Whether this blog blossoms into anything else remains to be seen. I was a disciplined diarist from the time I could write until just over ten years ago. I see value in journaling but am still rather uncomfortable with the idea of public journaling. It seems rather narcissistic behaviour. However, one can only grow through challenge and so I begin the challenge.
On January 24, I scribbled down these notes as a contemplated what to write about in my Learning Journal:
quick thoughts that need to be flushed out
- if knowledge is constructed, where do facts belong?
- Truth is relative, but 1 + 1 does equal 2 regardless of my biases, my previous knowledge, or whether I agree with that fact
- Does a teacher need to be a content expert? What role does discipline knowledge play in the method by which knowledge is constructed?
- pedagodgy vs. androgogy
Like my classmate Chris, I am struggling with the workload on my first online course. I am used to doing my PhD work on the bus between London and Toronto on class nights and then for a chunk of time on Sunday afternoon. The interactive nature of a discussion based online course requires that I log on frequently and write thoughtful responses to my peer's thoughts. I am spending four and five times more time in this course than any of the four previous ones I've taken. I am not sure I can keep up!
Perhaps that is just an excuse.....I have learned more in three weeks than I learned all last semester, so there is definitely a plus side to all of the work.
And so, I begin with this post. A half start, tentative step, a pocket of intention....the kids want to go tobogganing, so I'll end here and hope I am inspired while on the GT racer and can come up with a coherent composition when the house is once again quite!
