Knowledge=Freedom.
"Liberal derives from the Latin liberalis, meaning “of or relating to the liberal arts,” which in turn derives from the Latin word liber, meaning “free.” But the word actually has much deeper roots, being akin to the Old English word leodan, meaning “to grow,” and leod, meaning “people.” It is also related to the Greek word eleutheros, meaning “free,” and goes all the way back to the Sanskrit word rodhati, meaning “one climbs,” “one grows.” Freedom and growth: here, surely, are values that lie at the very core of what we mean when we speak of a liberal education (Cronon 2)."
Cronon's article, "Only Connect," is a great resource for any education enthusiast. He explains exactly what it means to be liberally educated. Commonly a liberal university is coined as such because of their politically swayed ideals. However, the true essence of a liberal education is to grow from knowledge, it "aspires to nurture the growth of human talent in the service of human freedom (1)." He emphasizes that the use of mundane "lists" within a student's curriculum are not always in the best interest of the learning community. Who is to say what is relevant within a person's course of study? And, why should a student that wants to learn art and its culture be forced to go through so many hoops before they can actually set forth on their passion? His further arguments of what it means to be liberally educated etc. were almost poetic to me, or maybe I just take it as such because learning is such a beautiful thing to me. One of my favorite quotes by Socrates is, "this only real wisdom is knowing you know nothing" and this is what keeps me motivated to continuously look for ways to expand myself, not only within the realms of education, but in learning of others as well.
Moving forward...
One of my favorite authors thus far within our readings has been Chris Dede...I find it really alarming that the ideas of distributed learning were presented almost 15 years ago, yet it barely seems to be taking into widespread effect. I also appreciate his writing style because he stays continuously relevant throughout his articles and doesn't have me fumbling around in circles trying to understand what he's saying like Hutchins does..
That being said, all of his introductions to distributed learning etc., are really intriguing as it really gives us the chance to understand how exciting new developments within the field are. Furthermore, the use of asynchronous forms of communication are very valid within actually retaining knowledge because it allows the student to reflect on thoughts/ideas being put out and really think about how they would like to respond. Moreover, relationships between students are formed, as people who may not have wanted to connect with each other in the first place really get the chance to communicate with others in their class in a less intimidating manner. Not to mention, since all the conversations are generally saved, it is easily accessed for future reference and further development into new ideas...
The more I read from these theorists, the more engaged I am in learning environments and virtual worlds....I really don't think that they get the credit they so rightfully deserve. In a changing time, I'm so excited to be a part of future changes and have the opportunity to evolutionize (I made that word up) myself and those around me.
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