Reflections

Re: Reflections

by Peter Rawsthorne -
Number of replies: 1

Beautiful post Therese! I am touched that this seminar series created such a reflection. I am grateful for the level of participation... thanks everyone!

I am happy you have mentioned Joseph Campbell and I am also a big fan of Margaret Wheatley (walk out, walk on). I believe a self directed learning journey is a hero's journey, particularly if it pushes personal boundaries and becomes transformational. My personal belief is that an important focus for modern educational practices should be meta-cognition. This focus should start in grade 9 (10 to 11 years old). People need to learn how they learn and then take control over their personal learning journeys. I like the work of William Pinar for this reason. I also believe a persons learning will be thier personal hero's journey and will tie us more deeply to our communities.

Where do badges fit into this...???

I believe we now have a world where much of our lives (as professionals, as learners, as hobbiest, as seekers, as who we are) leaves behind a digital online residue. This residue is increasingly being viewed by others. For some (particularly in the professional capacity) it is the modern way of doing a reference check, skills / abilities assessment, etc. Allowing people to earn badges (and create their own badges) that are of interest fits well within directing the residue left by our online and offline learning, activities, skills development, etc. In some situations we will be awarded badges without even requesting the award. We will get them for participation is some event or when we have completed some endeavour (learning or otherwise). Mozilla Webmaker badges are this way... With an open badge standard we can then organize all our badges as we like, showing how we believe our journey relates to ourselves. Again, back to the meta-cognitive. Also nice is that our badges can be clustered within how we personally know our knowing... Add to this the criteria and evidence attributes the badge becomes a powerful personal and self-directed record (or residue). Fold into this that others (CoP, organizations, individuals) will, in the future, be able to endorse a badge. This potentially adds weight to the cultural significance and validity of the badge. And when you put all this into badge clusters that will inevitably be personalized, it becomes a powerful visualization of a persons knowing... all put together as the person wants it displayed.  

Badge Clusters

When it comes to Joseph Campbell and badges I'd like to offer a different perspective. I believe he would be a badge kinda guy, I think he would recognize badges as crossing cultures and time. Whether head dresses, tatoos, special clothing, adornments, etc. These all represented status in the community, accomplishments or completed rituals; these are badges. Even in the end of the first starwars trilogy (where Campbell worked with Lucas in developing the story) the heros were issued medals (or badges) for saving the republic. I think Campbell would have been a badges guy...

Anyhow... all good. What a wonderful thread to be added to our discussion...

Be Well...