A whirlwind couple of weeks, in our first ONL topic – I had to look it up to refresh my memory: Online Participation and Digital Literacies. In some ways I felt like I lost sight of the topic as we navigated new collaborative relationships and figured out a new tool… in other words, while we lived the topic.
I had moments when I was glad I wasn’t a facilitator – it was a big job to manage the first topic and it must have been stressful. I’m not sure what I would have done differently. It was messy, but in the end, good – and I’m looking forward to trying out the thinglink tool again on another project.
I struggle with interpersonal discomfort as a teacher – frustration, checking-out, unequal labour distribution, good ideas not understood or unappreciated – I felt the disharmony in our group, but wasn’t bothered. I am aware of a different culture than I’m used to – I think in Canada people are more likely to go along with others’ ideas, though often the process will be sabotaged by protests unspoken. In the end I don’t know if anyone is completely happy with our result, but there were moments of unity, humour, and mutual appreciation, and I’m glad to move forward.
Oh, wait. Now I’m a topic leader. And I COMPLETELY misinterpreted the topic: Openness and Sharing. I assumed this was building on classroom safety, authenticity, etc – but it’s about open access in learning… something I am much less interested in, and much less knowledgeable about. I feel a steep learning curve coming on…
Toile & Trouble 
I just recently stumbled upon the thinglink tool and it seems very useful! Otherwise I sometimes feel we almost concentrate too much on new tools, as in the end, I think efficiency in education increases with just a couple of good tools instead of loads of different ones.
I can easily see how the second topic was misinterpreted. Still, they say sharing is caring, and to some degree open access material is also about that. So in that sense, the two topics might be related. 🙂
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Yes it has been a journey taking unexpected, but still very bounded directions. But what do we know about what is “the” direction, what makes us literate? Do you have examples?
Intriguing enough you end with approaching a new role by being uninterested, less knowledgeable and open to speedy learning. For me it is necessary to reflect a bit about what I know to be able to say that I don’t, even do it is obvious I don’t. Particularly I think it plays a role to define a starting point as well captured in a question you have mentioned in our FISh – Where are we now?
/Lars
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Enjoying your reflections 🙂
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You capture the strange journey our group is making as it moves towards becoming a team. Your acknowledgment of your misinterpretation of the openess and sharing topic is one I hope led you to a better understanding of what the organisers intended and that increased yuor interest in the topic. i hope yuor next post will unpick this aspect.
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