Something For Art

The New Face of Learning by Will Richardson strikes a chord with me. He shared on how blogging has taught him about learning and being a learner. Having been regularly writing and reading blogs in the past yr, my citizenship in this blogosphere has indeed transformed me:

1. it has changed the way I learn and think, I’m enjoying learning again!!!
2. it has broadened my outlook of life and offered me the international perspective without me stepping out of my house.
3. it has led me to new information and ideas from people all over the world…most whom I would not have known if not for blogs.
4. it has encouraged me to share…it is amazing how generous bloggers are with sharing their knowledge on just about anything. The blog world is an unbelievably supportive environment.
5. it has attuned my sensitivity to my surroundings…and suddenly many things are bloggable!
6. and it has allowed me the space to reflect…like what I am doing now.

Looks like for me, blogging is here to stay. Back to Will’s article, while many of our students may be actively engaged in these new digital tools, my suspicion is that many are only swimming at the surface and may not be fully aware of the pedagogical implications of such tools. Just think: Do our kids really think that blogging can help to improve their communication skills? Do they really know how to reflect on others’ blog entries and offer insightful comments? (try reading a few typical students’ blogs, and you will get the idea) Do they really know that learning can be embedded in the use of a mobile phone or ipod? The list of questions goes on.

Ultimately, these are just tools…tools which serve little educational purpose if we do not know how to leverage on them. It is then our challenge to guide students to use them as instruments for learning. Technology should enhance teaching and learning by purposefully integrating it into curriculum and aligning with lesson objectives. As Alan November wrote in Banning Students’ Containers, “It will be the courageous educator who works with students to explore the power of these tools and in turn empowers students to be lifelong learners and active shapers of a world we cannot yet imagine.”