Learning Creative Learning Week 5: Open Learning – The Good and Bad

Getting help when you are stuck is a crucial element of learning. Questions & answers represent a micro teach & learn exchange. And online Q&A communities provide new ways of reaching much larger communities of potential co-learners and mentors. Let’s try how it works: 

* Join a Stack Exchange site that picks your interest 

I joined Stack Exchange, but really struggled with this site. When I played around with it I found it helpful. I think it could be something of use for research and help, but with so many other tools available I just don’t know that this is one that I would readily use. I feel like I can get all the help I need from my other communities that I am part of. However, I like the crowd and the help everyone gives. Perhaps more time with the site I could find it more beneficial. It does feed into the idea of open learning because this whole community is open and willing to help one another out.

Activity: Teach & Learn Hangouts 

For those who want to go deeper, we thought it might be fun to connect people who offer to teach something, with others who want to learn it. The matching-up part is a little complicated. But we have no doubt that if anyone can figure out how to make this work, then it’s the Learning Creative Learning community. Over to you! (Note: It might be easiest to try and coordinate in your smaller groups, but here is our suggestion for doing it in the G+ community) 

I participated in a few teaching classes offered by people. I attended the Where Are Your Keys language game conducted by Arne Sostack. You can check it our here – http://coffeeforthebrain.blogspot.com/2013/03/learning-creative-learning-lets-play.html

I had a blast learning a new technique and how to speak Dutch. However, I was saddened to only see myself join. What a great opportunity and a great teacher for this session.

I also conducted a session on robotics and how to operate a team. I thought there was great interest, but the night of the showcase only one person attended. It was a great night, but it once again saddened me to only have one person.

Here we are a group of over 10,000 members. I shared my stuff online beyond the class as well. Maybe the topic was not interesting enough, but this class has been open. I see many offer ideas about things that need to be changed to be better and so forth. I see people trying, but at what point do we stop trying when others don’t take an active role. I am not criticizing people, bu t the downside to open learning is a lack of participation. Here I went into planning and preparing thinking I was going to have a crowd of more than 10 people based on earlier feedback. I moved platforms to Blackboard to accommodate everyone and then was let down. I could have used that time to do something else. I think this is one of the fears for people. Why put ourselves on the line, devote the time to prepare and plan, and then not have people show up. We cannot hold them to anything as it is open.

I find myself falling farther and farther behind in the class. I started super strong. I have connected with some amazing people. I am following blogs, Twitter, and G+ of others who do nothing but inspire me so that this has been the great benefit to this class. I am trying new things. But I feel lost in the shuffle. I cannot keep up. I don’t know where I am supposed to be heading. While trying to maintain a job, my own projects, family, health, etc. I find this class falling further and further down my list of things. It started out on top. I was on top of things, but each week I lose momentum. This is unfortunate because this could be something that is truly remarkable. I don’t have the answer or at least I don’t have it yet, but I think this class is close to being something really amazing with some minor tweaks.

I hope to get back on track this week for Week 6. I am a bit behind, but looking to get caught up and become inspired again.

Those are my thoughts for week 5. A bit late, but better late than never.