Making is Learning
We are all makers. We cook, sew, construct, write, play music, tinker, paint, tell stories. We engage in our world through the creation of thousands of artifacts that allow others to understand our outlooks and world views. We express ourselves through creation. We always have. And in all of our making we express ourselves and then we reflect on what we've created. We share our creations with others and we ask for feedback. “Do you like my new recipe?” “What do you think of my painting?”
Throughout our process, we learn. It is through trial and error and the ever important failure that we learn what to do and what not to do. Learning to make something work involves discovery and wonder - it's a spiral of intrinsic motivation; each new understanding unlocks new questions. We improve our skills as we create.
In the Making as Learning Movement, networks like Webmaker, the Hive Learning Networks, Make to Learn, the National Writing Project and many, many more are integrating interested-based, hands on activities into their lesson plans and programming to focus more squarely on each learner's needs and building community in the process. These networks are experimenting with changing the power dynamic between teacher and learner, instead forming networks of peers, and using the idea of mentorship to level up competencies, both in the “learner” as well as the “teacher”.
Make to learn tech skills and concepts.
MAKE: Say "Hello" by showing #TeachTheWeb what you think.
We’re more than handles, icons and profile pictures--we’re humans and peers in this together. In getting started, explore one of the following questions:
- What does “connected learning” mean to you? What does it look like?
- How would you define “making”? What is something that you see in a new light because of your definition?
- When is a time you learned something from someone else?
Write a blogpost, a status update, an infographic, slide deck or some other creative output as an introduction to who you are and a reflection about these concepts.
To get you started, check out these introductions other folks have made. Then go ahead and post your first “Make” to the Webmaker Community.
Connected Learning
Cultural anthropologists and researchers funded by the MacArthur Foundation's Digital Media and Learning Initiative released a new learning model called “Connected Learning” in the first quarter of 2012 (“Researchers Introduce New Model of Learning, Connected Learning,” 2012).
This model (see below) is based on a large body of research and includes Connected Learning principles and core values.
These principles state that education in the modern world needs to be:
Interest-powered - the researchers state that “learners who are interested in what they are learning, achieve higher order learning outcomes.” (“Connected Learning Principles,” n.d.) Organizations that follow the connected learning principles create programming that allows the learner to explore their own interests.
Peer-supported – Connected learning also has an element of socialization as a required function in learning. Allowing learners to interact with each other and teach each other in various forms of group work helps learners make connections not only with the materials they're learning, but with their peers as well. Creating learning spaces where peer to peer learning is encouraged leads to deeper cultural exploration and understanding.
Academically oriented - The third principle proposed by the Connected Learning Model proposes that academic success is an important underpinning for intellectual growth.
There are a variety of networks that seek to put these principles and values into practice. Connected Learning is an innovative way of creating peer groups from different parts of world for the sake of learning & sharing knowledge, so all over the world groups of people and organizations are beginning to use the model to help them design learning opportunities for their local communities.
In practice, it would seem that both hyper-local aspects as well as global connections play an important role in Connected Learning.
MAKE: How do we define our terms?
As the “Makes” begin to stream in from our cohort, take a look and see:
- If someone defined “making” or “connected learning” differently than you did.
- If someone used a technique or an idea that you’d like to use in the future.
If you are so inspired, either:
- Respond to their post, or even better..
- Remix it from your point-of-view. Be sure to mention them with an @[name] when you post it.
3. Connect Yourself to Connected Learning
Identify an exercise in your teaching or engagement practice that you might redesign using Connected Learning principles. Walk us through how you “usually” do it, and then what your new experience would look like.
If you’d like some further “inspiration” try hitting up the DML Hub or Connected Learning site for some tasty resources. Link to the resource that inspired you in your post.