A recent post by Brendon from iThink, iTeach, iTeens about whether "schools kill creativity" reminded me of a book I read recently about who or what is responsible for the demise of creativity.
The book "Who Killed Creativity?" by Andrew Grant and Gaia Grant is filled with snippets of insight, such as:
- We leave school believing it is important to be correct rather than be creative.
- Without creative thinking [individuals] cannot adapt to the future.
- The desire to appear knowledgeable can cut an individual off from learning.
- Reviving creative thinking often involves the humility of becoming a beginner.
- Innovation is no longer a luxury but a necessity.
The first point is exactly what Ken Robinson is referring to in his speech. Like Brendon and Mari, who have both revealed their belief in the importance of "personalised learning" and how schools only emphasise grades (
an issue that I have referred to in earlier posts), I believe that teaching and learning within schools need to change, particularly if we are going to prepare our learners for the global knowledge economies where they will have to be adaptable and innovative.
Our schools, like Brendon proposes, are still based on the factory model of churning out compliant and trainable workers. Yes, we will always need people who can work in a factory, and to use a Seinfeld cliche, "there's nothing wrong with that." However, the reality is that the 21st century will require individuals who can "think outside the square." To do this they need an environment, as outlined in Brendon's shared video: Introducing 20% Time in Your Classroom. The classroom the video illustrates is an environment where it is okay to "fail" and difference is encouraged.
I believe NGL encourages creativity as it provides the student with tool options and, although there are some parameters, such as the need to contribute with fellow learners, and to use what is created as a teaching and learning platform, there is so much scope for imagination and individuality. One can personalise the learning whilst also teaching others in an area of interest. I don't recall one assessment item in high schools, at least, that encourage students to take this approach.
Something that will stay with me for a long time after reading Who Killed Creativity? is the idea that the majority of jobs available are what society deems as "safe" and "conventional." These jobs are targeted by the majority of the population because they are easier to obtain, due to the vast amount of them. However, due to the large amount of people who are willing to do them, these jobs are becoming increasingly demanding, with longer hours and expectations. Whereas, the jobs that are not as common, or more difficult to obtain, have a better work-life balance. As a former high school teacher, I can see the validity in this argument as most "seasoned" teachers had informed me that the job was becoming increasingly complex and unmanageable. Is this a result of there being so many people willing to do them? Just a thought.
I would love to hear others ideas on this pivotal area of 21st century learning.
As a student of NGL I was asked to take a look at the criteria for the first assessment task and "edit and comment upon" the criteria. The lecturer provided the course participants with the opportunity to "clarify and co-create how Assignment 1 is marked." As I've already mentioned in a previous article, I think this process is great. It encourages autonomy and a feeling that the assessment is authentic.
Taking a look at the criteria has elucidated for me the level of connection that needs to be established not only with my peers, but also with other networks as well as the course materials, and not to mention the thought-provoking posts by David, the lecturer of the course. I have hit the same issue that Goksu highlights about there being so much already shared via Diigo and Feedly. She writes:
On the flip side I worry about how much has already been shared via our NGL tools and how I will possibly keep across it all and still get all my reading and tasks completed. I just keep telling myself that I simply cant read everything that everyone has shared. Diigo actually claims to help people overcome information overload – so its ironic that I am viewing it as a source of information overload!
I agree as I feel like I am in the same situation as Goksu. It does feel like there is so much to keep tabs on, particularly engaging with peer's posts and reading some of the information that is shared via Diigo. It is a valuable tool, as Goksu highlights, but it does provide a lot of information that takes time to go through. The response by David was a relief. He says to "experiment with Diigo and see how it works" but not to feel that we would need to keep up with everything. That sounds realistic, and authentic, as in the real-world of networks, in contrast to traditional forms of assessment, it wouldn't be realistic to keep up with everything. It certainly looks like this is accounted for in the criteria.
One of the questions that I do have is how the automated analysis works. As I am mostly commenting on student work using my private email rather than university email. Will the system still recognise me?
Why do I hear you say? Well, I believe assessment as we know it today should reflect the real-world. In other words, it should be authentic. Authentic is the key word, and not just a buzz word used by entrepreneurs about the importance of being real with your customers. In the world of work when one creates a product or delivers a service, the individual is not formally assessed within a specific time framework, there are no rigid or strict boundaries. If one has provided a good service, the customer comes back or brags about it to their friends (the most powerful form of marketing, as I am only beginning to realise the power of.)
I believe NGL provides the opportunity to engage in this type of authentic assessment because it asks the student to create their own blog, teach their own interest area, and actively network with peers to gain further insight into the area of interest and the process of engaging in networked learning. This is in marked contrast to the assessment that I experienced at university or the assessment that I was responsible for delivering within the high school context. These assessments were mostly comprised of assessing specific material within a specific time period but not something the student would continue with after they finished the task.
What bothered me as a high school teacher was putting students on the spot to write about a topic or issue that they often had very little interest in. I realised this issue with my oldest son who loved to write stories but when placed in a "creative writing" class spent most of his time analysing the creative literature chosen by the teacher. Although there are benefits to this type of learning, a Year 9 student reading "Playing with Beattie Bow" only to write a critical analysis can be thwarting their perception of reading. As I have also mentioned in a previous article, the predominant focus on assessment, particularly essay writing, constrains the learning process and narrows it to what is going to be assessed.
David, the lecturer for NGL, highlights how assessment is one of the "most troubling aspects of a course being delivered" in a networked environment. The issue of innovative assessment, perhaps the type of assessment that I am referring to, is problematic, not because it is unrealistic, as we are effectively doing it, but because of the non-linear approach of this type of assessment. What I find most appealing though is how explicit the assessment process is, even inviting course participants to actively contribute input using Google Docs and making suggestions throughout. I have not seen this type of transparency in assessment. It makes me feel like I am playing a role in the assessment process, particularly what is deemed worthy of being assessed.
I have always found assessment to be problematic and one of the "downfalls" of learning. One of the things that appeals about informal learning is how it is all done on the basis of intrinsic motivation. I have seen this by just viewing the behaviour of my son and his friends. They are all creating videos on YouTube that require the mastery of several complicated programs, such as Sony Vegas Pro, Adobe Premiere, and Dxtory to create videos that embed and reconfigure, amongst many other things, material for the pleasure of the viewing fans. These videos can take hundreds of hours but the perseverance behind them can be tasted in the air. I have seen them not sleep, eat or do anything else in the goal of completing the next video.
Nevertheless, in the world of education and grades, or at least as we know it, there is still the reality that something needs to be assessed, regardless of how much one does not like it. I'd be interested to hear others thoughts on this tumultuous area.
When I began NGL I thought the subject was going to be challenging but I did not anticipate the level that I am currently experiencing. The most challenging aspect is defeating the feelings of paralysis when I look at everything I have to do and how much I am behind. I feel like a cat that is being chased by a dog and has realised that there's no tree to run up, and therefore decides to lay down, play dead and let fate take its course. (Okay, dramatic, I know but the cat being chased metaphor is most powerful for me, partly because I chased them as a child, and witnessed many occasions a "playing dead" cat, but most of all because I now know how they felt.)
Although I have these feelings the ideals of the course and everything that I am learning and experiencing is propelling me forward. This is mostly due, I believe, because I have always been attracted to where the future of technology and innovation is heading. In fact, I've been navigating the Internet since 1998 and distinctly remember how exciting it was. I had purchased 40 megabytes of data and it was supposed to be "more than anyone would ever need." By day two I had already used it all up - $40 worth. The Internet usage wasn't due to reset for another twenty-eight days. It was only the days of dial-up but each page usually had at least one image. What I remember thinking was that I was only seeing the beginning of a phenomena where we would be eventually viewing everything on-line. However, I never envisaged that I would one day take an active role of contributing content on-line.
What I have learnt in NGL is that global networking, the type that emulates what is happening on the Internet, has not only been happening since the late 1990s. People have been networking in the "organisation of trade and innovation and in the development of ideas" for centuries (Goodyear, 2000). What this dispersion of ideas led to was the "reduction of the costs of access to useful knowledge." I think this is what I found most fascinating about the Internet when I first began using it, everything was mostly free to access and provided one with information that he or she could not find in his or her "strong ties" (Goodyear, 2000). What is now prevalent to me is that the sharing of ideas enables is the integration of theory and practice, without which there would have been no industrial revolution or technological era, and definitely no information era.
This is particularly due to the growth of Web 2.0 capabilities, tools and practices (Goodyear, 2000). There has been a shift from "consumption to production, remixing and sharing," something that I am even seeing myself do. This has proliferated due to the platforms being free. The trend I find most fascinating is the MOOC phenomenon. The offering of Massive Open Online Courses for free. At first I thought, oh no, if education is being offered for free, then what will happen to teachers and how will they get by if people can receive their education for free, particularly as I was working in the higher education sector at the time. However, learning that it is "rare for completion rates to exceed 10%" I realised that it was and still is at the very early stages. What I am interested in is the differences between the cMOOCs and xMOOCs. The former is distinguished by its emphasis on "knowledge creation and generation" whereas the latter emphasises the traditional "knowledge duplication" that has been so prevalent in conventional education. I do like the idea of creating your own knowledge in connection with others rather than being a passive recipient who merely emulates what is already there. I felt that my undergraduate degree in education definitely did the latter.
What I find amazing is the idea that "more will change in the next 10 years than has changed in the last 10" (Goodyear, 2000). It makes me realise that NGL is preparing me for this change, an era of uncertainty and unrivalled productivity. Rather than see a linear pathway, as I have experienced throughout education for most of my life, I am now navigating down a non-linear path that is the "road less travelled" but an exciting road nevertheless.
References:
Goodyear, P. (2014). Productive Learning Networks: The Evolution of Research and Practice. In L. Carvalho & P. Goodyear (Eds.), The Architecture of Productive Learning Networks (pp. 23–47). London: Routledge.
The idea of being "connected" to others is very appealing to an extrovert. (As much as I hate labels this dichotomy seems to exist). I love the idea of being able to share my ideas with others and learn from them. However, what I am finding is that in an on-line world, where it can take some time to become connected, the extrovert, in contrast to the introvert, will struggle with the "silence."
I'm not saying that I'm not connected via social media, such as Facebook, Google+ and even LinkedIn, however, in contrast to blogging, all these formats do not involve real engagement with your ideas and they are usually with people you have met in real-life. Any interaction is often short and sweet and does not require too much sustained thought. As I thrive on conversation, the sharing of ideas and the opportunity to explore new ways of seeing the world, in the blogging world, much like the writing world, one can feel like he or she is in an echo chamber - hearing only their own voice...
My son, who is definitely an introvert, has his own Youtube channel and is very active on not only Youtube but also a large number of gaming forums. When I ask him how he feels he says he feels like he is part of the "You-tubing community." He says that he gets a lot of support, and although there is the occasional "troll" or "flamer" the community is proactive and are very ready to share their ideas and creative output.
My other son, who is pretty much a carbon copy of me, spends a lot of his time talking via Skype whilst playing games or navigating the web. He is much more social in his approach and finds gaming only interesting if he "can talk." The contrast between them both illustrates to me the challenge of being on-line for the extrovert. I think it is the same challenge that faces extroverted writers, who only make a small minority of the writing community.
This is one of the fundamental challenges that I am facing on this journey of becoming connected. Some of us may enjoy being on-line and not need as much conversation whereas others see that it is important but not as much.
I think as I engage further into this journey I will take the advice of Sarah on her blog Yatopia. As an extrovert, she writes, we need to "fake it" till we make it. This includes blogging with other's in our company and sharing what we are blogging (writing) with friends and family.
I can do that! :)
The title of this blog is essentially about the age-old dilemma of how to handle being different to your peers. I chose the title as there is a temptation to try and be the same as others, to just try and "blend in" or "not stand out." However, I think everyone is fundamentally different to each other, as we are all unique, having idiosyncrasies that signal us out from the rest. The subject Networked and Global Learning (NGL), a course that I am studying, I believe, accentuates our differences whilst also embracing our similarities. It is effectively saying: "It is great to be different."
When I began completing a Masters in Learning and Development, an area of Education, I knew I would be studying with many different individuals. Now, a few weeks into NGL, I have found many "like-minded" peers who share a passion for learning and developing human potential. However, there is the "issue" of being so different that you stand out like a sore thumb. For one thing, at the moment, I am not a part of an institution, I am "institution-less." (Not a word, I know, but it gets the point across.) Whereas many of my peers are working in some sort of educational organisation. This is the first time I have actually become "self-employed" and it is definitely not for the feint-hearted. I am also a "creative" who is a bit of an "iconoclast" - a little resistant to the status quo.
There is one student that I identify with the most, Mari Marincowitz. She has identified herself as a South African Visual Arts teacher currently teaching at a Canadian International School (CIS) in Bangalore, India. On her blog (sm)art education network she outlines how she has very similar interests to me, such as engaging in a "healthy, active lifestyle" and taking part in "trekking adventures around the globe." Although I have not trekked around the world I have in many areas of Australia and my goal is to go hiking in many regions around the world. Mari also has a keen interest in the Arts and is very creative. I immediately found her interests, including the area that she wants to teach via her blog, as something that I would like to learn about. She is teaching how to "use oil paint as a medium in Visual Arts." I would love to know about that!
If I were to identify individuals who I have the least in common on the course it would have to be some of the students who have more of an educational technology focus. These include Brendon Willocks of iThink, iTeach, iTeens and Philip Wong of Dreamsys. Although I love the latest innovations in technology and always want to be up-to-date, I find that the whole field of educational technology too dry and lacking meaning. This is meant in no way as a "put down," as we just have different interests and are different people. I find the only time I will read anything on information and communication technologies is if there is something in relation to where the higher education sector is heading or if someone has a very strong opinion about the area. What I do like, though, is having interactions with these students as they keep me up-to-date and we do share an interest in lifelong learning and learning design.
So, what to do when you are different to your peers? Well, as I have expressed, no one is completely different. We all share some similarities and some differences to our peers. What the course encourages is this difference. It says to me in very loud words, embrace your uniqueness and share that with the world.
References:
Herald, M. (2014). Do You Dare to be Different [Online image]. Retrieved October 10, 2014 from http://www.inspiredgiftgiving.com/do-you-dare-to-be-different
One of the things that continues to take my breath away when learning within on-line networks is just when you think (and I'm sure that some of you may relate even just a little) that you're progressing, a sudden tsunami-like wave of information feels like it is looming on the horizon and there is the biggest temptation to duck and hide until the deluge subsides.
Of course the temptation abates and you continue swimming through the influx that wasn't even a tsunami, it was more like a giant wave at the beach, or something a lot less life threatening! Although you still thrash about you eventually do manage to begin free-styling your way through. The key word being eventually. ;)
What I am beginning to realise is we are living in a different era, one that does not reflect the seemingly calm waters of television, educational institutions and traditional media that I grew up in. I never for a second felt that there was an abundance of information with a plethora of gateways. It was either reruns of Mash or a whole day of sport. Not any more. I asked my sixteen year old what he thought of my evaluation and he laughed and said: "There's not enough!" For a moment I thought he was kidding but he continued: "There will probably be too much after 100 years but the Internet hasn't been around long enough to be too much."
This makes sense as all my sons have ever known is the world wide web and I, not only they, cannot even imagine what it was like before. Although I find it exciting and am forever grateful for all the access I have, as I think boredom will definitely be a thing of the past (at least for me), I do sometimes feel like there is so much to look at, read, view, and navigate through that it can seem like there are endless possibilities.
What I have found as a voice validating my experience is a talk by Professor George Siemens at the University of the Sunshine Coast. In "Connecting learners: technology, change and higher education," which was shared via Goksu Dines, a peer of mine's, blog (http://ggdines.wordpress.com/). Siemens put up the quote that the "21st century is a terrible time to be a control freak." I immediately laughed as I could see it happening within the schooling system for many years. There is a constant attempt to control learning. Although this may have worked in the past, when schooling was more entertaining that being at home, well, it was in my case. Now, young people, at least, find school to be "boring."
Siemens also talks about how there is a grand narrative that asserts "learning is a wonderfully smooth process of running through meadows." "No," he asserts, "learning is violent." The paradigm shifts and "restructuring" of neuro-pathways, or of just conventional ways of thinking causes the learner to initially feel "frustrated" or "irritated." (I know I have certainly felt the former.) However, he says, when the learner persists he or she will become active "sense-makers," meaning connected individuals who contribute to learning rather than "duplicate" what is known.
I don't think the drowning feeling will forever go away but at least I know now that I am definitely not alone in navigating this open sea.
