I somewhat disagree - I think this community building is successful precisely because there is a shared interest or goal. It goes hand in hand. If there is no connecting theme or goal, the groups fall apart.

Sarah Mojarad. (2020, October 23). What are some of the positive consequences of social media? Would love to hear your stories! [Tweet]. @Sarah_Mojarad. https://twitter.com/Sarah_Mojarad/status/1319722197766733825

Yammer is Web 2.0 software which integrates with Microsoft 360 and allows users to communicate together and across the organization. It essentially functions as social networking software for corporations with the ability to collaborate on projects, maintain task lists, store files, documents and pictures all within a private enterprise network. In addition Yammer allows for the sharing of feedback and the management of group projects. Yammer is freemium software with a variety of custom add-ons. Licenses are currently issued for all learner participants and at this time no custom add-ons are necessary.

RATING: 5/5 (rating based upon a score system 1 to 5, 1= lowest 5=highest in terms of content, veracity, easiness of use etc.)

Going back to the “projects” in the Maker Movement. Not “project-based learning” with projects set through the curriculum. But the kind of “quest” that allows for learning along the way and which may switch at a moment’s notice.

Sometimes this takes weeks or even months. I remember taking a walk with an art teacher several years ago, and I asked him how a particular student was doing in his class, and specifically what he was working on because it was hard for me to figure out how to get him connected to my work in English. It was November, just before Thanksgiving, and my colleague said, "I haven't figured out what his project will be yet," he said, before going on to explain a couple of things he had tried without success. I was struck with how patient he was being in letting the project come to the student, and not forcing him into a prescribed curriculum. Waiting is so hard, yet the work produced once there is a "flow" for a student makes it worth the wait. This has strong implications for school structures however! We need to be with students for longer periods of time. It also has implications for how groups work together. Perhaps a student who hasn't found his/her project yet can help others?

This might be the most explicit link to constructivism and constructionism. Not only is it about “learn by doing”, but it’s about concrete action in the physical world. Can’t help but find it limiting and restrictive to mention “3D Printing” as the main component. After all, FabLabs got started without 3D printers and the Maker movement has a lot of stuff which has little to do with 3D Printing. But it’s hard to argue that 3D Printing haven’t attracted attention, in the past couple of years. Sexier than laser etching? As Makers often point out, there’s a lot in the movement which is really very similar to what was happening in shop class. Though the trend may sound new, it’s partly based on nostalgia. A neat aspect, though, is that much of it can happen through learners’ projects cutting across class boundaries. Sure, we’ve known about project-based learning for a while. You do a project for a class or a series of classes. But how about a personal pathway (cf. “individualism”, above) through which learners add learning experiences around a central project? Learning Circles can make that into something really neat.

That's a lot to throw in here at the end. It does make me wonder about how focusing too much on assessment might become the tail wagging the dog, if you know what I mean. Because ultimately it gets back to working together to create quality assignments and teaching the process of self-directed learning.