I have read Austin Kleon's book Show Your Work! twice now this semester, but this time I am actually translating the effort into something tangible. Old habits die hard, i.e. reading something spectacular and not doing anything about it. Anyhow, Kleon's book debunked myths that I have ingrained in myself over the last decade or so, namely that creativity and genius spring forth from some enigmatic place, divine inspiration, the Muse, what you will. But as with about every self-help-type book I have ever read, common sense lifts the veil and shows that all the inspired and ingenious artifacts of artists, writers, auteurs, etc. boil down to hard work, oftentimes decades of it. I do not know from where the popular notion of the lone genius comes, but I have definitely been a victim of that cultural doctrine. Hence, what I found so compelling about Kleon's subject matter was his argument that producing work day by day and sharing it daily and widely represent the best way to create, collaborate, and just maybe make some cash off one's hard work. Once again, it was a reminder to me about the importance of taking steps to success rather than somehow magically arriving there by chance. I am taking this project of reading Kleon and producing a daily story of my life and teaching experiences as a step to building towards success in those respective places. Next up will be the Storify of seven days in my life and a reflection on what I have learned.
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This is my first experience with the Edpuzzle app. I used it to create a quiz that assesses my students knowledge of some trivia regarding Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird.Chapter 7Quote "But thinking about play as a disposition, rather than as merely engaging with a game, reveals something more fundamental at work.Much of what makes play powerful as a tool for learning is our ability to engage in experimentation" (97). I chose this quote because I like the idea of thinking about play as a disposition. I think this type of approach to play is sorely lacking in the classroom. Question How do I create a culture of play in my classroom? Connection A connection I made to this quote was the use of the word "disposition." One of the most important elements of the teaching credential program is professional disposition. This disposition does not end at the what element, i.e. dressing professionally or being punctual, but transcends into a manner of acting and the establishment of a reputation. I suppose this transcendence could be considered the how of our professional disposition. In any case, the element of play that connects to my clinical practice is in finding ways to create an atmosphere or culture in the classroom where play is valued and espoused. It will take more brainstorming of ways to make my classroom more playful, but the idea of instilling a disposition of play in students is a new goal to be sure. Epiphany The epiphany I had in this chapter was when the authors talked about riddles and epiphanies. These types of thought are only arranged once they are solved or occur. That is, in the thick of solving a riddle or prior to experiencing an epiphany, the struggle seems unorganized and incomplete; however, when the, ahem, epiphany occurs in either situation the mind suddenly sees behind the veil. What I found most important from this section was that neither case is solved linearly. Riddles and epiphanies occur after we tackle the problem from different angles and with different approaches. This type of work, or play(!), is the point at which we need students to arrive. Approaching a problem from different perspectives is the essence of critical thinking. Chapter 8Quote "We would describe that experience [taking a personal interest in a topic and pursing it in a self-directed way] as moving from experience to embodiment, where the personal investment in technology and digital media changes the focus from social agency to personal agency" (103). I chose this quote because I like the authors' use of "experience to embodiment." I think this evolution mirrors the Dave White's argument in his video, "Visitor/Resident," which is the subject of one of my earlier posts. Question How do I motivate students (and myself) to move from experience to embodiment? Connection The connection I made with this quote is with the self-directed way of learning. I seem to have a lot of students who are not invested in learning. Perhaps they are not interested in learning such as it is currently packaged for them, but one thing I see most often is students who would rather not try or are not motivated when the work is challenging. I am not sure if students today have an extreme fear of failure or if they feel so disinterested in the material that there is nothing more than the grade that motivates them to do the minimal effort. Whatever the case, I am wondering how to engage students such that they take the initiative to learn on their own, i.e. shift from social to personal agency. Epiphany I have a very simple epiphany for this chapter. I did not realize where hanging out, messing around, and geeking out came from. Now I witness a much greater connection between our class and this book, and I am motivated to read Ito's literature, the place from which these concepts originated. Chapter 9Quote
"When people stop learning in a game, they lose interest and quit. When understood properly, therefore, games may in fact be one of the best models for learning and knowing in the twenty-first century. Why? Because if a game is good, you never play it the same way twice" (111). I chose this quote because I like the idea of playing a game differently each time. This kind of learning inspires one to approach learning from different angles and in different ways, which I see as one of the most important actions one can take in education. Question How do I make my game (the learning) good enough for students to keep interest? Connection I connected to this quote and chapter because I have played an MMO before and can relate to the experience. I agree with the authors that MMOs provide a venue in which players can continue learning for years, mastering different techniques and connecting with others. I think if I could make the classroom like a good MMO, I would have most of the students engaged in significant learning. Epiphany The epiphany I had in this chapter was with the beginning of the above quote: "When people stop learning in a game, they lose interest and quit" (111). The quote gave me perspective on students who do not participate due to lack of interest. They lose interest because they stop learning. I would add to what the authors say by including that they lose interest because the learning does not matter to them. They do not see its importance (assuming there is any) to their lives. They have no desire to learn, which is something that the new culture of learning could certainly change. Thomas, D., & Seely Brown, J. (2011). A new culture of learning: Cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change. San Bernardino, CA: D. Thomas & J. Seely Brown. |
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