Thing #4 Linking to a blog post

I feel more than a little hopeless that the education system can be improved when I see the way students are slowly (and sometimes not so slowly) being pressed into a uniform mold that strips away their curiosity and creativeness. I see it in curriculum standardization, staff development, and even in my own misguided attempts to plan lessons that make sure all students know the canon of knowledge I have decided is required. Kris Bradburn of Wandering Ink. outlines the "murder" of creativity using the book "How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci" as a lens through which education can be viewed and criticized. I was horrified as I read because I recognized every misguided teaching attempt that educators make, stuffing and pressing students into either a blob of blandness and robotic response or a sharp edge zealot, fanatically regurgitating pre-packaged knowledge bites that represent EDUCATION. What are we doing? What are we creating? What is the end result? My stomach turns as I have the inevitable panic attack that signals my inability to comprehend and cure for what feels like and incurrable disease, taking the art out of the artist.

Thing#2 Thoughts on Web 2.0

After I confronted my fear of the machine, and grieved the loss of the paper arts, I thought about how Web 2.0 will change education and communication for the better. I believe it will enable teachers to connect to an overlooked population of learners who feel either disconnected from or isolated by what will become the exclusive "antiquated" use of written and therefore static materials. Having said that, I fear the web-based world, even as I recognize that makes me distinctly out of touch. I don't know if my objections are fear based or elitist, but I wonder if I will be able to harness the obvious power of the new, ever-changing web 2.0 world in a way that is more than simply lipservice. I am not quite committed yet, but I am fascinated enough to want to explore more of this powerful system.

Learning Habits

The most challenging habit for me to employ is self-confidence. I am at heart a Neo-Ludite; technology has never been something I felt comfortable employing, and I am anxious about my ability to successfully learn and utilize new technology skills. I kind of "know what I know", and it is often an ego hit when I am outside my comfort zone. I think the most relevant habit for me as a lifelong learner is the habit of beginning and ending with the mind (goals). I live life in the mind, and work best when I set specific goals and work towards them. It would be a lie to say that I am always focused on the goals I have set, but it definitely a point of personal and professional growth for me to be goal oriented. I think that taking advantage of technology will be the most important habit I need to employ as I work through this course, and I am hoping that the "doing" will lead to understanding, and by extension, will reinforce the other lifelong learning habits.