Friday, September 16, 2011

Joining my first MOOC

I am reading The Unforgiving Minute: A Soldier's Education by Craig Mullaney at the moment.  I am enjoying it for many reasons and reading the book has surely infused meaning to the morning Pledge of Allegiance in our 5th grade class.  But what struck me yesterday was the description of the author's time at Oxford, which he describes at "the gift of an interval."  It was during this interval that he had time to read, attend lectures, and think about all of the information he was taking in - what a wonderful gift in this busy world.  I want to make time for a mini-interval. 

I want to reflect on what we can do to help our students enjoy learning so they will be prepared for the continuous learning that must be a part of their adult lives.  Technology and information are changing so rapidly that our students need to have strategies for adapting.  I think education is in a time of great flux.  I am optimistic that public education in this country is going to change because of the amazing things innovators in education are doing, but pessimistic that it will happen in time for my three children (6th, 9th and 10th grades) to get to take full advantage.

I want to be in on the discussion about change in education, so I joined the Change2011 MOOC, #change2011. This will be my first Massive Online Open Course and this is just orientation week.  I'm cautiously optimistic about my participation, but it's new to me.  I has spurred me to make this blog public.   My plan is to listen to as many of the lectures as I can and reflect here as I go so that I will have some time to think.  So as Oprah says, "here we go!"

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