[IAEP] Communities around technology for learning (was: Re: [support-gang] When teaching restrains discovery)

[Christoph Derndorfer]

I finally got around to reading Claudia's article and one of the core
take-aways for me is that building communities (plural!) which help
disseminate knowledge about how to use "technology for learning" is a
core challenge which hasn't been sufficiently addressed yet.

To me 2010 did show the first promises of this happening within the OLPC
/ Sugar community with collaboration starting between Plan Ceibal and
ParaguayEduca, the work of organizations and communities such as
ceibalJAM and RAP Ceibal, a better integration of Latin American
contributors in the global community, eKindling's work in the
Philippines, all the time Bernie, Daniel, Claudia, Walter and others are
spending sharing with and learning from deployments, events such the
community summit in San Francisco and the realness summit, the
olpcMAP.net project, etc.

And with some OLE Nepal staff having started the year by flying out to
Rwanda to support the deployment there 2011 is also definitely beginning
on a high-note.

Having said that I personally feel that at the moment this network of
networks (or community of communities, take your pick;-) is wide rather
than deep - often seemingly ending at people living in capitals or major
cities, being experienced with FLOSS and/or innovative education, etc.
rather than reaching and benefiting the children, parents, teachers,
principals, and administrators who are really the major stakeholders of
education initiatives.

I don't have a simple answer on how to deal with this (and who knows, it
might just be an issue perceived by yours truly) but I think keeping it
in the back of the head might be a start.

Cheers,
Christoph

Am 20.01.2011 17:24, schrieb Holt:
> Thanks Bastien.  Back on the home front, also check out Claudia Urrea's 
> (OLPC Assoc's Chief Learner ;) article today on one-to-one edutech etc:
> http://edutechdebate.org/ict-in-schools/technologies-for-learning-vs-learning-about-technology/
> 
> On 1/20/2011 9:46 AM, Bastien wrote:
>> Hi Christoph and all,
>>
>> I always enjoy those resources about education, thank you for the
>> pointers -- and to everyone for the comments!
>>
>> Let me share two recent readings of mine:
>>
>> John Maeda : The Laws of Simplicity
>>
>>    http://www.amazon.com/Laws-Simplicity-Design-Technology-Business/dp/0262134721
>>
>> My attention got caught when I saw John Maeda referring to Nicholas
>> Negroponte in the chapter « Context ».  While discussing the importance
>> of focusing, he mentions this advice from NN : "Be as an electric bulb,
>> not as a lazer ray."  Which I found to be quite an inspiring metaphor in
>> the context of learning: let's all learn how to shed light on things as
>> bulbs, taking care of others and the context, not as lazer ray, only
>> taking care of the subject matter.
>>
>> George Steiner - « Éloge de la transmission - Le maître et l'élève »
>>
>>    http://livre.fnac.com/a1904995/George-Steiner-Eloge-de-la-transmission-le-maitre-et-l-eleve
>>
>> (Sorry, only published in french.)
>>
>> In the debate about instructionisme vs. [constructionisme, project-based
>> method, Montessori method, etc.], most people would certainly say that
>> Steiner -- George, not Rudolph! -- is rather conservative, expressing
>> opinions shared by teachers with a classical-instructionist attitude.
>> The title of this book says it all.
>>
>> Still, he proposes a definition for what it is to be a "master": it is
>> someone from which students can always feel "the love behind the irony".
>> Of course, Socrates comes to mind as a master of both irony and love
>> towards its pupils -- I bet Steiner would agree.
>>
>> I like this definition.  It is general enough to escape the opposition
>> between instructionism / [constructionisme, ...].  But still, I feel
>> this definition captures something essential that any teacher could
>> fruitfully think about.
>>
>> My 2 cents,
>>
> 

-- 
Christoph Derndorfer
co-editor, www.olpcnews.com
e-mail: christoph at olpcnews.com