Adam P Rusch
William Cope
Jason Berg
Duane Searsmith.png "Rita van Haren")
Rita van Haren
Eric Patnoudes
Maura Rodgers Brand
Jason Williams
Melanie Lamus
Heather A Ochmane-Learning Ecologies MOOC’s Updates
Required Update, Week #3 - Resiprocity and Technology Afforded Democratized Education
Week # 3 Required Update – Reciprocity & Technology Afforded Democratized Education
Throughout this course I have attempted to add to the knowledge of why New Learning and the seven affordances of technology Bill Cope and Mary Kalantzis have defined work together to strengthen democratic culture. I have looked at Habits of the Heart and Habits of the Mind that I believe add to this concept, looking at writings and concepts that add to the understanding of a democratic society. A society that is inclusive, values differences, and considers others’ interests and needs – sometimes even beyond one’s own interests. Habits, as defined by Parker Palmer as: understanding that “we” (my emphasis) are all in this together, appreciating the value of otherness, using the tension “we” experience in life giving ways, realizing a sense of agency and a personal voice, - and having a capacity to create community (1st week Update).
I have explored community as a space and looked like a “public” space, insinuated that the space inhabited by Habitat for Humanity volunteers, some not knowing each other before coming together to build a house for a low income family, was “public” in nature and added to the development of a democratic society. Then trying to tie the concept to on-line “public” spaces, referring to Coursera (MOOCs in general) and Scholar as examples of such together with public spaces where people are physically together. Yet, the technology itself only affords the opportunity for peoples to come together to create a “public” space and produce artifacts that can strengthen democracy and possibly solve community problems (2nd week Update).
Working with peers on-line and sharing information add to the public and democracy strengthening habits technology can afford. I acquired permission to do so and shared the post of an e-Learning Ecology peer who referred to Howard Rheingold’s book NetSmart and his references to the architecture of participation…” enabling countless small acts of self-interest like publishing a web-page or sharing a link to add up to a public good that enriches everybody.” (2nd week Update). In an Optional Update I write about such peer Recursive Feedback and its ability to add to the development of a collaborative new knowledge creation, thus exemplifying the democratization of an on-line process - peers coming together to creat a tangible product.
In conclusion I want to write briefly about technology affording the opportunity to support reciprocity. Bill Cope speaks about “building a world” were there are deep forms of intrinsic motivation around one’s work. See video for this week:( http://https://www.coursera.org/learn/elearning/lecture/w2mvE/collaborative-intelligence-part-5c-extrinsic-and-extrinsic-motivation )
Cope continues speaking of this being both through production and social mutuality practices of e-Learning Ecology space. When I consider “building a world” I can easily connect these thoughts to building a community,and building the civic capacity of citizens within a community. Looking at definitions of community beyond that of a geographic space, consider the additional definitions of community as a group of people with common characteristics, common interests, and common social values and responsibilities, “a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals” (See definition found on-line:
Relative to the idea the Reciprocity of e-Learning Ecologies and the Ecology of Deliberative Democracy, consider this definition of reciprocity…” The practice of exchanging things with others for mutual benefit, especially privileges granted by one... group of people...country or organization to another” (italicise is my added emphasis). See here:
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/reciprocity.) . Is not the concept of creating an educational setting (or a habit) of intrinsic motivation through e-Learning Ecology spaces akin to the concept of when a group of people within a deliberative democracy desire to connect and collaborate? Joni Doherty explains, “deliberation can be understood as the cultivation of a set of capacities that can lead to a new construction of knowledge, one that comes out of the public’s work together” (Deliberative pedagogy: An education that matters, Connections, 2012, Kettering Foundation, Dayton, OH) See: http://(https://www.kettering.org/sites/default/files/periodical-article/6_CONNECTIONS2012_Doherty.pdf )
In the Scholar class I participated in prior to this class I tried to design a rubric that would lead to motivating complimentary community action after learners finished the class. Hoefully the work in this course can help move the atifact of the Scholar class to implementation and fruition.
No greater compliment than you taking the time to look at it Iris. I am humbled. Bare in mind the way Scholar recorded it - or the way I posted things, sections are repeated several times. You can make sense of it, but I just wanted to warn you that it is a little confusing at first because of the double postings of some sections. I do fear it may take more time than many would want to spend on the effort. After you review, if you want to talk about it or email about something specific, please do so.
I teach faculty members how to use the university's learning management system through one-day workshops. I find that interest dies down after the workshop and have realized that one way to move forward is to create a community that will continue to support each other's learning beyond the workshop. I will take a look at your rubric Barbara!