Quotes, Questions, Connections, and Epiphanies as I read and ponder A New Culture of Learning: Cultivating the Imagination for a World of Constant Change
Chapter 4QUOTE: “Once a particular passion or interest is unleashed, constant interaction among group member, with their varying skills and talents, functions as a kind of peer amplifier, providing numerous outlets, resources, and aids to further an individualś learning.”(Thomas and Brown, 50)
I love the power unleashed in the collective. The passion of one feeds all because of the shared interest and experience.
QUESTION: How do I create a collective in my classroom or do I invite the collectives of my students into the classroom?
CONNECTION My youngest son has a passion for minions. He loves them. He wears them. He reads about them. He sleeps with them. For a genius hour at school he created a world map that traced all the places the minions have been. This was only one part of a group whole. Several other children we presenting other aspects of minionness. This was a very interesting self-driven geography lesson.
EPIPHANY: As I read through chapter four I find myself asking how I can harness the power of the collective. I am thinking that question just as the authors suggest that very thought is ¨falling into the same old twentieth-century trap.¨ Darn, just when I think I am beginning to learn. I cannot simply take the learning into the digital realm. I must shift the paradigm of the classroom and allow students to lead with questions and teach with answers, the ones that are important to them.
Chapter 5QUOTE: “A blogger is not writing to an audience; he is facilitating the construction of an interpretive community.” (Thomas and Brown, 66)
This quote sings to me like a divine calling. I am not a very good blogger. I don't trust that my viewpoint is interesting enough to be placed for all to read. But, as a teacher I see myself as the facilitator of the “construction of an interpretive community.” I can do this. This is what I want to learn.
QUESTION: How can I help my students create a collaborative, especially one that allows me to take part? How do I help my students trust each other to teach and learn together?
CONNECTION It is very important that we allow ourselves to become part of collaboratives in order to develop and master knowledge. When my children were little we had a regular playgroup that met at the neighborhood park. Each Friday the children would be free to play (and build social skills) while the moms gathered to share their knowledge base. New concerns were bantered about to find solutions and supports. Epiphanies were shared and the collaborative was strengthened.
EPIPHANY : The epiphany came as Thomas and Brown explain the public versus private nature of learning in the classroom. As an introvert this really rings true for me. Any part of learning that forced me to demonstrate my knowledge was frightening and overwhelming. In a collaborative, because of the passions shared and the positive environment nurtured the private learning becomes public sharing because of the trust of the collaborative.
Chapter 6
QUOTE: “learning tacit knowledge happens not only in the brain but also in the body, through all our senses… It is not about being taught knowledge; it is about absorbing it.” (Thomas and Brown, 77)
QUESTION: How can I use inquiry to help students build knowledge of chemistry in a tacit manner?
CONNECTION I love watching children learn, especially very small ones. They tend to learn in bursts, often repeating the action over and over again in order to master something. I vividly remember watching my oldest gain an understanding involving light. He was a baby, just learning to creep on his belly, but mostly still stuck in the area he was put. One afternoon, he found himself on his belly, just at the spot in the carpet where the light was cast as the sun streamed through the window. If he stretched out his hand he could cast a shadow. He spent 30 minutes, making a shadow, then pulling his hand back. Everytime he stretched his hand and new dark spot would appear. He learned that he could control his movement and that movement could manipulate his environment.
EPIPHANY: The concept of collective indwelling is very interesting to me. I have a desire to structure my classroom around inquiry. With this chapter, I see a new value to inquiry. As the environment of the classroom supports the collaborative, then questions become the guide for learning. This allows for diversity to become the advantage. Differences are celebrated as different views are sought for understanding. Then unity comes, not because it is forced, but because it is the result of the pursuit of learning.
Thomas, D., & Brown, J. S. (2011). A new culture of learning: Cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change. Lexington, KY: CreateSpace?