Quote: “In communities, people learn in order to belong. In a collective, people belong in order to learn.” This quote highlights the difference between communities and collectives. Participation and interaction are the key components of collectives.
Question: Is there anyway to utilize collectives in the classroom that would not “destroy the very thing that is unique and innovative about them”?
Connection: This chapter talked about the importance of participation in online collectives. This makes me think about the Twitter Chat assignment from last semester. Participating in my first Twitter Chat was my first experience really participating in a collective of education. It was great to be able to communicate with people from all over the world.
Epiphany: I have a 13 year-old cousin who is very into online gaming. She has many virtual friends that she communicates with everyday. Until now, I never understood why she chooses to hang out virtually instead of with what I consider her “real” friends. I realize now that I have not progressed with the times and technology. In fact, I was judging without really understanding the importance of collectives, especially among younger generations.
Chapter 5:
Quote: “Sharing something personal with a collective, therefore, is very different from taking something private and putting it into the public domain.” Some say that young people cannot distinguish between information that is appropriate for the public and information that should remain private. However, that argument is no longer relevant. Today, most online interactions take place within collectives, which “are made up of people who generally share values and beliefs”. Members of all collectives have an investment for their engagement. Thus, sharing something personal with your collective is not the same as sharing something private with the public.
Question: This chapter says that students panic when called on in class because they are being asked to share their private thinking with the public. How can I create a classroom environment that is not predicated on the sense of the public and the private?
Connection: I relate to the feeling of sheer panic when a teacher/professor would call on me in class. I never thought about the classroom experience in terms of public versus private experiences. Epiphany: My epiphany is similar to my connection. My CT and I use the “Name Cards” to randomly call on students. After reading this chapter, I feel even more empathy for my students and am going to think about a new accountability system.
Chapter 6:
Quote: “Students learn best when they are able to follow their passion and operate within the constraints of a bounded environment.” Students need some sort of boundary to guide their learning however it is equally important that they have passion to drive their learning.
Question: As a math teacher I have many students that do not like the subject. My questions is how can I create rich lessons for my math classes that inspire passion?
Connection: This chapter discussed the importance of questions in the classroom. I have been learning a lot about inquiry-based learning in my math methods class. This is a student-centered teaching style that emphasizes asking questions over regurgitating facts.
Epiphany: The 21st century requires a variety of critical thinking skills that have not been imperative before. I am excited to be entering the teaching profession during an era that focuses on inquiry-based learning.
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.