To me, a learner is like a piece of modeling clay; Able to take on any shape and serve any purpose, but at the hands of the artist (the teacher). This is what I was thinking as I read Connectivism:A Learning Theory for the Digital Age, by George Siemens. Just as modeling clay can be changed and re-shaped over time, according to Siemens "many learners will move into a variety of different, possibly unrelated fields over the course of their lifetime." While it's obvious that there is a fundamental difference between a human (alive!) and clay (not alive!), certain tangible similarities do exist. The learner has some say in what she or he will become, but as Siemens notes, "Learning is a process that occurs within nebulous environments of shifting core elements – not entirely under the control of the individual."
So while there are limitations to this analogy (the human learner is much more complex than a piece of clay!) overall I do believe that the learner takes on a "shape" based on the different kinds of input she or he receives from various possible sources, mainly the teacher/artist. There are infinite possibilities for the human learner, as there are infinite possibilities as to what a piece of modeling clay can become.
3 comments:
Brooke, I liked your analogy concerning the learner as a piece of clay. I think it’s an accurate analogy since the learner is similar to clay in that their learning may change in a variety of ways over time. And as time passes, the remolding of the class relates to the different learning systems that arise.
Brooke,
I like your analogy since it allows for constant remodeling of the learner as the input changes. We could also look at the clay as changing because of the artists who remodel and remodel it. The same way that networks change the learner because of how he/she is transformed by these connections.
Dr. Burgos
Brooke, your analogy comparing the learner to clay is such a great idea! It makes a lot of sense. In terms of the teacher being the artist, it could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how the teacher 'molds' the clay. Unfortunately, some teachers leave a bad taste for certain students if it shows that they are not dedicated to teaching or their subject matter. On the other hand, the good "artists"/teachers can inspire students to pursue areas that they may have not otherwise found in interest in.
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