Here is my final QQCA for "A New Culture of Learning." Though I'm still weighing some of the book's suggestions, it is definitely making me think about schooling and learning in new ways!
Chapter 7
Quotation: “Unlike traditional notions of learning, which position the learner as a passive agent of reception, the aporia/epiphany structure of play makes the player’s agency central to the learning process.” Play has a structure that is different than other formal ways of learning, but it is central to discovering. People will learn more through play because they want to learn through playing.
Question: Is there a way to transition from learning-through-play into work preparation? Or is there a way to prepare for work while… playing? I love the idea of students being engaged in learning that interests them, and in my dream world every student would have a job that they enjoy as well, but there are also times that people need to do things that they don’t enjoy. Is there still a role in schools for helping students develop self-discipline?
Chapter 7
Quotation: “Unlike traditional notions of learning, which position the learner as a passive agent of reception, the aporia/epiphany structure of play makes the player’s agency central to the learning process.” Play has a structure that is different than other formal ways of learning, but it is central to discovering. People will learn more through play because they want to learn through playing.
Question: Is there a way to transition from learning-through-play into work preparation? Or is there a way to prepare for work while… playing? I love the idea of students being engaged in learning that interests them, and in my dream world every student would have a job that they enjoy as well, but there are also times that people need to do things that they don’t enjoy. Is there still a role in schools for helping students develop self-discipline?
Connection: I absolutely believe that students should feel agency, rather than being “passive agents of reception.” I have my students find information as independent scholars and researchers and teach their classmates when possible, often through jigsaw activities. For example, next week, students will examine foundational US documents and give their perspective on the main ideas, the freedoms expressed and who the freedoms are for. Having students teach the material instead of sit there and learn it will increase their investment and engagement, according to my past experiences using this strategy.
Hmm: Maybe I have too narrow a conception of “play,” but when I see the phrase that “play creates culture,” I wonder what would explain the workplace culture. I wonder how many people at work feel that work creates their workplace culture. What would it look like to have workplace culture be based on play? What would it look like for doctors or teachers, who have very limited time already, to spend more of their time in something like a 20% project? Would we have to hire more teachers/doctors/etc. to fill the gap?
Chapter 8
Quotation: “...the social functions of hanging out and the exploratory functions of messing around can be harnessed and compounded, through collaboration, to produce specialized knowledge networks and Internet-based communities and organizations. It emerges from a sense of indwelling, embodiment, and agency.” In a sense, people can “hang out” with friends across the world. How’s that for social agency? They can dwell in a digital world by playing and creating, using their own interests to guide them, and collaborating with others.
Question: If students will participate in social networks at school as part of their learning, what guidelines and instruction do we need to have to give about appropriate usage? It seems like a potentially big liability for teachers to monitor.
Connection: At times, technology might seem to separate people from others in their immediate surroundings. I have tried to get better at being present, and it is clearly something my students struggle with in the classroom when I ask them repeatedly to put their phones away… However, technology can also help people connect with each other. On a basic level, I was able to Skype with my family and friends from back home when I moved across the country for college; I was able to read their blog posts or participate on Facebook wit them. Now, I am able to collaborate with others on platforms like Pinterest, Twitter, and educational technology-specific forums to learn from other teachers and share ideas.
Epiphany/Aha: Now I know why the mastery badges in CSUSM’s single subject program are called what they are. Okay, more seriously - I’m thinking now about how students might connect to other students who are interested in the same thing. If some students want to create a video game on Scratch, for example, they could play that game with someone who lives in an entirely different country. Or if students in a science class want to do a project about water availability, students in California could communicate with students in other states or even other countries to learn more about clean water availability there and what strategies have worked for other places. It could become an international project!
Chapter 9
Quotation: “Imagine an environment where evaluation is based on after-action reviews not to determine rewards but to continually enhance performance. Imagine an environment where learning happens on a continuous basis because the participants are internally motivated to find, share, and filter new information on a near-constant basis.” Thomas and Seely Brown claim this environment already exists surrounding online multiplayer games, which aren’t designed for smaller children. These games require, in their own way, resourcefulness and experimentation. Finally, playing these games requires the use of an online digital network. And according to Thomas and Seely Brown, learning in this network demands an imagination as well.
Question: I wonder what kind of learning takes place when students are learning through online games? There is definitely value in it, but I wonder what kinds of games can be tweaked to fit the standards. Seely Brown and Thomas would probably just prefer to tweak the standards!
Connection: Looking at the quote about evaluation for performance rather than rewards reminded me of an article that we read in a staff meeting at the high school where I am currently a teacher candidate. In “The Value of a Pointless Education,” Jay C. Percell wrote about mastery learning, and how it is better than assigning points when it comes to increasing student motivation. (Here I think of one of my high school teachers, who spoke with dismay of how most students are just “groveling for points” instead of looking for meaning in their education.) I like to think that the points I assign, especially when students have opportunities to make up work, are to improve performance, rather than just being a “reward.” However, my students might not see it that way.
Epiphany/Aha: There are lots of students who only ask “How much is this worth?” and they don’t want to do it unless it’s graded. I have been trying to change my assignments so that they have value to their students beyond points, and so that they are relevant to students’ lives outside of school, but sometimes what I value/what I think they value is different from what they value. Social connectedness/using their phones is very important to them, so if I could use it in class, I think that would engage them!
Citation:
Thomas, Douglas; Seely Brown, John (2011-03-12). A New Culture of Learning: Cultivating the Imagination for a World of Constant Change. CreateSpace. Kindle Edition.
Hmm: Maybe I have too narrow a conception of “play,” but when I see the phrase that “play creates culture,” I wonder what would explain the workplace culture. I wonder how many people at work feel that work creates their workplace culture. What would it look like to have workplace culture be based on play? What would it look like for doctors or teachers, who have very limited time already, to spend more of their time in something like a 20% project? Would we have to hire more teachers/doctors/etc. to fill the gap?
Chapter 8
Quotation: “...the social functions of hanging out and the exploratory functions of messing around can be harnessed and compounded, through collaboration, to produce specialized knowledge networks and Internet-based communities and organizations. It emerges from a sense of indwelling, embodiment, and agency.” In a sense, people can “hang out” with friends across the world. How’s that for social agency? They can dwell in a digital world by playing and creating, using their own interests to guide them, and collaborating with others.
Question: If students will participate in social networks at school as part of their learning, what guidelines and instruction do we need to have to give about appropriate usage? It seems like a potentially big liability for teachers to monitor.
Connection: At times, technology might seem to separate people from others in their immediate surroundings. I have tried to get better at being present, and it is clearly something my students struggle with in the classroom when I ask them repeatedly to put their phones away… However, technology can also help people connect with each other. On a basic level, I was able to Skype with my family and friends from back home when I moved across the country for college; I was able to read their blog posts or participate on Facebook wit them. Now, I am able to collaborate with others on platforms like Pinterest, Twitter, and educational technology-specific forums to learn from other teachers and share ideas.
Epiphany/Aha: Now I know why the mastery badges in CSUSM’s single subject program are called what they are. Okay, more seriously - I’m thinking now about how students might connect to other students who are interested in the same thing. If some students want to create a video game on Scratch, for example, they could play that game with someone who lives in an entirely different country. Or if students in a science class want to do a project about water availability, students in California could communicate with students in other states or even other countries to learn more about clean water availability there and what strategies have worked for other places. It could become an international project!
Chapter 9
Quotation: “Imagine an environment where evaluation is based on after-action reviews not to determine rewards but to continually enhance performance. Imagine an environment where learning happens on a continuous basis because the participants are internally motivated to find, share, and filter new information on a near-constant basis.” Thomas and Seely Brown claim this environment already exists surrounding online multiplayer games, which aren’t designed for smaller children. These games require, in their own way, resourcefulness and experimentation. Finally, playing these games requires the use of an online digital network. And according to Thomas and Seely Brown, learning in this network demands an imagination as well.
Question: I wonder what kind of learning takes place when students are learning through online games? There is definitely value in it, but I wonder what kinds of games can be tweaked to fit the standards. Seely Brown and Thomas would probably just prefer to tweak the standards!
Connection: Looking at the quote about evaluation for performance rather than rewards reminded me of an article that we read in a staff meeting at the high school where I am currently a teacher candidate. In “The Value of a Pointless Education,” Jay C. Percell wrote about mastery learning, and how it is better than assigning points when it comes to increasing student motivation. (Here I think of one of my high school teachers, who spoke with dismay of how most students are just “groveling for points” instead of looking for meaning in their education.) I like to think that the points I assign, especially when students have opportunities to make up work, are to improve performance, rather than just being a “reward.” However, my students might not see it that way.
Epiphany/Aha: There are lots of students who only ask “How much is this worth?” and they don’t want to do it unless it’s graded. I have been trying to change my assignments so that they have value to their students beyond points, and so that they are relevant to students’ lives outside of school, but sometimes what I value/what I think they value is different from what they value. Social connectedness/using their phones is very important to them, so if I could use it in class, I think that would engage them!
Citation:
Thomas, Douglas; Seely Brown, John (2011-03-12). A New Culture of Learning: Cultivating the Imagination for a World of Constant Change. CreateSpace. Kindle Edition.