A collection of quotes from "Tribes"

Resident or Visitor?

In this video, "Visitors and Residents," (http://tallblog.conted.ox.ac.uk/index.php/2009/10/14/visitors-residents-the-video/)  Dr. David White explains his theories regarding how people use the internet.  He proposes that a continuum exists where "Residents' are on one end of the spectrum and 'Visitors' on the other.  Dr. White describes 'Residents' as internet users who live a large portion of their lives online.  Residents maintain an online persona and faciliate relationships via the web.  Visitors, on the other hand, use the internet as a tool and only when the need arises.

I see myself far on the side of “visitor” on this continuum.  I view technology as a box of tools, and at the moment, my tools are extremely disorganized.  I will attempt to utilize or learn how to use a certain tool ONLY if I know it  will serve a purpose or help me achieve a specific goal.  As soon as my goal is met or need is served, back in the box the tool goes.  Unfortunately, adopting this attitude was a reactive decision I made that followed several awkward situations that occurred while I was teaching at my children’s school.  My internet persona made it extremely easy for my students and students’ parents to find and contact me.  Before I knew it, the lines between my professional and personal lives ceased to exist.  I was “talking shop” at birthday parties, conferencing during play dates, and advising during ‘family’ weekends.  I wasn’t present when I was with my friends and family in person because I was dealing with or worrying about the issues I felt I needed to address online.  I made a decision to leave school at school and concentrate on home at home (to a certain degree -- planning lessons, making materials, and looking for ideas are ongoing) and part of that decision meant I needed to reign in my internet persona.  For the time and place that I was in, this was a necessary thing for me to do and it increased the quality of my life and my effectiveness-- as a mother, a wife , a friend, and an educator --tenfold.

I understand that I am in a different time and place now, and that I need to reevaluate the role technology plays in my professional life.  (I am fairly confident that I will keep my personal life as a strict visitor online.)  I also regret that these experiences left me a bit frightened of technology and its power.   I would like my professional persona to be more visible on the internet, and while I feel uncomfortable and overwhelmed with the tools I am being introduced to, I do acknowledge the potential they have in helping me be the best educator that I can be.  Like Dr. White said, it’s not about merely using the tools, it’s about using the tools effectively.  

Passion

I have always been excited about math and science -- not only do these two subjects have a universal language, but for me, they help clarify the interrelatedness of all subjects and people, regardless of time and place.  These subjects help make sense of chaos, instill in me a feeling of gratitude for those that came before me  and identify the purpose of every living and nonliving thing here on earth.  These subjects make me feel like I am an important part of a whole, and that I, too, have a significant and unique purpose.  

I understand that not every learner will share the same passion for math and science that I do, because frankly, some learners view math and science as a whole bunch of confusing theorems and properties.  So, as an educator, I have found that I am passionate about bringing out the best in each of my students and helping them become positive, contributing members of society.  I am passionate about helping my students find purpose in the things that they do and the lives that they lead.  I get excited about having opportunities to help students hone in on their strengths and interests and helping them discover how they could use them to serve others - their classmates, their families, their communities, etc.  Helping students realize that they have a voice and the power to make a positive change, no matter how small, is exciting, is fun, and is the reason why I love being a teacher.  

For future research, I would love to find ways to motivate students and to gain insight as to the determining factors that separate indifferent students from enthusiastic students; apathetic students from curious students; dependent students from self-reliant students; selfish students from altruistic students.  Learning is one thing, but doing great things with what you learn is quite another.  How can I inspire and encourage my students to want to be part of a greater whole and to be excited about contributing in a positive and helpful way?

Communities of Practice

Communities of Practice are groups of people who share a passion for something that they do (their practice) and interact on a regular basis so that they could learn from each other how they could perform their practice better.  Learning takes place in context and in a low stress environment which maximizes the acquisition and generation of ideas.  This term was coined by social anthropologist and social learning theorist Dr. Jean Lave and education theororist and practitioner Etienne Wenger.  While the term is relatively new, the actual communities of practice are not.  Communities of practice were the first knowledge-based social structures and developed when people realized they could profit from sharing their knowledge, insights, ideas and experiences with others who possessed similar interests or goals. According to Lave and Wenger, a Community of Practice must have a community (a group of people) with a defined domain (what it is they care about or do) who work on developing their body of knowledge concerning their practice (their work).  I feel that this is an extremely effective and meaningful way to learn about one’s practice because surrounding yourself with people who share your passions, goals and desires to learn can be motivating and inspriring.  When ideas, challenges and ideas are shared, solutions can be found in an extremely efficient and meaningful way.  Additionally, improvements to ideas can be immediately communicated and suggestions can be tweaked to meet individual classrooms and needs.     

I believe that belonging to a Community of Practice cab be extremely valuable, especially for new and/or experienced teachers.  It is extremely easy for educators to feel isolated within their own classrooms and groups of students.  As a result, problems can appear to be magnified, the risk of burnout increases, and the effectiveness of one’s teaching decreases significantly.  Knowing that there are other professionals who share your concerns, failures and joys not only can improve one’s mental and emotional health, it can also shed light on solutions, resources and directions that have proven to be useful and successful.  This can save many educators a considerable amount of time because they will not have to “reinvent the wheel.”

The idea of learning through a community of practice applies to my Personal Learning Network (PLN) because they are, essentially, one in the same.  I will be tasked to choose a domain and become part of a community that will assist me in becoming the best educator and learner that I can be.  For this course, I believe our domain is learning how to utilize technology and social media to effectively find resources and ideas that will improve our abilities as teachers.  Our community consists of the students in this course, the instructors, and even previous students.  Our practice is educating students so that they reach their fullest potentials and develop into lifelong learners.  Outside of this classroom, I feel that I am part of a Community of Learners who are dedicated towards educating elementary school-aged children so that they can become successful and productive citizens in our society.  Technology makes it easier for communities to “meet” and connect on a regular, convenient basis.

A Whole New Mind - Part I

 1.  What is L-Directed and R-Directed Thinking?  Does my subject require more of one than the other?  How could I try and reach a balance?

L-Directed Thinking is “sequential, literal, functional, textual and analytic.”    R-Directed Thinking is “simultaneous, metaphorical, aesthetic, contextual, and synthetic.”  As an elementary school teacher, I will be responsible for teaching all subjects to my students.  Subjects that require more L-Directed Thinking are math; science; Reading in terms of the alphabetic principle, decoding and literal comprehension; and Grammar.  Subjects that require more R-Directed Thinking are Creative Writing; History; Social Studies; and Reading in terms of inferential and evaluative comprehension.  In subjects that are more L-Directed, I could try and reach a balance by encouraging inferences, emphasizing multiple ways to come to a solution and making predictions.  Math, proportion and symmetry can be found in nature, art and the faces that we see on a daily basis, so aesthetic qualities could also be explored and appreciated.   In subjects that are more R-Directed, I could try and reach a balance by finding patterns in great works of art and literature, modeling certain author’s writing style and identifying the cause and effect of events. 

  

2.  How do Abundance, Asia and Automation affect the dominance of L-Directed thinking in business and schools?

Abundance, Asia and Automation affect the dominance of L-Directed thinking in business and schools in that they diminish the value of L-Directed thinking.  Because of Abundance, Asia, and Automation, L-Directed thinking is no longer enough.  Our society is one of abundance.  We are inundated with choices for everything – what we eat, what we drink, what we wear, what we drive, what we listen to, what we watch, etc.  Products need to be functional and reasonably priced, but because of the abundance of choices available to us, they also need to be beautiful, pleasing to all of our senses, and meaningful in order for them to stand out.  “Asia” refers to the high numbers of knowledge  workers  that are being trained and hired at a significantly lower cost than their American counterparts.  Whereas these knowledge workers used to be trained and hired exclusively in the US, countries like India, Russia, and the Philippines are now producing large numbers of these knowledge workers who are willing to work for a fraction of the cost.  Automation refers to the growing trend of technology taking the place of human workers.  In most cases, machines, databases and software can do the job of their human counterparts quicker, better and cheaper. 

3.  What is High Concept and High Touch?  What is the impact of this on my teaching?

High Concept is the capacity to “detect patterns and opportunities, to create artistic and emotional beauty, to craft a satisfying narrative, and to combine seemingly unrelated ideas into something new.”  In other words, High Concept includes the ability to create beautiful, meaningful and original ideas.

High Touch involves “the ability to empathize with others, to understand the subtleties of human interaction, to find joy in one’s self and to elicit it in others, and to stretch beyond the quotidian in pursuit of purpose and meaning.”  In other words, High Touch is the ability to positively interact with others, form and foster healthy relationships, find joy in purposeful activities and service, and encourage others to be their best selves. 

Both High Concept and High Touch are abilities that have been overlooked in the past, but are quickly gaining importance, relevance and value in our changing society.  This impacts my teaching because I will need to ensure that I provide my students with opportunities and experiences that foster development in creative thinking, problem solving, innovation, and meaningful and purposeful relationships.  I must also help my students discover strategies that they could use to continuously improve their emotional and mental health so that they could find joy within themselves and spread positivity.

4.  What are the flaws of an education system that only value IQ?  Is there also a role for EQ in education?

One flaw of an education system that only values IQ is that it does not prepare students for a happy, social and meaningful life.  Moreover, these education systems fail to encourage students to think creatively, to form personal relationships, to connect with others in different social settings, or to find purpose and meaning in their work and studies.  There is absolutely a role for EQ in education – through community outreach, service, and connections, students can learn the value of compassion, empathy and care while discovering the positive effects it has on their own lives.