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

[Edward Cherlin]

I have suggested creating a walled garden Web site for all OLPC
children. We can discuss whether teachers should be allowed in, but
definitely no parents. ^_^ They should have their own place to discuss
whatever concerns them. Education, poverty, government corruption,
international e-commerce...

On Thu, Jan 20, 2011 at 17:32, Christoph Derndorfer
<e0425826 at student.tuwien.ac.at> wrote:
> 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
> _______________________________________________
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>



-- 
Edward Mokurai (默雷/धर्ममेघशब्दगर्ज/دھرممیگھشبدگر ج) Cherlin
Silent Thunder is my name, and Children are my nation.
The Cosmos is my dwelling place, the Truth my destination.
http://www.earthtreasury.org/