Quote: “By participating in the making of meaning, we also learn how to judge and evaluate it, giving special sensitivity to the ways information can be shaped, positively as well as negatively.” We learn a lot just by doing. We learn math by doing math. We learn to read by reading. Thus, by making meaning we learn not only how to make meaning, but we learn how to judge and analyze it.
Question: How can I incorporate the three dimensions of play (knowing, making and playing) into my classroom?
Connection: I recognize the importance of play in daily life. Without play (fun), life becomes mundane. Play brings people together. I see that in my own life. For example, my family will have games nights from every few months. It is something I have always treasured. I have learned a lot about myself, my family and the world around us by playing games, hanging out, and acting silly. I agree with Johan Huizinga that play is central to the human experience.
Epiphany: My epiphany is more of a question this time. I really liked this quote, “whatever one accomplishes through play, the activity is never about achieving a particular goal, even if a game has a defined endpoint or end state”. If that is the case, then what is the purpose of competition in sports or games?
Chapter 8:
Quote: “The richness of experience and social agency produced by hanging out and the sense of embodiment and personal agency created by messing around, combined with the sense of making, produces what we think is the ultimate goal of indwelling: learning.” This is an excellent quote that summarizes the three practices of learning in the 21st century through digital networks.
Question: I am borrowing this quote as my question, “how can I utilize the available resources, both social and technological, for deep exploration?”
Connection: This chapter is titled “Hanging Out, Messing Around, and Geeking Out.” These are the names of the three badges for EDSS 530. Last semester we completed the “Hanging Out” badge, in which I was introduced to the various collectives of educators. Fall semester was all about “learning how to be with others in spaces that are mediated by digital technology”. This semester we will complete the badges: “Messing Around” and “Geeking Out.” The “Messing Around” badge criteria is involves a shift in agency from social agency to personal agency. The “Geeking Out” badge is Epiphany: I understand the purpose of the 20% Project now! After learning about “Geeking Out,” the 20% project allows each of us to explore a personal interest in an autonomous way and use media and technology to document our experience and learning.
Chapter 9:
Quote: “Only when we care about experimentation, play, and questions more than efficiency, outcomes, and answers do we have a space that is truly open to the imagination.” This quote describes the shift in priorities that must occur in the new culture of learning.
Question: This chapter concluded with the statement, “where imaginations play, learning happens”. My question is, what resources are available to help me design lessons that allow imaginations to play?
Connection: Most people think mathematics is about getting the correct answer. Students will copy each other's work to do just so. However, I care about the learning. And for students to really learn math, they need to experiment and question it.
Epiphany: What I take away from this chapter is the importance of imagination. After reading this book, I believe imagination is the critical skill of the 21st century.
Source:
Thomas, Douglas, and John Seely Brown. A New Culture of Learning: Cultivating the Imagination for a World of Constant Change. Lexington, KY: CreateSpace?, 2011. Print.