Nancy White
Posts made by Nancy White
Chris, there are MANY school connectivity programs. Much of the ICT funding in the past 5 years has been around telecenters and school connectivity programs. Schools are targets because they have the basic infrastructure (building) to house the hardware. What distinguishes programs, in my view, is how they are deployed. Some are highly structured (yes, FORMAL!) with proscribed curriculum, often focused on basic IT skills. However some are oriented around social networking, community driven programming and, heaven help us, spontenaity as things emerge.
It seems to me that programs which focus on a community's orientation (interests, needs) and then practices that help support those needs, are far richer in possibility. The problem is, most funders are looking for concrete, definable outcomes, so programs have to toe that line. The creative ones find ways to do both. In it's heyday, the Project Harmony program did just that.
I think the concept of discovery is important.
It seems to me that programs which focus on a community's orientation (interests, needs) and then practices that help support those needs, are far richer in possibility. The problem is, most funders are looking for concrete, definable outcomes, so programs have to toe that line. The creative ones find ways to do both. In it's heyday, the Project Harmony program did just that.
I think the concept of discovery is important.
I just wanted to capture two ideas that you have raised because I think they are really important to my understanding.
Control (which I would pair with emergence as a sort of occilating cycle)
Edges - which is where my experience has taught me all the interesting stuff is. The learning edge.
As I sat and reflected on your message, Christie, I began to wonder how we reframe control from "determining outcomes" to "finding the conditions to keep us on our learning edge."
I think it is part of human nature to want to feel some control. So why not channel it more productively?? Am I a dreamer?
Control (which I would pair with emergence as a sort of occilating cycle)
Edges - which is where my experience has taught me all the interesting stuff is. The learning edge.
As I sat and reflected on your message, Christie, I began to wonder how we reframe control from "determining outcomes" to "finding the conditions to keep us on our learning edge."
I think it is part of human nature to want to feel some control. So why not channel it more productively?? Am I a dreamer?
How to enage - KEY question
Bryan, I'm wondering if some of the resistence we encounter has to do with how the concepts, ideas and possibilities are introduced. Labels create powerful preconceptions that trigger the stories in our heads about 'technology' and 'informal."
maybe we need to start telling new stories that frame these possibilities in different ways. We did this in march with a group of women leading social change movements that have grown globally. Instead of asking "how can we use tagging to share resources" we started with , "what is the greatest good that can come out of exploring new tools."
This totally shifted the conversation, which had been about how difficult learning new tools was, to wow, maybe we can really stimluate change. Then the tool exploration became a delight because we were focusing on the benefits.
If we talk about informal learning for informal learning's sake, we miss the boat.
Bryan, I'm wondering if some of the resistence we encounter has to do with how the concepts, ideas and possibilities are introduced. Labels create powerful preconceptions that trigger the stories in our heads about 'technology' and 'informal."
maybe we need to start telling new stories that frame these possibilities in different ways. We did this in march with a group of women leading social change movements that have grown globally. Instead of asking "how can we use tagging to share resources" we started with , "what is the greatest good that can come out of exploring new tools."
This totally shifted the conversation, which had been about how difficult learning new tools was, to wow, maybe we can really stimluate change. Then the tool exploration became a delight because we were focusing on the benefits.
If we talk about informal learning for informal learning's sake, we miss the boat.