Ruth Howard

Image courtesy of Marty S Flickr

What better way to INVITE learning for myself and for others than with authentic lifelong learning demonstrated anticipated expected? Rather like Confidence-Based Learning, in a Personal Learning Network feedback is immediate and self correction/explanation also, which raises engagement and retention.

It is the rising tide of collaboration…the transparency in thinking…which has raised all ships.

Everybody benefits from the transparency. This is a trend that is not going away. As an employer, I am looking for evidence of professional participation, leadership and self promotion. A transcript or resume just cannot tell the whole story. Self promotion, participation beyond the daily task list from the project manager…these are the traits worth rewarding. When faced with difficult choices in today’s economy, those who extend ideas which help the larger cause will always be valued more highly than those who feel entitled because of a resume, transcript, years of service. I love the quote above “You don’t have to write your online bio, but it will be written.” So, I will add: “You don’t have to prove your worth, but it will be determined.”  End of quote.

Ruth’s Summary:Transparent Learning for Professional Participation

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Will Richardson’s post points out how social media tools exclude particular learning styles. The point Will makes about Blogs requiring good reading/writing skills is certainly true of how many people practice and teach blogging. But I think that’s an outcome of the current education system – we approach blogging like writing pads/books.

Blogs will become Vlogs and there’s so much that a human body can do in front of a video camera. (Did I say that?-having said that I’m not there yet!). YouTube is the second most popular search engine.

Surely Wii opens up huge possibilities for visual/aural/kinesthetic learners…Im in love with the possibilities/realities that new digital technologies are providing.

I’m also reflecting on the technical debate about Waldorf education that Will Richardson discussed. The ‘virtual reality‘ reality makes me want Harry’s (3 years old) world grounded so he can transit between worlds more consciously. Which is partially why I’m thinking about Waldorf education. I’m off to the Tarremah Steiner School on wednesday.

I figure that I myself expose Harry to technology (we dont have a tv) and it will be widely available to him elsewhere. So too  I’m exposing him to phonics, he naturally inquires about letters and words. I let him guide me there.

I get that my ideas may not fulfill the Steiner philosophy however every Steiner School openly interprets the original Steiner pedagogy, just as in Christianity and Buddhism each vision is so different! So I can give Harry things that Steiner education wont and that’s the beauty.

The underlying community/earth centred spirituality, the emphasis on imagination, sensory play, beauty these are child (human) essentials. Harry will be more than what he can do for a living. It’s the why he’s doing it, how he creates it and who (how many?) is he serving that will be significant. And how he feels about it of course!