Minds On Fire

Brown and Adler, in their article entitled Minds on Fire (a recommended reading for this class), comment on the flatness of the world and the problem of the 'growing global demand for education'. They note that 'the current methods of teaching and learning will [not] suffice to prepare students for the lives that they will lead in the twenty-first century' and make reference to the wealth of Open Educational Resources now available, stating the importance of social learning.

"Social learning is based on the premise that our understanding of content is socially constructed through conversations about the content and through grounded interactions, especially with others, around problems or actions.

The focus is not so much on what we are learning but on how we are learning."

Upon registering for this class, the thought of me and technology together just didn't paint a lovely picture. I couldn't envision myself as one who would be stuck to her computer, eager to learn the most recent applications or programs, anxious to make connections with strangers, or wanting to openly share my thoughts and feelings. The whole idea seemed rather daunting. However, this article makes me realize the importance of taking this 'big' step in my life.

I believe it is true that you get out of things what you put into them. In other words, the more I am willing to reach out for help and advice, the more willing others are to respond, and the more growing I will do. Just like my old university days, I can sit back and soak up knowledge while letting others take the reins or I can actively participate, making learning more authentic. Social networking does just this . . . makes learning more genuine and interactive, with the student being responsible for his/her own learning. Dr. Couros pushes us to do just this - break free from the barriers - be it internal or external - and explore the vast options available to us through learning from others. In return, we are able to pass this newly acquired information on to others (share) and feel exhilarated by our personal learning and growth. I always thought online courses were very impersonal - how wrong I was! I probably know more about the people I interact with on line than the people I sat beside for an entire semester - how scary is that?