A nation in mourning…

Photograph by: Mathieu Belanger, Reuters

The Rider nation that is….  One minute elation, the next despair… It’s funny how a simple game can transfix and depress so many people around the country. I still haven’t fully comprehended how affected I have been by the emotional switcharoo at the end of the game. I’ve also noticed it at my office and others here have mentioned that it was very quiet in their spouses offices as well. I guess this just reinforces how powerful media can be.

Good thing this is “next year” country. Riders – we share your loss, but you played far above and beyond what all the analysts predicted at the beginning of the season. You surpassed most expectations in how well you played the game. You impressed many with your effort and determination and made it to the Grey Cup with a Rookie quarterback. It truly was an amazing season and I can only wait with great anticipation for next season. Go Riders!

Now for something completely different… LOLcats

Last weeks session Speaking in LOLcats by Stephen Downes continued my learning spiral for this class. It’s amazing how one little class can cause so much havoc in one little brain. I liked the presentation, and am intrigued by the notion that skills needed for 21st century learning are languages in which we need to become fluent. This is an idea I will have to explore later when time permits… However, two other ideas in the presentation really captured my attention. The first of these was:

“Focusing on tools is like focusing on pens, pencils, and the printing press, instead of the Magna Carta, or the Gutenberg Bible”

This brought into focus a struggle I have had to deal with. I have been trying to learn these tools we have been exposed to and getting frustrated when I haven’t been able to get a handle on them all. It takes a little pressure off to realize that simply knowing the tools are out there and what they can do is more important. That way I can find the appropriate tool for what I want to accomplish and learn to use it as needed. No one can possibly (with the exception of our esteemed professor of course) be an expert on all existing and new tools available for digital learning and still have time to have a life off the computer. I’m ok with that, or at least I’m on my way to being ok with that. The important idea is that what we create is more important that what we created it with.

The second idea that captured my attention was that:

“Focusing on content is like focusing on what the Magna Carta or the Gutenberg Bible said, instead of what they did or what people did with them”

This reinforced the idea that the context of the material being studied is just as important as the material’s content. I think one of the hardest things to learn is not be able explain what something says, but to be able to be able to explain what it means and why it is important. This is a critical thinking skill we must continue to reinforce with our students.

Take care!

G

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