Task Discussion

Jennifer Claro Oct. 6, 2011, 4:12 p.m.

An awesome peer-to-peer course to me means deep engagement with the learning materials and with each other. Facilitators joining the discussion and doing the same work as the participants. Wrestling with new ideas and making critical comments, both positive and negative. Making a commitment to the course and to each other. Respecting and supporting each other’s efforts.

I love peer learning for so many reasons. It’s non-hierarchical, it’s much freer than classroom-based learning, and there are so many possibilities for transformational learning using a P2P structure. And there is such a mix of participants coming from so many backgrounds and worldviews. I learn best (maybe we all do?) in an environment with multiple viewpoints, and we sure are a mixed bunch! What a very organic, generative, fruitful way to learn :)
Hanna Oct. 5, 2011, 1:44 p.m.

I think that an awesome peer-to-peer course weaves together people from different backgrounds and experiences in order to broaden each others' learning. In the course, people would feel comfortable sharing and recieving input. Participants would have an open mind and seek new ideas and information. Respect for different learning and communicating styles would be upheld. The energy of the course would be motivating and participatipants would be engaged throughout.
kmease Oct. 4, 2011, 10:52 a.m.

To me, it would be a classroom that enables students to produce work in the way they learn best at... for instance, for one if may be a written paper; another might be a movie and yet another might be a series of research steps. A peer-to-peer class.... awesome to have many different voices that can challenge my thoughts and practices. A creative outlet that will allow me to grow!
Anna Oct. 6, 2011, 7:47 a.m.
In Reply To: kmease Oct. 4, 2011, 10:52 a.m.

Agreed. Based on what you've tasted thus far of the course, are there additional types of assignments and ways of learning you'd like to see incorporated into this course? In the subsequest weeks you will be grouped and doing group projects (more interactive). Any other ideas for this course or future courses we develop are always welcome!
cinmil Oct. 3, 2011, 10:55 p.m.

An "awesome" peer-to-peer course is a course that develops a person's knowledge, attitudes, beliefs or behaviors resulting from the learning process. It can take place in small groups or through individual contact and in a variety of settings. It can also be used with many populations and age groups for various goals.
Anna Oct. 2, 2011, 3:02 p.m.

As awesome course to me is a course where everyone is welcome to participate, share, dream, experiment, do, reflect and celebrate.

I am particularly fond of courses that connect "ideas" to actions - trying something new in the classroom, creating something, building something...

Finally, an awesome course to me is where all participants take responsibility for and ownership of their own learning. The participants become the artists of their learning experiences.
tbraught Oct. 2, 2011, 12:03 a.m.

An enivironment that allows a student to reach his or her potential. Nothing limits the learner.
Tony Allan Oct. 1, 2011, 7:40 a.m.

Awsome not a word that I use that often, although I enjoy the enthusiasm of others who do. I am hoping to enjoy the process of this learning community growing. I am interetsed in how we work together, how our efforts and engagement work. If social links will evolve for people like me who so far I have signed up to linked in, facebook and blogs but I don't really engae in others outside my real life experiences. Born into one generation and now trying to understand the one after the next. Lets see how it goes.
Nbhandari24 Sept. 30, 2011, 2:20 p.m.

An awesome course is one where you can't wait to jump in ad get started over and over again no matter what the topic of the day is. An awesome course is where a number of opinions are put on the table and where also students can separate the idea from the person. An awesome course is one where you just want to hang back after class and chat about the overarching themes and how theory can be linked to practice. An awesome course is one where you walk away with more friends than you had when you walked in and more knowledge that you thought you could abosrb.
Anonym Sept. 28, 2011, 9:39 a.m.

To me, an awesome course is in a democractic classroom environment where all voices are heard. I remind myself of the various achievement gaps of students and mentally encourage myself to ensure that all student's voices are heard and recalling that the loudest voice isn't always the right voice. with that being said, in my awesome course I would see collaboraitve learning where each student is feeding off of the feedback that their peers provide. Additionally, the teacher's role would be as faciltator and the learning process would be as studnet-centered as it can be. In my own classroom I see technology taking shape and the ability for students to take the resources that are provided and utilizing them to their advantage.
Harry B Sept. 28, 2011, 4:49 p.m.
In Reply To: Anonym Sept. 28, 2011, 9:39 a.m.

I absolutely agree, facilitator is the word! Guide on the side rather than dictator! That whole tone changes things so much in the classroom among students! :) The resources align themselves with the atmosphere of the class, but yes, the tone is set with the way the instructor sets the tone and acts among students.

Harry Brake
karen Sept. 28, 2011, 8:09 p.m.
In Reply To: Anonym Sept. 28, 2011, 9:39 a.m.

Love this! (We need a +1 on P2PU.:)
Harry B Sept. 26, 2011, 6:29 p.m.

An awesome course is taking on the shape more of a coffee house, students come in, and we have a structure/introduction, but the students have less rows and tables format and moe circle and paired types of arrangements in the room. Discussion flows, the sounds are usually a little loud but that is because there are stations of work going on, kind of like the New Tech Academy Model of teaching Seaford, my old school took on when I left. New Tech encourages group and community involved projects that involve technlogy all the way, from the very beginning. As a result, students will use their phones, ipads, and other devices constantly and have a respect for the liberty of the class, because an interchange of communication is needed, and this flow of energy also coincides with how technology works, always adapting, always changing, flexible and sometimes not. :) I think the type of enery that flowed in a class like this would energize the laziest student as well, as this mimics college, but even more, the reality of life after education in a technological world!

:)

Harry
Christopher Batchelder Oct. 4, 2011, 2:42 p.m.
In Reply To: Harry B Sept. 26, 2011, 6:29 p.m.

I love the idea of thinking of our course like a coffee shop. We can all get up and sit at different tables, order different drinks, share books, use the free wifi ;-) !!!
Harry B Oct. 6, 2011, 2:21 p.m.
In Reply To: Christopher Batchelder Oct. 4, 2011, 2:42 p.m.

I just have noticed a larger sharing of information occurs when there is a relaxed atmosphere!