Mind Blowing Thinking Tools

Another example of what is going on across borders ... superseding traditional media filters, traditional education restrictions and limitations, and a lot more... learning with new tools... in action: the E-Learning Journeys, by Julie Lindsay.

Changes in educational tools (a.k.a to some of us as "thinking tools" ) can get messy: we know how to institutionalize things all right building gigantic structures involving many rules, but we seldom have a smooth process to assess needed changes nor do we have the means, to implement them smoothly. Cultural changes whatever they may be... tend to disturb on-going routines that make us feel safe (even when an announced tsunami is bound to happen...).

Interesting notes from the 5th Episode of the ISTE Eduverse Talks.... go watch!). Listen to the story of the kids in the rural school (US but we could extend this to any other place), informing their teacher that according to their very real conversations with kids from other places they didn't know (and will probably never visit but now they have the means to get to know via interactive social media platforms...), some of the information provided by the traditional media and printed matter they were studying... wasn't .. how can we put this... accurate? ... to-date ... properly informed?

Components to think about: the infrastructure to enable this, acting leaders like Julie to show & educate the way letting others go do..., respect for dissent and learning from others across conversation (usual filters), the will, the space and time but also the tools to allow creativity in the classroom, the patience to learn from growing the learning experience by seeding the rules and coaching the learning process throughout the many mistakes that will inform the learning...

Furthermore we need to learn how to "grow" the freedom of mind to allow learners to explore and develop their own paths and ways to achieve given milestones... above all: listen... like Julie does... meaning: really pay attention to whatever the findings may be. If you don't listen and pay attention to your students... don't expect them to pay attention to you. If you play the game of heteronomy, don't expect responsibility and autonomy ... which game do you really want to play?

Heinz von Foerster informed meme with a slight variation: if you want to learn and know more... learn how to act... learn how to learn and which tools you need to explore ...and adjust. He defined cognitive homeostasis as stable realit(ies) recursively informed by certain "thinking paths". Put in simpler terms, heteronomous re-enforcing structures demand that we generate a great Spanish tortilla ... without allowing anyone... to break any eggs.

Are any of the current Bologna informed (and misinformed) rumblings in the Spanish educational system, even aware of any of this?... do they even know what is at stake? ...are we paying attention to the digitally informed generations that will have to live throughout whichever cathedral of given rules we decide to change or NOT change locally speaking? I don't think so.