A10JoanneWhite

A10JoanneWhite

To-Do

The paper makes this claim: “Web 2.0 is creating a new kind of participatory medium that is ideal for supporting multiple modes of learning.” For purposes of this assignment, pick a mode of learning which you consider the most important and most exciting for YOU!

Which idea/claim discussed in the article did you find most interesting?

It is very interesting that with distributed cognition, and open source education environments we take away the 'power' of the dollar in education. We have always attributed quality with price, but open source education realms find us 'standing on the shoulders of giants' without committing financial consideration to an insitution. This support of lifelong learning will be interesting to see as it evolves, and whether it has a lasting effect on the quality of education being offered.

With which idea/claim do you disagree the most?

The concept that media literacy will be naturally supported in this new open sphere is greatly problematic. We have never done a great job of teaching students to be truly media literate - and to assume that just because transparency is probably better in this new realm that students will be better able to navigate the quality of information is naive. Additionally it does not recognize the sheer volume of information that will be being produced by all kinds of different people with varying interests and levels of expertise - I fear the utopian notion is not substantiated.

What learning style did you choose for purposes of this assignment?

Individual, visual

What percentage of your overall educational experience is "Learning About"?

50%

What are the strengths of "learning about" from your experience?

When you find a group of people with a similar depth and range of ability and interest as yourself you find resonance with them on particular areas. When this happens it is somewhat serendipitous, and results in engaging and thought provoking conversations that both lead to individual and group discovery, as well as an increase in the individual and collective interest in finding out more.

What are the weaknesses of "learning about" from your experience?

The fact that opportunities for 'learning about' are very rare in a traditional education institution. Most individuals appear to want a group learning activity to be democratic at best, rather than collaborative - in the vast majority of group endeavors, it is left to the 20% to do 80% of the work. There is hardly any opportunity to discover common areas of 'passion' that are required for true 'learning about' experiences to be had.

What percentage of your overall educational experience is "Learning to be"?

80%

What are the strengts of "learning to be" from your experience?

Throwing yourself in at the deep end (so to speak) means you are able to appreciate not only the theory behind the learning, but the incredibly important aspects of context that make it applied. For example, it is easy to teach ethical practice in journalism theory in a classroom, but the practice of enacting that ethical practice given the context of a newsroom with deadlines and supervisors makes that classroom education almost irrelevant. In many instances a classroom education does not prepare you adequately for practical experience.

What are the weaknesses of "learning to be" from your experience?

A great weakness is the lack of best practice focus. While learning on the job is a fantastic experience, you might not be learning the best ways, or most updated methods, of performing a role.

Do you agree or disagree with the following claim: “everyone is interested in something and feels passionate about it.”

Absolutely agree

Name something that YOU are personally interested in and feel passionate about.

Parenting, education, social engagement, breastfeeding, womens issues...

Is the following statement true for YOUR passion: “for any topic that a student is passionate about, there is likely to be an online niche community of practice of others who share that passion.”

For every single one of my areas of interest there is a niche community based in social media that shares my passion. I have discovered them through Twitter (a general area of social connection) as well as through specialized niche sites and forums.

If not: could it become a reality in the future?