at a time!
    - *No one is sure if Moynihan actually made this statement or not. Like Weinberger, I found it on the internet

This gallery contains 3 photos

November 27, 2012
by lsniestrath 12 Comments

Adlt 641: 11 “The Power of my PLN..a call to pay if forward!”

Visitors to Niagara Falls, Ontario know that the wait time to ride “Maid of the Midst” is rather lengthy during summer vacation. The cost for this adventure, which lasts approximately 30 minutes, is $15.50. I pay my fee; stand in line for nearly an hour before donning the blue rain poncho offered to me as a visitor. As a rider, I knew what awaited me; wearing the poncho is a practice that I accepted as part of the experience. Like most of the riders exiting the boat, I was partially wet, for what is the fun in riding close to the falls without the opportunity to get wet?

The exploration and creation of my personal learning network is an adventure similar to the Maid of the Midst ride. The period to take Adult 641, Social Media for Adult Learners, is rather lengthy, as the class occurs once every other year. Unlike the vacationers in Ontario, I knew that my ride through the waters of social media would shower me with a wealth of ideas to consider and applications to try. I paid my tuition, and with several electronic devices in hand boarded the ride, anticipating that I would be thoroughly drenched along the way.

I discovered early in this adventure that the creation of my personal learning network was not about how I would reform my habits. I would begin with an overall transformation from how I think, act, connect with others and create rather than simply consume. Pam Moran, the superintendent of Albemarle County Schools, contends that the implications for learning in the new century (sic my words) are profound. She insists that we are living in a time of unprecedented changed. When I consider how the world of teaching has changed from 1985, when I began my career, until 2011 when I left the traditional classroom, I am astounded. What is more amazing to me is what this period of transformation is producing in me as a learner and a teacher. In many ways, I find who I was as an educator “then” and what I am “now” closely parallel David Wiley’s observations about connection and network building.

Jeff Bullas asserts that everyone needs a landing pad. The phrase, “Tweet to connect, Blog to reflect” is one that resonated with me quickly. Through a twitter connection, I found Mathieu Plourde’s open education resource page. I noticed that each of the students in his digital media course at the University of Delaware created an “About.me” component for their blog site. The about.me aspect of my blog is my landing pad. It is a place where readers can find other ways in which to connect with me, for me to share ideas and resources with them and for us to exchange ideas.

The desire to link myself to networks of individuals as well as organizations is one of the core values of my PLN. My “transformed self” regards networking through Linked in as a way to understand my friends and colleagues in a more professional manner. There are details about the professional lives of friends that surprise me! These details are not evidenced on their Facebook pages. For me, Facebook is a medium for photographs, stories, and updates. It is purely social in nature. I respect the privacy of my friends and family members. I would prefer to keep that space personal rather than include it as part of my professional network.

I consider myself a lifelong learner, one who is very resourceful in terms of accessing informal ways in which to learn. TED talks, while nearly 30 years in existence, are a new medium for me in which to learn. Professional development, anytime, anywhere that encourages me “…to listen consciously in order to live fully” is a key component of my DIY education. The value of a traditional classroom setting is important to me. This component of formal learning provides the dialog, interaction, and rigors of higher education that I desire; Virginia Commonwealth University is an integral component of my PLN. The world of professional networking is comprised of tools and programs that are not naturally intuitive for me. The opportunity to learn from those who have an established “on-line” presence provided a path for me to follow rather than one to stumble through. In order to enjoy the serendipitous moments that will occur through my PLN, I needed a prescribed set of tools and lessons.

Everyone needs a tribe! I have a group of people that I “hang with” in order to feel like I belong. Twitter has become the first place that I look each morning to see what my tribe is discussing. David Weinberger’s idea that “The value of networks of experts can be in opening things up, not simply coming to unshakable conclusions,” has philosophical meaning for my professional development. While I follow many individuals, I have found the experts who live in the clouds to provide a “web of ideas that foliate endlessly.”

Two members of my tribe, Sue Waters and Jeff Bullas reside in Australia. I read “The Sue Water’s Daily” each day and always find something relevant to my life. Over the Thanksgiving holidays, my friend and I were discussing the Common Core Standards. Sue included a video clip about the CCS in today’s paper that I quickly sent to my friend in North Carolina. We are sitting on the fence and have not decided how we feel about it, however, I anticipate that my tribe will provide greater context from which I may formulate an opinion. Will Richardson’s tweet today, “The more we want our kids to learn, the more we should turn away from ‘raising standards,” give me something to ponder as well a topic for my next coffee social. His attachment, Alfie Kohn; From a Culture of Performance to a Culture of Learning, intensifies the idea of global thinking and connection among the members of my tribe! (How does my tribe know what I need? Are they all talking with each other?)

Jeff is a wealth of knowledge about every form of social media! He is “the man.” He tweets several times each hour, which means that I have many ideas to consider and bookmark in my Diigo account. His idea about each person needing a landing pad, to consider my core brand values as well as what flows from me provide that coagulation for my PLN.

George and Alec Couros, brothers and educators from Canada are at the cutting edge of what works and does not work in 21^st Century education. Their tweets exemplify dana boyd’s idea about “tweeting honesty and passionately” about their work and lives. Thanks to George, I am aware of people Flash Mobbing at a Target in Edmonton, Alberta. Alec’s The #math Daily paper is one that I peruse for ideas that I can use as a parent.

Imagine my surprise to find the name of a former middle school parent on page 15, of Will Richardson’s book Personal Learning Networks, Using the Power of Connections to Transform Education. Pam Moran has spent over 30 years of her life working in the field of education. When I knew her, she was a principal of a small rural school and the mother of one of the most vivacious students I have ever encountered. Her son must have inherited this quality from Pam as her connections and tweets are evidence of one who fully embraces the power of social media. Her passion for learning and social media reminds me to imbue that passion when connecting with others.

The wealth of information that I receive each day is beyond overwhelming. I abandoned the idea of maintaining an RSS in favor of allowing my connections to feed me each day. The Chronicle of Higher Education and Linked in keep me informed about topics that are of interest to me as both a graduate student and a professional. Several members of my tribe publish papers through paper.li. At this moment, I have over 75 articles (from last week…forget about this week!) to peruse and file in Diigo. While I find it useful to scroll through Twitter and add bookmarks on my cell phone, it does present difficulties when attempting to provide attribution. Mathieu Plorde’s social media policy is a component of his landing page. Many ideas that circulate through education are not new, but are ones that recirculate and collect new concepts along the way. He tries not to break the chain of attribution when retweeting or sharing ideas. This is an idea that I now consider when posting. He actually thanked me for a “ping back” earlier in the semester. Manners are important when interacting with my network.

My personal learning network has transitioned from rocky waters to a more solid ground during the course of this class. The most powerful transformation in me will be the shift from one of consumer of information to creation of content. The 3^rd habit of the“7 Habits of Technology Teachers” insists that technology teachers share best practices. They share, share and then share some more. For years, I have scoured the internet looking for teaching materials and power points that could enhance lessons. I have files of power points that I have saved for my son to use. My initial intent was to trash them when he completes a course. Slideshare is a convenient way to engage the idea of “paying forward.” Likewise, I have thousands of images in my photo library. The opportunity to share globally now means that I will post an image to my Flickr account in real time with my cell phone. The process is not difficult; it simply requires a transformation of thought. Participation in an open education, through a connected world means that I transform my way of thinking as well as my way of acting.

"…broadening the base…"

"What we have in common is not knowledge about which we agree but a shared world about which we will always disagree." David Weinberger