. It is during these times that our willingness to explore 
, to discover 
connections with the worlds around us and foster our risk taking 
and creative abilities flourish. 
And then ... the academic institution generally takes over and the process of "conformity" and reduction to more extensive elimination of creative exploration starts.
By the time we are in our teens, and beyond, most of us have lost the enthusiasm and willingness to follow creative paths; have lost the abilities to find joy in new discoveries of the familiar; to have fun learning. We have been driven to conform 
; to be controlled by social, academic and business structures. 
Second Life is an opportunity
to return to a more carefree, joyful, and less conformity driven life experience (although many choose to drag all the baggage with them anyway). We are free to explore, discover, create new personnas and businesses and redefine how we become knowledgeable and "educated". Second Life offers us a brand new laboratory for life. Can Moodle support learners acquiring an "institution free" education?
That depends upon the Moodlers and whether they use the tools and philosophies as an outgrowth of prior learning about teaching and learning,
or, if we are willing to take risks and go where most others have not dared to go before. Moodlers have the opportunity to open education to creative exploration and discovery. Will we accept that challenge ? Or, will we return to those paths that many have come to know and be accepted by the rules and expectations of prior institutions of education. My hope is that enough Moodlers will continue to explore, make new discoveries and add to the sense of learning as fun while we all play in the sandbox of Second Life
Thank you Glen for opening the doors and sending us out to play
Now, what might be all the ways that we can contribute to making learning fun again ?
It was fun and instructive for me as well. I had to relearn the secrets of UStream which was good.
ReplyDeleteCarol, I love your blogging! You always make sense (this stands out in a society where many folks don't make much sense these days). There is so much about education in our school system that needs to be reformed, but it will take a multitude to change the ways that are embedded in the educational institutions of our time. However, each one of us has an opportunity to change the tide of what is and make it what it will be tomorrow. That's exciting!
ReplyDelete