Blogging? How does it Relate to Teaching and Learning?

Discussions

@gcouros posted earlier this week The Power of a Good Lecture where he challenged the notion that ‘the person talking is doing all the learning.’ I happen to agree with him, allow me to clarify. I do not think they are learning as much as being transparent, revealing what they already know.

Nothing is more powerful for teaching and learning than a good conversation. I believe the lecture was the first part of the discussion and what George describes inside his head during the lecture was the other side of the lecture, engagement if you will, just not out loud. This is one type of discussion, but one which most of our learners are decreasingly prepared to “participate” in.

I think there is a second example in what George did here though; he wrote a blog post – like a lecture – and then shared it to a hashtag and invited the other half of the conversation back. So in this example the give and take was pretty overt. The lecture was engaging to George and worked for him, what worked (better) for me was the chance to take his idea and add to it, question it, roll it around in my mind, and then respond to it.

My Blogging is my Part of our Discussion

*Surprise* this is all one big discussion.
And if we don’t connect on this blog, sometimes we chat about these topics on social media. And even if we don’t chat about a specific post we are watching each other’s Twitter feeds and see a kindred spirit as a potential next discussion.

I will continue to hold up my end of the conversation and just know that you might be participating as George did above with his professor. All the same I would love to know your thoughts as well!

Processing my Ideas

I have a favorite uncle. We are the same kind of people and we have always had so much in common. We live far apart for the better of these last 20 years, but every time we talk it is the same wonderful experience! I had asked him if he was interested in doing a blog a couple of years ago. He isn’t even Facebook-ready yet, but I know that Content is King – and he has gold in his head and heart. Out of the blue he called me today and wanted to answer some questions I had asked him a year or so again via email.

I grabbed a pen and tried to capture some of our conversation. I wanted the notes so that later I could review them and incorporate them into a blog post later, when I had more time to reflect and try to identify the thread which connects the meanderings of the conversation. I need time to think over the ideas I claim to have, the ideas others challenge mine with, and the ideas they plant in my mind to see if those ideas grow up to connect with other thoughts I have.

Writing is a slow, intentional process for me which challenges me to intentionally confront what I think and why.

How does Blogging Relate to Teaching and Learning?

It is a conversation in which I examine what I think and why I think that. Sometimes I have the conversation with seemingly nobody, but putting my thoughts out there clarifies them for me when someone is ready to engage.

Fonte: www.hotlunchtray.com