Human Involvement is such a Novel Concept

I dunno...it just seemed to fit the mood of the post, or just my mood at the moment.

I think that this week has gone substantially better than the last few weeks of class. In the first place, I feel reasonably organized in working toward my goals, and moving to get things done in class and on time. So in many circumstances I think I'm moving at a good clip.

One thing that truly appealed to me was in the Building Online Learning Communities reading for this week about the need for human interaction. I think the reading was very appealing to me, because until I was able to get organized, I felt very very alone in this venture. In some ways, this is a very lonely activity...even though we are looking a community based concepts for online education.

Feelings...oh whoa whoa whoa feelings..

Yes..those over 30 will remember this cheezy song and it's whoa whoa whoa chorus.....

but anyway, when the Journal entry for this week asked me how I felt this week, what my whoa-whoa-whoa feelings were about this experience so far I just had to find a way to work old Morris into this.

but how do I really feel here...I think that I will start with the ideas that Palloff and Pratt in their holding (pg. 5) that institutions entering the DL arena must be prepared to tackle issues and problems that are out there, and to develop new plans and skills to create empowered learners. I think this is critical, as empowered learners are critical to building both and enlightened society, and a more successful educational experience.

I think that we have hit among the group about the positives of DL from a convenience standpoint, and from an expense area..and that it might be something that brings more and more people into the fold. However, if it's something that is worth doing, it is something that is worth amking sure that the educational experience adds value to the students, and is not just something that the University lists on the bottom line.

More to come....as there is plenty to read

Feelings on the start of a new DL experience

Something Wicked this Way Comes....

I remember my first experience on the internet. I was in one of my first days of College at BGSU, and a friend of mine connected me to the BBS (a Bulletin Board Service for those of you under 30) for Star Trek and gaming buffs. I remember thinking that it was interesting that we were talking with people half way across the world about Data and Picard versus Spock and Kirk...the truth didnt much matter, it was just that we could say it, and *poof* there were are comments for the world to see.

Well, it's about 20 years later, and the technology has changed, the pages are cleaner, brighter, faster, and there is waaayyyy more porn...but the underlying truth about the blogs/BBS posting is about the same. We can say whatever we want about the world, about our fantasies, or our way of life and it's still really cool to see it posted out there.

what I am concerned about, and what I think led me to the image above is the idea that something wicked has indeed come this way, and we are not questioning or using reason or critical thought to analyze this wealth of opinion and information that is out there in the blogsphere. we are trusting people who like to believe what is out there on the web as the truth in many ways...political truth, social truth, philosophical truth all without questioning whether or not there is value added to our experiences.

I'm guilty in many ways..I dont read as many books (the info is on the web after all) I text instead of call, and I am willing to sacrifice the connection of a true conversation. However, this is not to say that a forum like this one cannot add substantial value to the experience. I think that we need to remember the basics of conversation and of research in the blogsphere, and we'll be just fine.

Just a few initial thoughts...better late than never I hope.