Networked learning, and especially experiential learning are both teaching environments that I strive towards. The combination of socialization and intelligence is undoubtedly the main factors behind our progress as a species, so to focus on one without the other cripples ourselves severely. Networked learning blends together the experiences of many people so that each person sees how others learn and view the world. This is an amazing opportunity for students to find their own strengths, be inspired by another’s strength, and work to put them towards a shared goal.
But is there a tradeoff in too much networking in a learning environment? Does a classroom reach a critical point and then become a socializing group? Online groups can grow so large that they are hard to visualize, let alone understand. The focus of a large online communities has to remain on learning in order to avoid the enveloping trap of a social media platform. Moderation tools and community organization (see Wikipedia) can be quite effective, but they absolutely need to be backed up with empathy and honesty. Otherwise the audience of students will know that they are reduced to numbers in the learning community. Empathy and honesty are the cornerstones of learning environments that a teacher needs to establish in order to keep the space and mindset of learning sacred. Digital or analog, large lecture or mentorship, students need know that they are valued before they invest in their own learning.
Micheal Wesch showed how much he values and empowers his students during his animated talk [1]. He constantly demonstrated how much he valued his students and their progress, but I want to know more about his own experience and the school he is in. I am sure many modern education administrations would discourage or even outright prohibit his teaching methods. How did he manage administrative expectations on himself? Was he under scrutiny for attempting something different? What was the size of his class, and how precisely did he implement the ‘helping every person in the group creep up the hills’? I want to build a classroom experience like that myself, but that information is necessary.
[1] Wesch, Michael. “What Baby George Taught Me About Learning | Dr. Michael Wesch | TEDxMHK.” What Baby George Taught Me About Learning, YouTube TEDxMHK, 15 Apr. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=SP7dbl0rJS0&feature=youtu.be.