Monthly Archive for November, 2008

Generation WE

Published
by
admin
on 25/11/2008
in inspiration and social justice
. 0 Comments

Given that I wrote a book called The Ripple Effect, I’m strongly supportive of grassroots movements. And I now believe that the time has come (OK OK, so it’s the most well-worn cliche around. Only, this time, it’s for real) to watch for the rising influence of the everyday citizen.

We now have the capacity (through online social networking environments) to collectively enact some substantive changes, and even more so, we have the driving forces (recessions?? environmental issues? social justice concerns?) that will compel / encourage / inspire many of us to participate.

If you have a spare 4 mins, it’s worth having a look at the Gen WE video. A bit saccharine for some tastes; and yet, it provides an inkling of the social movements that are already being unleashed. It’s the energy behind these movements that fascinates me. Just imagine a world in which (nearly) everyone becomes involved in creating the viable futures we all want to see. Wow.

If the video does it for you, then have a look at their Generation WE site. A compelling vision. What could YOU do in your own part of the world??!

http://www.gen-we.com/

Logorrhoea rating??

Published
by
admin
on 21/11/2008
in learning
. 1 Comment

What’s your logorrhoea rating?? Verbal diarrhoea in other words. I work on a premise that a 100% rating is perfect. Succinct presentation, with the minimum words required to make your point. A 200% rating (yeah, I know, my math is a bit screwed up) means that you say twice as much as you need to. 400% means that anyone in your session / classes will be asleep within 3 minutes.

Getting a fraction more serious here (but only just). Too many teachers talk too much. Oh yes they do. And, given that, my explicit concern is that there may still be a strongly behaviourist model of instruction involved. In the past 3 years, I’ve been in 100s of classrooms, and I’m yet to find the students who actually enjoyed being lectured at all day (and it doesn’t matter HOW good a ‘lecturer’ you are).

Think constructivism. Think connectivism. Most educators complain about student ‘motivation’. Then do something about it. Engage them in inquiry-based learning experiences that tap into their own expertise / experiences / interests. The day that we each realise that classrooms are all about them, and not just us, is when we reach our professional nirvana. And I guarantee that you’ll need to talk less.

Getting a fraction less serious here about the verbal dynamic. Perhaps you need the Education Bingo card. A close relative of the Bullship Bingo card. Perfect for those long-winded staff meetings. Or even for your students in your lessons, if you have the nerve.

Maybe you could even design your own.

If you use it in a staff meeting, just watch out for the humour-challenged. They don’t always appreciate it.

The Tedium Of Work??

Published
by
admin
on 14/11/2008
in inspiration and narrative
. 0 Comments

Do you enjoy your work? Here’s one perspective on that question.

I’m a board member of a non-profit group called School Aid. Also on the board is a rather interesting dude called Richard Sauerman. Bit of a PR guru around Sydney. Richard has a most interesting blog called Wake Up Tiger. Average read of each is about 10 secs. Beautiful images… and some intriguing messages. Really worth a look.

I’ll borrow this Paulo Coelho narrative from one of his blogs. A rather telling insight on ‘work’. Too often, I hear people complaining about their daily contribution to society, and lamenting that they have not yet won a huge lottery. What a dream, they sigh. If only I could be rich, and not have to work.

Well… there are worse options. Here’s the narrative:

As soon as he dies, Juan finds himself in a beautiful place surrounded by all of the comforts and beauty he had ever dreamed of. Someone dressed in white came up to him and said:

“You are entitled to whatever you wish: any food, pleasure, entertainment.”

Enchanted, Juan did everything he had dreamed of during his life. After many years filled with pleasure, he again sought out the person in white, and said:

“I’ve already tried everything I wished for. Now I need a job so that I can feel useful.”

“I’m so sorry”, said the person in white. “But that is the only thing that I cannot manage for you; there is no work here.”

“How terrible!” said Juan in irritation. “I shall spend eternity dying of tedium! I’d prefer a thousand times to be in hell!”

The creature in white came over to him and said in a low voice:

“And where do you think you are?”

The Images Of Your Life

Published
by
admin
on 05/11/2008
in inspiration and learning
. 0 Comments

I’m getting very stimulated by images lately (and I’m not the only one). And I’m more and more convinced that we need to flood most learning experiences (both for ourSelves, and for our Students) with every possible visual stimulii.

Here’s a magic perspective on the use of image. Over the last 25 years of his life until his death in 1997, NY-er Jamie Livingston took a photo a day to represent his life and the workings of the community around him. You can find them all here. This is an astonishing collection of images. And it’s really got me thinking.

If I decided to take just one image to represent each day of my life, what would it be? A special person I meet; a quirky aspect of everyday existence; a place I visit that resonates with me? Perhaps a photo that best represents a new awareness?

So here’s a challenge for you as a teacher. Imagine setting up a photo wall (a real wall in your classroom/s; or perhaps an online wall) and taking just one special image each day that represents the experiences and passions of the learnings in that day. Put a date on it; and post it up. If you get around to doing this, please send me a photo of the photos. You’ll make my day.