The Internet is cool

In thinking about our next assignment about communities of practice, I find myself wandering over to all of the research articles that were provided for us at the beginning of the year.  One of which is, 'Why Virtual Worlds Can Matter' by Douglas Thomas and John Seely Brown.  The reason for my thought into this is because according to Thomas and Brown, the 'World Wide Web is what emerges out of the collection and interconnections among the sites that constitute it (1).'  Meaning that the cyber space many of us spend so much of our time on is actually a very powerful tool in not only sharing ideas, but building on them as well.  So arguably the Internet could be viewed as a Community of Practice, as it is a place where informal learning is taking place and people are a part of social collaboration, rather than just observers.

Some sites that could be valued as communities of practice are: Youtube and Vimeo.  Both are valid forms of learning because every user feeds off of one another in a way that doesn't happen easily within superficial learning environments.  Since they are engaging and fun, people habitually go to the sites and without even realizing, quickly absorb large amounts of information in just a few clicks.  This contributes to an online burst of discussion and therefore advancement in reciprocating ideas.  Another example of how social interaction using online tools is useful is how large companies utilize the voice of their employees to expand their product, and improve customer satisfaction.  Moreover, ideas such as the ones presented in the video link presented in the prior sentence create a community of practice because people interact with each other and do not even become cognizant of the amount of information they are learning from each other.  This then contributes not only to sales and improvement in their products, but to the overall happiness of their team, whose loyalty is undoubtedly the foundation of their success.  

Additionally, "the visual component of virtual worlds has redefined the landscape of online interaction from text and toward a more complex visual medium that provides a sense of place, space and physiological embodiment (2)."  So the use of avatars, like those found in games such as World of Warcraft further make the user a part of their learning experience, and expand knowledge in a way that was unfathomable in the past.  WoW in itself is a CoP as well since the ever growing amount of users on the platform engage in similar activities and have the opportunity to communicate informally with one another...So as I build up on my ideas  of what I will present as my chosen CoP, I will most likely be sticking with observing how the aforementioned tools aid in social collaboration and informal learning.  

Learning & Forgetting...Social vs. Solitary.

In Frank Smith's, The Book of Learning and Forgetting, he explores the differences between the classic and official theories of learning.  Since much of his focus is on the benefits of the classic theory of learning he voices out the importance of the social activities that the classic view is based upon.  Smith says that, "learning is an inevitable part of our normal lives, and it only takes place...when we are in a normal frame of mind (13)."  In comparison, the official theory of learning is based on "individualistic" activities and is "limited" as well  as "easily forgotten (5)."  We can assume then that learning environments that introduce relative material to an audience that is given opportunities to collaborate will grow more than learners that are confined to solitary circumstances.  Furthermore, he states that, "the main thing we learn when we struggle to learn is that learning is a struggle (13)."  In which case we can compare to Dewey's dislike of superficial learning environments.  Dewey says, "making the individual a sharer or partner in [an] associated activity so that he feels its success his success...he will recognize the means employed to secure success (2)." In essence he makes us cognizant of the fact that humans by nature associate their learning experiences with the behaviors and actions of others: if learning is fun and easy we will internalize as such, if we are only driven by the task of receiving a good grade, then we suppress our negative attitudes on learning.  This very argument of social learning and solitary learning has driven many conversations withing Cadre 13...

Social learning creates an effective means of collaboration.

In one of our discussions about social vs. solitary learning a really great talk by Chris Anderson on TED was brought up.  He brings up what he calls, "crowd accelerated innovation" in which he explains three important aspects: crowd, light and desire.  The crowd would consist of people sharing a similar interest, light would be the open visibility into the subject and of course the desire to learn and share about the said interest.  So in our cyber circles the most popular ways of shedding a "light on [an] interest [is] directly through Facebook, Twitter etc...and indirectly through views and links to similar resources."  Through this group sharing of knowledge and building of ideas it's clear that social learning environments really foster growth in educating.  And although there are many learning styles, i.e. auditory learners, visual learners etc., it is through the collaboration with others that we really internalize new materials and expand upon what we already know.

After all, as Anderson states, "we're a social species: we spark off each other," and this leads to great innovations.

Photo Credits:

http://stager.org/books.html

http://lewebpedagogique.com/support/files/conversation.jpg

MMORPG

Southpark's version of WOW players, good episode.

...or Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Player Games.

So, this week is the start of the Fall semester and I am happy to find on the syllabus...(drum roll please)....that we get to play WOW.  I'm so excited for this, number 1. because I'm a big fan of video games and 2. after all the literature we've been going through on web 2.0 and improved learning environments through the use of avatars I'm even more intrigued.

I'm assuming that Bill's not only wanting us to use the platform for his own personal gain, seeing as how he is equally as enthused about incorporating this into the curriculum as the others.  Rather, actually getting us to think critically about how web 2.0 really enhances interactivity with the user and the internet.  I also am assuming that based on some the research he is expecting us to open up even more during synchronous sessions.  It seems that the use of an avatar within social media allows for a more open means of communication.  Which leads me to be even more intrigued of the cognitive processes that occur within social media and social networking.

I'm really anticipating the knowledge building that is going to occur in the class, because it is so incumbent of our society, yet much of our generation doesn't really seem to comprehend how much it really does run our lives.  Instead of virtual and real life being two separate ideas, we are now seeing much more integration between what is real and what is not...

Alright I'm off to the magical world of Azeroth..wooo

Is the iPad really an over-sized Swiss Army Knife?

According to Jesse Schell, founder of Schell Games and former creative director of the Disney Imagineering Virtual Reality Studio, the iPad is "stupid!"...Check out his video here.

After having the opportunity to test out an iPad through Pepperdine, I'd have to say I disagree, check this article out and find how it is actually revolutionizing today's educational settings...

I'll update more later on my thoughts, but it's 3:30 am and I'm getting ready to go out on a business trip in the morning, so I'm a little tired.

My Logic Model...Version 1

This is my Logic Model for Big Brothers Big Sisters. I've narrowed down my interests in AR to my experience with BBBS. I've been a "big" for a few months now, and was an intern there when I was 16. So, it's an organization that I have been affiliated with for a while. Again, more info is found on Sakai...

AR reflections/Distributed Cognition/Learning Environments

Oscar gave me some really good food for thought in my Sakai blog.  My thoughts of AR are mostly posted within that blog since it involves much more about my passions and private thoughts.  Not gonna put too much up on here, but I'm beginning to understand AR more in terms of addressing important social issues.   Instead of getting too ahead of myself (which I tend to do...a lot) I'm thinking in simpler terms that could mutually benefit those involved within my research...

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. 

Unfamiliar Refrain

This is my silly idea of how music will be integrated with the use of ipads.  I know, I didn't do a good job of blending at all in PS, but hey it gets my idea across. 

For reference, here is the link from the assignment: http://www.youtube.com/user/geoffkaiser#p/