How has your network changed the way you learn? I am finding that part of what I learn comes from bouncing ideas off other people. At times, I pose a question to one of the people in my network, and merely posing it helps me to solidify the problem, cogitate the possible answers, and decide a course of action. My mind needs the other person to make meaning, even when the other person does not have answers or ideas to solve the problem. I need my reflected thoughts to bounce back to me to be able to network my brain.
Which digital tools best facilitate learning for you? I would be lost without my iPhone. I am so used to finding data at my fingertips, I feel somehow incomplete if I don't have it. But I don't want to compose anything on it. I want my Mac laptop for travel and my HP desktop for home use. However, I still like to books and newspapers in my hands. TV is probably the digital resource I use the least for information-gathering. I have the DVR to record shows and On Demand to find shows that I missed recording, mostly for entertainment.
How do you learn new knowledge when you have questions? Gather information, research, whine to my sister, my wikipartners, and my blogmates, reflecting on my own whining, and reorganize to solve the issue.
I think that humans do have a basic instinct to “interact and work as a group” (Rheingold).Rheingold’s point that the ancients had to hunt together to bring down a mastodon demonstrates the rise of the cooperative nature of humans.I asked several of the people with whom I live in a retirement community if they thought that it was human nature to interact and work as groups, and the response was interesting.The women seemed to think that it is basic human nature, but the men, not so much.In fact, Tom said that hunters today do not hunt in groups, that they need to be alone so as not to disturb the prey.So, I used the mastodon hunting as an example of the need to hunt in groups.He made a sexist reference to the idea that women can’t hunt because they can’t be quiet.So I pointed out that it was the stealth that the group needed, not the gender.
Mary pointed out that her husband—who is in his mid-80s—was never a team player.I posited that the education and early business practice that her mate experienced were probably more competitive than they were cooperative.This leads me to think about the possibility that nature also provides leaders, alpha males and females who organize and facilitate group work on a natural level.I often times have difficulty operating in a group unless I am in charge.I know that it is a personality defect, but there it is. However, I must laud my partners in my group in 8845.They have let me be the boss, but they have also committed to and delivered their part of the group work as promised.I am lucky to have them as partners.
The Internet has certainly provided the venue for the group work on the class projects. We have worked in Skype to have group meetings and Google Docs to create the class projects.I am sure there are other web-based interfaces that can and will facilitate groups to work together.I am a little disappointed that I am not teaching any more to be able to use these programs with students.
