Like the design of that class, this book is not one full of how-tos. It is a book that highlights why: why educators can adopt a connected learning framework to help meet the needs of their students in their indi-vidual contexts.
Is this a parallel approach...we stop teaching the HOW and launch WHY so that educators and students begin to explore and design rather than repeating pre-packaged programs that promise (falsely) student achievement (based on generalities rather than specific users)
but also pioneering much needed new forms of learning within our classrooms
how then do we support, encourage and provide endless design resources to these pioneers? Here lies our work in Teaching and Learning!
Connected learning within classrooms is an approach to embolden and revolutionize today’s teaching labor force.
What does a culture that supports and insists upon "embolden and revolutionize" -ing our teachers look like? Who must we become in this way of learning and leading?
While connected learning principles are seen flourishing in out-of-school spaces, there are fewer articulations of how connected learning can help inspire and shift existing teacher practices.
Call to action for instructional designers!
This is what I see throughout the district, which I lovingly call "computer church"...students sitting once a week in a parallel play sandbox, typically playing a game that is responsive rather than generative...not even approaching DOK 1 levels of thinking.