Chapter 4: Learning In The Collective
Questions - How does a teacher establish a collective rather than a community in the classroom? We have been told over and over that community is important, we should establish a community. Is it time to move away from the community word and start calling for collectives?
Connections - Our collective on Google+. We all belong to this collective in order to learn from each other's experiences and interests. We get more out of the experiences from our colleagues than being told what information that we should be learning.
Epiphany/Aha - Collectives are not passive. People cannot idly sit around and get information from the collective. They have to be active participants in order to really experience a collective. If everyone sat around and did nothing but watched a collective, then the collective will die.
Chapter 5: The Personal With The Collective
Questions - How do we teach without the use of objectives or learning goals? How do we release the control of objectives and have the students develop their own goals in their own learning?
Connections - With out Google+ community. We are a collective that is constantly playing around with new ideas. A place where everyone can see each other's thoughts and ideas, and build, or feed, off of each other to create something greater than ourselves.
Epiphany/Aha - The example of the astronomers collective. How the sum of all the amateurs looking at many parts of the sky was better than one professional looking at one piece of sky. They got better data from everyone working together that competing against one another.
Chapter 6: We Know More Than We Can Say
Questions - How to bring in the student's passion and imagination into the classroom? Do I start my first day of class with "what do you want to learn this year?"
Connections - Moving away from "teaching students" to "student learning." It is true that students get more out of their own experiences than being told about the experience. Telling someone that flames are hot is very good and useful information, but until the student feels the flame and how hot it is, they will never truly understand. I connect this to my 20% project. I can be told how to wakesurf, all the steps and procedures to be successful. But until I get out there and try it, I cannot say I know how to do it.
Epiphany/Aha - My aha moment comes from the part of the book on inquiry. I understand theory of inquiry being a great way for students to learn, but didn't take it as its ability to have students develop their own questions. If students continue to build questions throughout their learning, they will always question and be a life-long learner. Also with the honors program students, not knowing what questions to ask because they feel their passion doesn't belong in their formal education.