Wk 1 - PD as we know it

Task Discussion

• 
  Joe Dillon   March 11, 2012, 10:16 a.m.

  http://prezi.com/_49ub7qlfuo4/12th-grade/

• 
  Jonas Backelin   March 12, 2012, 4:27 a.m.
  In Reply To:   Joe Dillon   March 11, 2012, 10:16 a.m.

  Hi Joe,

  Thank you for this Prezi, can I post this on a wiki that is a hub on WikiEducator for teacher's online learning?

• 
  karen   March 10, 2012, 1:03 p.m.

  I'm just back from a crazy week of professional learning at the SXSWedu conference and so these topics are much on my mind.

  What does professional development look like at your school? Does it work? Why or why not?

  Most of hte formal professional development (PD) I'm involved in at schools is as a facilitator. I would say that some of it works and is quite effective and some of it not.

  What works for me is when: participants have input into what we're covering, people want to be there, there is hands on work time to implement what's being covered.

  What doesn't work for me is when: there's a lot of facilitator talk and not much participant talk/hands on, people aren't focused or engaged, the topic isn't of value to participants.

  What professional development experiences, if any, have you had that were successful? What made them successful?

  The best formal PD experiences I've had are when the participants are engaged in hands on activities customized to them. For example, I've been involved in some blended learning workshops where we covered a few new topics at the beginning (an hour or so) and then the rest of the time was for the participants to implement those (or other things) in their own courses with support of others there. These worked well because people were learning by doing and choosing activities that were relevant to their classrooms.

  Other successful PD experiences for me have been more informal. Again in these settings my ability to choose what would help me was beneficial.

  What is the difference between "professional development" and "professional learning"?

  PD often seems to be imposed on teachers - such as in the case of district-mandated formal PD. Learning may or may not occur. :)

  Professional learning seems to me to be more teacher-focused. It's all the things we do everyday to be lifelong learners.

• 
  Livinus Obiora Nweke   March 10, 2012, 4:39 a.m.

  The idea of continuous improvement got stuck in me that I decided to evaluate my teaching methodology. This I did by taking an opinion poll of what my students feel about my teaching method. Out of the 22 responses, 1 was a negative one. below are some of their opinions:

  "I will like to say your teching method is very okay to me. I understand your teaching very well and have learned alot from you. May God bless you."

  "Well I don't have much to say, only that may God continue to give you the wisdom and understanding. I am very pleased with your teaching and is very interesting. I must confess that you are doing very well with us"

  "Sir, you are very hilarious. I enjoy your teaching method. Inface you are the best teacher I have ever met."

  And so on. But the negative response this:

  "I personally don't have much problem with your teaching method, but I think you need to be a little patient with your student. Please try to always wear a genuine smiling face and correct your students with love."

  I was perplexed by the above response and since I asked them not to indicate their name so they can be free to tell me whatever they feel, I don't know the student that made such response.

  However, because I believe in constantly improving my approach to teaching, I want useful suggestions on how to handle this present challenge.

• 
  tofubeth   March 10, 2012, 8:45 a.m.
  In Reply To:   Livinus Obiora Nweke   March 10, 2012, 4:39 a.m.

  Livinius, I believe that none of us can employ a teaching methodology that can be suitable to all students at all times. It could just be that that particular student was upset at you or at the world on that particular day. I'd say that 21 of 22 is a pretty good track record...

• 
  karen   March 10, 2012, 1:07 p.m.
  In Reply To:   Livinus Obiora Nweke   March 10, 2012, 4:39 a.m.

  Asking those we work with (students or others) for constructive feedback is a great personal learning tool.

  One of my favorite studies on student engagement asks students for their thoughts. What a novel concept! It's a fascinating read.

  Beth is right though that it's important look at the "big picture" of the results, because you can't please everyone all the time. (I have a hard time with that too though.:)

• 
  Paul Oh   March 10, 2012, 1:44 p.m.
  In Reply To:   Livinus Obiora Nweke   March 10, 2012, 4:39 a.m.

  I agree with what's been said already: that it's important to focus on the big picture. I know that when I taught, I often focused on a negative comment from a parent or student despite an overwhelming majority of otherwise positive comments.

  I also think it's a great - and even courageous - act to engage your students in an evaluative conversation about your teaching methods. I'd be curious to hear more specifically what they appreciate about your teaching.

• 
  Liz Renshaw   March 10, 2012, 7:03 p.m.
  In Reply To:   Livinus Obiora Nweke   March 10, 2012, 4:39 a.m.

  Hi Livinus

  You are doing a great job as I can see from the overwhelming majority of the positive comments you received. The student who you feel has written a negative comment about your teaching has said they dont have a problem with your teaching :) that's a big positive indeed.

  As everyone has said it's really not realistic to think that we can please everyone all the time. That student may just have been having a bad day.

  When I get our teachers to ask for feedback We try dont use lots of open questions but use a scale for students to show how they like different aspects of the teaching. A tool like survey monkey- a free survey tool is really good for online surveys....

  You are doing a really top job in asking your students for feedback and keep up the good work.

   

• 
  Joe Dillon   March 11, 2012, 10:10 a.m.
  In Reply To:   Livinus Obiora Nweke   March 10, 2012, 4:39 a.m.

  By asking your students to assess your instructional methods, you expand the role of the student and you increase your opportunity for reflection and improvement. Even before you look at the responses, this work can have a positive impact in the classroom.
  
  Now that you have your responses, you have an opportunity to reflect and respond. In this case, you received many positive responses and one that can remind you to remember patience and kindness, always a fair reminder even to the most patient and kind teachers. I would read back to students a sampling of the feedback they have given to you because it will probably interest them greatly, since they are the relevant data here. In response to the student who wrote about patience and wearing a smile, I would specifically thank the student for reminding you about something that can really impact a learning environment.
  
  Another thought I have is that I might invite the students to identify the approaches that are most helpful and at least one that you might improve on, along with a specific suggestions for how you might improve a routine or approach. This will force them to think critically and also provide you some specific decisions to make in your reflection.
  
  This practice of yours also informs our thinking about professional development, since teachers, too, have powerful insights into the ways they learn and can offer tangible suggestions about how facilitators can best structure learning opportunities. Your response reminds me to find ways to invite learners to critique and suggest, especially when I am working with captive audiences. By polling the learners I can learn about my work.

• 
  Livinus Obiora Nweke   March 11, 2012, 10:24 a.m.
  In Reply To:   Livinus Obiora Nweke   March 10, 2012, 4:39 a.m.

  I really want to thank you all for your comments and suggestions. I have made up my mind to continuallly improve myself in every aspect of my life and that am pose to do.

• 
  Fred Haas   March 9, 2012, 7:47 p.m.

  I am a self-proclaimed learning junkie. In fact, that is why I became a teacher after years of working in other fields. I came to a clearer realization that for me learning has always been where the jazz is. So took to the concept of teacher as life-long learner or as a kind of master learner from the start. In many ways, I think that my eagerness and desire for professional and personal learning significantly jaundices my view of professional development in the teaching profession, at least in the United States. One of the most exciting things about this course already is the prospects of gleaning a small window into the experiences of others in foreign lands. So to read the offerings from the likes of Jonas and Liz has me hooked even more than I anticipated. I certainly felt a lot of resonance with their posts.

  Professional development in nearly every school I have worked is only productive and successful by chance not design. At times, it is well-meaning but haphazard. Other times is not so much professional development as much as it is advancement for an institutional agenda. The time intended to for professional development easily gets hijacked to make way for an administrative program that has little to do with development or learning, supplying a somewhat captive audience for the latest education policy propaganda machine. At its worst, I am always reminded of this image that I think I first saw courtesy of Steve Dembo of Discovery Education.

  

  Yet, my current school occasionally takes a far more interesting turn and will highlight a handful of successful teaching strategies or practices within our own school. So a slate of short presentations or workshops will be presented by peers and we are given a menu options from which we choose which ones we would like to attend.

  Just last week, a colleague and I ran a session that was both workshop and presentation about working in a 1:1 computing environment, because we teach journalism class where we outfit ever student with an iPad to use for the semester. We were one of five session options in that time slot and there were three sessions that spanned half a day. Afterwards, I then attended an English department colleague's session on alternative and creative assessment practices. Then I finished with a session on self-assessment and reflection by two of our outstanding art teachers. This is probably the third time we have conducted a professional day this way since I have worked at this school. While the principal selects the options, she hand-picks some sessions and requests proposals for others, it works better than any other professional development that has ever been planned by the school.

  A couple of days earlier, I even heard one our more grizzled and tougher veteran teachers comment to another colleague,"These are the best PD days. We actually get to see what kinds of things others are doing in the building."

  All that being said, I most wish schools would just kind of stay out of the way more often than not, instead encouraging professional learning that is primarily self-directed or at least self-selected. Professional development is almost always preordained, which may or may not result in learning. Professional learning is the obligation I have to my students, colleagues, and self to expand my knowledge, practice, expertise, and wisdom. I, for one, will always choose professional learning over professional development given the slightest chance. After all, the best experiences I have had are always outside my employer, like becoming involved with the National Writing Project, Flat Classroom Projects, or MOOCs. My desire is that the institution would provide time and money to practicing teachers, thereby fostering master, lifelong learners who teach.

• 
  Liz Renshaw   March 10, 2012, 3:33 a.m.
  In Reply To:   Fred Haas   March 9, 2012, 7:47 p.m.

  Fred, the  image is a stunner. I cant stop chuckling to myself. Professional learning is where the magic happens. Good to hear about your rather positive examples  Interesting that the more creative sessions such as self assessment and reflection came from the art folks. These are the skills that will be so important in learner/teacher agency.  If you can convert the toughened veterans you are on a real winner.

  How do schools take this one day of learning which was clearly so effective, engaging and enjoyable and bring about a bigger change in the way pd happens?

  I see a real gap between what the organisation preordains as being of value and able to be funded and what teachers/learners actually want..  Seems to be the same old same old in a number of countries.

  My desire is that institutions will begin to put all learning at the centre of their business, that is LEARNING for everyone ie students, staff, and the organisation itself 

  Ipads for every student ! Wowww...... that's brilliant.

   

   

   

• 
  Fred Haas   March 10, 2012, 8:48 a.m.
  In Reply To:   Liz Renshaw   March 10, 2012, 3:33 a.m.

  Liz, it was kind of fascinating to see that the art department was the source of the self assesment. However, at my school that department is one of the best in the state of Massachusetts with awards to prove it, for what that's worth. Regardless, it is filled with a lot of really smart practicing artist/teachers.

  Having incorporated a pretty healthy amount of self-assessment in my own practice, I was curious to see what, if anything, they were doing differently. what they shared was quite good. Plus, I agree with you about self-assessment being so important. In fact, I have often said to my students, "At some point, self-assessment is the only kind that matters."
   

  Sadly, I am not sure what the future of these kinds of days will be after just reading our new district superintendent's plans for the future, which involved more systemic, coordinated PD that seems a lot more like administrative propoganda. That conjured  that image I shared, again.

  In answer to your question about how days like this can be used for broader change, I don't know. A part of me feels like if it became a staple of what we do regularly that it would be a good start.

  On the iPads, yeah we are pretty fortunate on that front. This was the first year and we were the only course with them and the students have them 'round the clock. So we'll see how things continue.

• 
  karen   March 10, 2012, 1:11 p.m.
  In Reply To:   Fred Haas   March 9, 2012, 7:47 p.m.

  In-services for "advancement for an institutional agenda" should almost be called something other than PD...they are certainly not "personal learning."

  I agree with the strength of peers sharing successful (and not!) practices. This is one kind of sharing that I find most are willing to do and that everyone values.

  What are the different dynamics of this kind of sharing f2f vs. online? With peers vs. with "strangers"?

• 
  Paul Oh   March 10, 2012, 2:08 p.m.
  In Reply To:   karen   March 10, 2012, 1:11 p.m.

  Loved reading your thoughts on PD, Fred, and your questions, Karen. I was struck, Fred, by your idea that you wished school administrations would simply get out of the way and allow us to be self-directed in our learning. I definitely agree that this is how I learn best, almost all of the time. But I'm curious - and this is related to Karen's questions about dynamics - as to how we ensure equity. In other words, how do we ensure that each individual has the wherewithal and the resources to pursue their own learning effectively, to share their work with peers, particularly when it comes to online environments,? I think often of danah boyd's work in relation to race and class in our f2f and social network spaces, and how she is often pushing us to consider these issues so that we don't paint an unrealistically utopian vision of online interactions. I would like to believe that our efforts to give educators agency in their own professional learning is one way to support greater equity. But I think there also needs to be a conscious effort to create avenues and pathways of access.

• 
  karen   March 10, 2012, 2:39 p.m.
  In Reply To:   Paul Oh   March 10, 2012, 2:08 p.m.

  "how do we ensure that each individual has the wherewithal and the resources to pursue their own learning effectively, to share their work with peers, particularly when it comes to online environments?"

  This is so important. In the f2f PD work I do, I generally ask participants ahead of time what they want to pursue. On average, well under 50% answer at all and those that do often say "Whatever you want to cover is great."

  When I've asked why people aren't more assertive, some say they've never been asked before and don't know how to answer.

  How do we get past this?

• 
  Bonita DeAmicis, Ed. D.   March 11, 2012, 1:13 p.m.
  In Reply To:   karen   March 10, 2012, 2:39 p.m.

  This is a big thing to me because even though my own interests are presently about PD and PL, I know that ultimately it will lead to how we teach our students.  If we can develop teachers along a trajectory of becoming self-directed personal learning gurus, then they will visit that gift on students (and be effective with that delivery).

  The thing is, if we say everything is self chosen, there are a couple of conundrums that arrive for me that I would love to explore with the folks here:

  1.  What about teachers on my staff who do not know how to self-choose? Have never done it and show no interest in doing it?  Even self-chosen personal learning can become a to do list assigned by a boss (and can be a more frustrating sort of learning for those unaccustomed to it). Having taught for many years I could easily replace "teachers on my staff" with "students in my classroom."  Self chosen learning is high in specialized habits that must be learned and practiced. i like Karen's model of having a topic that is addressed for a short period of PD, followed by choices for self-directed learning on that topic or a related area. I would add the importance of returning to the group with your learning.

  2.  What about things we need to learn in order to improve as an organization?  Just as standards help us to move students along a trajectory (and I know some might disagree with me here, but I have not seen an effective model for moving students through elementary without some agreement as to what they need to learn), I think schools and districts should come up with focus areas to learn together.  Everyone off learning their own thing does not sound like an organization that can move forward. How could that work for a school?

  3. I get that there is frustration with pre-ordained PD, but I would suggest that only the most developed self-learners have a concrete idea as to why they are frustrated.  The non-developed learner-teacher is simply frustrated because they would like to go get their classrooms ready, run off some more papers, call some parents.  Their frustration is not generally about, "Gosh, I know what I want and I need to learn so please let me design my own learning." Their frustration is about so many things on their plates that they need to do (that have nothing to do with PD or PL).  I am reminded of Covey's seven habits and the quadrant 2.  Important but not urgent things are often pushed to the side for urgent and unimportant things.  How do we help our teachers (and/or students) to develop as self-learners without having an agenda for learning?

  I feel like my thinking is unclear and so rambling, but I know someone here will help me arrive in a more succinct place.

  Thanks,

  Bonita

• 
  Paul Oh   March 11, 2012, 4:10 p.m.
  In Reply To:   Bonita DeAmicis, Ed. D.   March 11, 2012, 1:13 p.m.

  You raise great points, Bonita. As a former elementary teacher who worked with beginning readers, it became clear to me that my learners needed scaffolded instruction. My goal was to help them become self-directed learners/readers, but they needed support to get there. My pedagogy was shaped by the Vygotskian idea of "zone of proximal development" which, quite frankly, I think is a concept that is applicable to many aspects of my life. I wonder if there is a way to scaffold support for self-directed professional learning by teachers that is based on "zone of proximal development" theory? What would a scaffolded model look like, I wonder?

• 
  Fred Haas   March 12, 2012, 5:44 p.m.
  In Reply To:   karen   March 10, 2012, 1:11 p.m.

  That's a pretty big question you have dropped in the mix there, Karen. One thing I might forward is that nearly any thriving online PD community I know is a primarily self-selected community, whereas the f2f variety, as we have been discussing, are not necessarily so.

  I also think that online communities, not unlike the one that is developing through this "course" is likely to attract a lot of like-minded people or at least people curious about similar topics, ideas, what have you. So in a sense that serves as kind of self-selection criteria of sorts. Consequently, I think the strangeness of the stranger quickly fades.

  Plus, peers communities are generally made to a certain extent not chosen and everyone starts every peer journey carrying a lot of baggage that has already been setablished in that peer group.

  No doubt there is a whole lot more to it, but those are some of my initial thoughts.

• 
  Fred Haas   March 12, 2012, 5:57 p.m.
  In Reply To:   Paul Oh   March 10, 2012, 2:08 p.m.

  So the issue of ensuring equity is kind of an interesting dilemma to me, Paul. In some ways, I wonder if online environments don't present an interesting potential for equity, once the initial hurdles (technical, accesssibility, capacity, etc.) are met for the participants. Perhaps the price of admission, being able to suggessfully navigate the networks and overcome the technical challenges that are hurdles, might be higher than we sometimes think. I know plenty of colleagues whose heads would be spinning even participating in this effort.

  I guess, I just wonder whether we don't make some pretty false assumptions about equity in f2f environments. There might be less issue with access on some level, but I am not sure that the wherewithal and resources are always equitably distributed in f2f environments either.

  While I am pretty familiar with Dannah Boyd and a lot of her work, I am not sure I am picking up on your reference to the specific work mentioned.

  On some level, I have been giving this a lot of thought lately, especially as I take a look at some of the interesting material about the Finnish system that is getting a lot of play at the moment. I just don't think America does equity very well on any level. That doesn't mean I don't think we should try or that it shouldn't be a goal, but I wonder if our cultural blindspots are so great that we might not have a handle on how to even address the issue well.

• 
  Paul Oh   March 12, 2012, 8:23 p.m.
  In Reply To:   Fred Haas   March 12, 2012, 5:57 p.m.

  I think you're right, Fred, that we make false assumptions about equity in f2f environments. I think the danger, sometimes, with online environments is that we believe simply because everyone is allowed to participate that that constitutes an equitable solution. Which I know is not what you're saying - it's just something I think we have to be cognizant of.

  Perhaps you're right - that America just doesn't do equity very well on any level. But like you said, it doesn't mean we shouldn't try.

  (FYI, the danah boyd work I'm referring to was in regard to her look at social networking spaces like facebook and myspace, and how these online spaces replicated racial and class divisions that existed f2f.)

• 
  Jonas Backelin   March 8, 2012, 7:25 a.m.

   

  As a beginning teacher I dedicated lots of time to in-service teacher training and soon became what Donald Schön called a ‘Reflective Practitioner’.  His ideas challenged practitioners to reconsider the role of technical knowledge versus "artistry" in developing professional excellence.  My classroom experience was analyzed (with peer-2-peer groups and reflective writing assignments) and documented (on videocassettes, pictures and recordings) in the department of ‘Social and Cultural Studies in Education’ at the Stockholm Institute of Education.

  Later I got time (salary) and resources (computers) allocated for course development and helping teachers to integrate ICT.  In my case ‘professional learning’ has been guided by my own interest and required my own spare time, while ‘professional development’ has often been part of strategic goals and require resources (not my own time).  I believe the top-down development need specific use in our teaching practise to be successful (extrinsic motivation).   Intrinsic motivation allows creativity and innovation to be part of professional learning.  This is what I would say is the commitment as a teacher, it is definitely not materialistic, ‘to be rich’ or famous…      

• 
  Paul Oh   March 10, 2012, 2:11 p.m.
  In Reply To:   Jonas Backelin   March 8, 2012, 7:25 a.m.

  I was struck, Jonas, by your eloquently worded sentence: "Intrinsic motivation allows creativity and innovation to be part of professional learning." I would add that intrinsic motivation allows creativity and innovation to be part of any kind of learning, for teachers and students alike.

• 
  Jonas Backelin   March 11, 2012, 1:37 p.m.
  In Reply To:   Paul Oh   March 10, 2012, 2:11 p.m.

  Thank you Paul for the input, I'm intrigued by this bottom-up and grassroots perspective on learning.  There are still periods in life when we are not motivated and the outcome can give you inspiration…  How do we address this in Personal Learning?

• 
  Paul Oh   March 11, 2012, 4 p.m.
  In Reply To:   Jonas Backelin   March 11, 2012, 1:37 p.m.

  I agree, Jonas, that extrinsic motivators can play a positive part in learning. I think, quite frankly, that it's human nature - hence the "badgification" of our lives, from games to the recent MacArthur Foundation DML initiative. Your question is a great one, and I'm not sure I have an answer. Other than that I think reflection and self-awareness are important. I think as long as we are always prompting ourselves, and prompted by others, to ask the question "why am I doing what I'm doing?" then I think we can find our own path, whether it involves extrinsic motivators or not.

• 
  Jonas Backelin   March 11, 2012, 5:06 p.m.
  In Reply To:   Paul Oh   March 11, 2012, 4 p.m.

  It is easy to get philosophical and I've tried to find answers in Ontology and Self-perception theory (what can I say, you should not give up before you tried)

    Ontology investigate questions about intrinsic movement instead of only random movement by accident or following logic.  Maybe ontological commitment (i.e. what we or others are committed to) is the seed for the world to change?  

  self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that directly or indirectly causes itself to become true, by the very terms of the prophecy itself, due to positive feedbackbetween belief and behavior. 

    Self-perception theory is when people develop their attitudes by observing their behaviour and concluding what attitudes must have caused them.  It get quite complex when a person "induces attitudes without accessing internal cognition and mood states" (i.e. unconscious attitudes or tacid knowledge)

• 
  Paul Oh   March 12, 2012, 8:25 p.m.
  In Reply To:   Jonas Backelin   March 11, 2012, 5:06 p.m.

  I have much now to think about, Jonas. Thank you for that!

• 
  Liz Renshaw   March 7, 2012, 8:15 p.m.

  I love this photograph it reminds me of some sessions I've been at. Also Karens introduction reasonated with me.  Those formal training sessions at 'less than optimal'. As a curious life wide learner I have always participated in learning activities. These activities have included formal courses at universities, short day courses run internally by my organisations, online structured learning for a specific topic, one to one peer 'just in time' sessions and spontaneous sharing with friends... I would call this range of activities professional development or training or as it is currently called in Australia workforce capability (WC).. The challenge in these types of courses is

  1. someone else is controlling the learning and setting the agenda

  1a usually set to meet the organisational needs not the learner needs. eg workshops on auditing or compliance.

  2. there is very limited autonomy, if any.

  3. learners dont have any voice or any choice in any aspect of the pd.

  4. usually doesnt allow for play, exploration, sharing and just tinkering.

  5. often designed on the expert model of learning.  the' I know more than you do'

  So I think that professional learning is quite different, to me it would feature

  autonomy, interactivity, community, play, and sharing with people who might have the same passions...

  Look forward to hearing others thoughts..

• 
  Paul Oh   March 10, 2012, 2:17 p.m.
  In Reply To:   Liz Renshaw   March 7, 2012, 8:15 p.m.

  I'm very much interested in the notion of play as part of professional learning. I once wrote a blog post about the topic in which I mention the fact that web developers create "sandboxes" in which to play with code, to test out hypotheses, and to uncover erroneous pathways or unintended consequences.

  Play seems to me be a critical element of the iterative process of learning, professional or otherwise. And, as someone interested specifically in literacy and composing, play can be thought of as analagous to drafting. We "play" with our ideas before settling on what we think works best in our compositions.

  The irony to me is the degree to which play has been drilled out of the discourse surrounding learning and education. I appreciate you introducing the term into our conversation here!

• 
  Liz Renshaw   March 10, 2012, 7:23 p.m.
  In Reply To:   Paul Oh   March 10, 2012, 2:17 p.m.

  Yes, we certainly need to reintroduce the idea of play. If you dont know John Seely Browns work it is worth checking his recent keynote address The Entrepreneurial Learner . It introduced me to the idea of tinkering as being an important part of play. The guts of the talk is about 50 mins but JSB has some fascinating examples about how people are using the power of play to build different structures for learning.

  The idea that play has value has certainly been drilled out. It is really challenging for some teachers because their professional identity is built on being an expert in a certain discipline. Being an expert implies you do not play but you know. To play is to admit not knowing and being willing to fail, try again, and learn with others. I think we can take some leads from our artists such as musicians, painters, performers. they all have play as an integral part of their learning processes.

  Do you think P2Pu is a bit like a gigantic' sandbox,' in which learners can tinker with ideas?

   

   

• 
  karen   March 10, 2012, 7:56 p.m.
  In Reply To:   Liz Renshaw   March 10, 2012, 7:23 p.m.

  YES!!!! P2PU is like a giant sandbox where we can all play with ideas! Excellent way to put it.

• 
  Jonas Backelin   March 11, 2012, 1:39 p.m.
  In Reply To:   karen   March 10, 2012, 7:56 p.m.

  I agree!!

• 
  Paul Oh   March 11, 2012, 4:05 p.m.
  In Reply To:   Liz Renshaw   March 10, 2012, 7:23 p.m.

  I had the good fortune, Liz, of seeing John Seely Brown deliver this keynote at the DML2012 conference! I thought it was inspiring. The general idea of the conference - Connected Learning - is consistent with the principles of peer-learning that are at the heart of p2pU!