Tuesday, August 13, 2013

will this blog see tomorrow?

It's an open question.  Think about today's in-class discussion, ask yourself what you really want out of this semester, and then comment to this post with your decision and at least one reason for it.  (NOTE: As Benjamin Franklin famously observed, "We all hang together or we all hang separately." We won't move forward unless all of us participate.

I've created an approach to learning in which students use 2.0 tools to create their online identities, express themselves, and demonstrate what they can do. 

I call the model Open Source Learning and I define it with a mouthful: "A guided learning process that combines timeless best practices with today's tools in a way that empowers learners to create interdisciplinary paths of inquiry, communities of interest and critique, and a portfolio of knowledge capital that is directly transferable to the marketplace."

Students use Open Source Learning to create a wild variety of personal goals, Big Questions, Collaborative Working Groups, and online portfolios of work that they can use for personal curiosity, self-improvement, or as a competitive advantage in applying for jobs, scholarships, and admission to colleges and universities.  You can see a sample course blog here and some personal member blogs here

Several members of the first Open Source Learning cohort made this video about the experience:



In an era when it seems like all you hear about school is how much it sucks, it's nice to see student achievement make positive waves.  Check out this Open Source Learning interview with students and Howard Rheingold, the man who literally wrote the book on The Virtual Community 20 years ago. 

The defining characteristic of Open Source Learning is that there is no chief; all of us are members of a network that is constantly evolving.  Another key element is transparency.  What we learn and how well we learn it, how we respond to setbacks, and even some of our favorite inspirations and habits of mind are right out there in public for everyone to see.  Readers will rightly perceive what we curate as the best we have to offer.

And all this is Open.  In thermodynamics, an open system exchanges substance, not just light and heat.  To us, the important idea is that the network can change in composition and purpose.  Every time you meet someone new and exchange ideas, you're not only enriching each other, you're changing your minds and contributing opportunities for others to do the same.  In other words, you're learning and teaching* (*one of the most effective ways to learn).

We're not limited to one source for curriculum or instruction.  We have a full slate of online conferences scheduled this year including authors, authorities on the Internet and social media, entrepreneurs, and others.  Last year a mother/daughter team presented a lesson on class distinctions in Dickens & Dr. Seuss online (I'd post & link if I hadn't forgotten to click 'Record').  Ricky Luna invited a champion drummer to talk with students online about music and its connections to literature and life.  If we read something that makes an impression we can reach out to the author.    As you get the hang of this you'll come up with your own ideas.  Testing them will give you a better sense of how to use the experience to your greatest advantage.

No one knows how learning actually works--what IS that little voice that tells you what you should've said 15 minutes after you should've said it?  How does a subneuronal lightning storm somehow account for our experience of being conscious?  We are not sure how to account for the individual experience and demonstration of learning.  We are also not sure what exactly the individual should be learning about at a time when factoids are a search click away and the economy, the environment, and the future are all increasingly complex and uncertain.

Maybe this is why learning still seems magical.  Maybe it shouldn't be.  Maybe if we learned more about how we think we'd be better off.  After all, how we think is a powerful influence on how we act.  If you think of your blog work as a list of traditional school assignments/chores, you will treat it that way and it will show.   Your friends will miss your posts and worry that you've moved to The House Beyond the Internet-- or that you're still at your place but trapped under something heavy.  At any rate you'll be missing the whole point.  This work should help you connect the dots between the interests that drive you, an academic course that derives its title from words hardly anyone uses in casual conversation, and practical tasks like applying for scholarships and college admissions.  The general idea is for you to: do your best at something personally meaningful; learn about how you and others learn while you're in the act; and fine-tune your life accordingly.  In addition to mastering the core curriculum, improving your own mind is the highest form of success in this course of study.

As you well know (Put that phone away or I'll confiscate it!), many people are worried about the use of technology in education.  They are rightly concerned about safety, propriety, and focus: will learners benefit or will they put themselves at risk?  The only way to conclusively prove that the benefits far outweigh the risks is to establish your identities and show yourselves great, both online and in meatspace.  As we move forward you will learn how the Internet works, how you can be an effective online citizen, and how you can use 2.0 and 3.0 tools to achieve your personal and professional goals.  You'll also learn a lot about writing and the habits of mind that make readers and writers successful communicators. 

Because Open Source Learning is a team sport, this is all your call.  You have to decide if you want to pursue this new direction, or if you want to invent another possibility with or without social media, or if you prefer the familiarity of the traditional approach.  There is admittedly something comforting about the smell of an old book, even if it's a thirty-pound textbook that spent the summer in a pile of lost-and-found P.E. clothes.  My perspective may be obvious but I'm just one voice.  Please add yours with a comment below. 

44 comments:

  1. I honestly loved the way the class ran last year. I would love if we could recreate that environment again. Push the books aside, and lets use the internet once again. Just like you say, "no traditional English class." I would prefer if we used the blog and internet 24/7 and never open a text book. EVER.

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  2. I really do think this would be a great way to run this years' class. I am always a firm believer in closing the books and learning off the internet because I feel like more students our age would so much perfer to learn off the internet rather than looking and reading from the books all the time. So I am allll for this whole blog idea.

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  3. If only every class could run like this. It's my only hope that future success will bring out better teaching methods, such as these, for other classes.

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  4. I've never been one for learning through a textbook so I'm glad I have the opportunity to learn using this method that I haven't seen a teacher use before. I think it will work very well for me.

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  5. I think the way we did things last year was wonderful. I truly think it is the best way to learn. We are able to obtain so much more knowledge by using the internet. Why should we stop at the text book when there is so much more out there that we can use to our advantage?

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  6. I'm going to go ahead and be the outlier here. I personally prefer the more "traditional" methods of learning, in most cases. While this outlook may simply be a product of an inherent bias stemming from my distaste towards social networking sites and their counterparts, I honestly feel that more straight forward methods better allow me to observe, dissect, and analyze the concepts at hand. That being said, I think literature-based classes could be the exception to the rule for me regarding these "less-orthodox" methods; especially considering that reading/writing courses tend to apply a more creative aspect (which, I'll admit, definitely isn't my strong point), as opposed to the almost exclusively informational basis of most other academic subjects. This is all 100% subjective of course, I'm just throwing in my opinion.

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  7. Open source learning is definitely the way to go. Why carry around a heavy textbook with limited information when you can use the internet as a source of unlimited information?

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  8. I think that using the internet will help expand our knowledge and understanding of things a little more clearly than book work can. Using the internet will create an unlimited supply of references and a textbook can only provide so much information. I would love to continue this way of learning, communicating and connecting with the class.

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  9. I've never had a teacher that encourages the use of technology in the class and i realize that it is a good way to obtain information that you can't always get in textbooks. I feel that this new way of learning is something that i could benefit from seeing that our generation is growing up with these new devices, also it looks pretty fun.

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  10. I definitely think that this will be a better way of learning. Using a modern and nontraditional approach will keep me a lot more interested in the class and will most likely make the class an overall better experience.

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  11. I signed up for the class hoping we would learn this way. I'm all for trying out a new way of learning that may be foreign to me.

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  12. I feel like the open source learning is the best way to learn in my opinion. I personally learn better with interacting with the teacher and the students in the class than just reading out of a book. when I read out of the book it all just goes through one ear out the other but when interacting I absorb everything like a sponge. and also the modern way of learning involving technology is always a plus for a teenager.

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  13. Really looking forward to using the internet instead of a 30lb textbook again this year. I had a lot of fun last year with all the projects and things we did and really looking forward to it again. Blogs are wayyy better than textbooks! It's The Best Way To Learn Anything!

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  14. I think that using the internet is a great way to learn, teenagers are always on the internet anyways.. But this is actually going to teach us to use the internet as something useful instead of something to do in our spare time to pass time by. And plus this is a more modern way of learning like everyone is saying and it is also something that is different that I am really looking forward to doing.

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  15. In my personal opinion, I feel like open source learning helps me a lot more then just reading from a book. I pay more attention with something different and fun then something traditional. when I read a book I zone out after just a few minutes and don't remember a thing! I am definitely looking forward for this class with all the blogs, it will definitely expand my knowledge of learning.

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  16. Its something new and honestly I'm looking forward to it ! Its an awesome idea considering the fact that most teenagers are always on the internet as it is. I've heard a lot of great things about Dr. Preston and his way of teaching and I'm excited that I'll be able to finally experience it for myself. I'm really looking forward to this

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  17. Learning through a book? No that has never been the way for me. Although I gotta say that's the way I've been forced to learn. With this new way of learning I feel like I can actually get involved and not spend many hours trying read a really long book just to have another one waiting for me when I'm done. This new way of learning seems to be more free and more into our new age of technology. So will this blog see tomorrow? I believe it will see plenty more than just tomorrow.

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  18. I honestly had no idea about this class and I don't believe I signed up for it. I saw it on my schedule and the first thing I said was "well, looks like my schedule is getting changed!" It only took about 10 minutes into class to change my mind. I'm all for the idea of being able to access the internet. I believe the internet opens up people's minds to bigger and better things. The internet is also a great way to get discussions and arguments going (first example right here.) I'm excited to be in this class and I'm ready to see where it'll take me.

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  19. personally with this day and age, I feel that this is a great way for the younger groups to learn through something that brings them entertainment. They already stare at there screens for hours anyways. so learning on the same screen won't be any different because just like facebook I feel that all of the young generations will be able to express themselves in even more ways than on Facebook, twitter, and instagram. I feel that the blogs will be a great idea.

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  20. This is the best way of teaching I have been introduced to so far! Sounds like a go! I want to be able to use this method effectively this semester and be one of the examples that proves that this method DOES work and will work in the future! The intro to the class today made me excited for english this year!

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  21. Text books have a limited amount of information while the Internet has an unlimited amount of information. Using the Internet to learn is a lot better than opening up a text book because we can expand our learning ability by having more information available. I really enjoyed this class last year and I look forward to it again this year.

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  22. I feel that this learning method is going to go beyond my expectations. I honestly thought that this would be a bit odd but I'm willing to try something new. I'm getting bored with that whole textbook routine. Technology is changing and we incorporate it in our daily lives. Why shouldn't learning methods change too? I am on board with this new method of learning.

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  23. I believe that it is a new time and we are ready to expand our knowledge farther than a textbook can manage. A textbook is limited only to what is right in front of you.
    Using the internet you can reach the farthest parts of the world and find many opinions and tools that help you form your own opinions rather than just reading what the book tells you and believing in that.
    Using technology is a great way to teach and I am ecstatic to be in your class this year!

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  24. I think that open source learning sounds like a great idea. It's about time that we start to modernize the way of learning in school. Technology and the Internet affects many aspects of our lives, so why should it stop at the classroom? Blogging seems like a very efficient method of projecting ideas and sharing learning in a organized way. I think a lot of classes would benefit from this.

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  25. The idea of open source learning is something I can definitely get behind. There's nothing wrong with learning the old fashioned way, however times are changing and so should we. I've participated in an open source learning class before, and I'd have to say that it is a much more beneficial way to learn for myself, others may be different. All in all, open source learning would be my preferred way of learning. On the other hand, I believe everyone should learn the way that works best for them.

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  26. I believe that an open source learning is a great way to learn. With the advances in technology that are happening today, why not use them? I think that this is a great way to learn. Also it would get the whole class more involved.

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  27. since most people use blogging for recreational use now a days, i think it is a great idea to bring that sense of freedom into the classroom. being able to access everyone's thoughts on a certain subject at the click of a button seems much more efficient than searching through a text book looking for author's opinions we've never seen or met or that are even probably already dead. it makes learning make sense because the learning style can be one that suits everyone.

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  28. I think this style of learning is interesting and a lot different than what is commonly used within a classroom. I believe that open source learning will challenge me and I'm willing to try it. I'm intrigued with this new way of learning and hope to learn a new perspective on writing and academics in general.

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  29. I'm really excited to try something new and non-traditional. I think it will give us a break from the same typical classroom learning experience. It also gives the students more ways to be involved in the classroom.

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  30. Even thought I was in you class for half of the year. It was one of my favorite though. I liked how you got all the kid to think in different way that brought out each and every students creativity. That brought out their personalities and traits that they haven't show to anybody else

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  31. After taking this class last year i really loved the open source learning. I actually had the power to learn the way that i wanted to and it brought a new sence of creativity to me. This year with this course i would like to learn ways to apply my writting skills to real world things like applications

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  32. In my opinion, I feel like open source learning would help me learn a lot more than just an old fashion textbook.Everyone is always on the internet always , why not use it for learning and writing. Seeing everyone's blogs with definitely challege us in writing and make us more eager to better our blogs.

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  33. Well after the lecture you gave us that morning I'm really interested in what your class has to offer me. Its a totally different way of learning and it seems pretty fun

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  34. Open source learning is something new to me and I already have positive thoughts about it. It's much easier to collaborate with classmates and get advice on subject in class. I feel this year is going be beneficial to all of us for our own futures or goals. I just wish more teachers taught this way.

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  35. This new method may be complicated at times but I am up for any challenge. The way you are describing your class is way different then what I expected but it will hopefully turn out to be one of the best courses to take.

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  36. I signed up for the class because it was recommended to me by a student that took the class last year. I hope to refine my communication skills and become a better writer.

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  37. I honestly had signed up for British Literature, but I was put in your class instead. I`m not complaining, so I will give this class a try. I think that we are entering an era where paper will have been a thing of the past and all the notes would be taken on a tablet issued just like a textbook. Let the new era begin!!!!

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  38. Honestly I didn't sign up for this class because writing is my weak point, but open source learning is way different. It's been eye-opening and I think it does have a future. I already like it and I think it's a new and positive way of learning!

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  39. From the moment I stepped into this class I began to get curious of what me as a student will be taught. I'm still personally confused about this open source learning, but I am also curious of the method. It seems very intreeging to know of a teacher who is willing to step out of the boundaries of traditional learning, and I look forward to the future of this class and to able to gain an education in a new light.

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  40. I've never had a teacher like Dr. Preston. The very first time i heard about doing all this "blogging" stuff i though it would be an amazing experience and i'm behind it 100%. I can't wait to see how far we will be in the next few months.

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  41. Technology is inevitable, we are literally surrounded by it everywhere we go one way or another so why not take what's so familiar to us and incorporate that into our learning environments? Everyone learns differently so why can't we find sources that aid in our education making it simple to understand compared to the traditional open a book and read chapters so and so? #Revolution

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  42. Our generation is so technological, that i believe open source learning is the best way to learn, especially in class. It gives us seniors the opportunity to get a feel for what college courses will be like. I use my phone/computer for research on a daily basis, it is the easiest source for modern information. It gives us a chance to think out side of the box more than usual, with endless amounts of resources.

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  43. Open source learning is truly the best way to learn. Instead of looking researching in a book people have unlimited resources through the internet. Us as humans have learned to adapt to new changes, so I consider this a huge stepping stone into a better way of learning.

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  44. Loved the class last year, we have the connections and foundations to build on. Time to expand our network and get more followers.

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