Week 1 reflection questions

1. Honestly, having anything written down is helpful to me! Especially, something as important as my personal educational philosophy. The thought of creating such a document is almost overwhelming. I appreciate the methodical and incremental approach.
2. Blogging can have several very useful purposes. The original is an online personal expression tool. A resource allowing people to speak their minds and express themselves digitally and to a world wide audience. Furthermore, the blog format can be useful in just organizing online content. Whether it be for a class, event, group, etc.
3. I believe that we are getting closer to meeting the potential that Stephen Downes illustrates in his article on Educational Blogging. However, the number of schools where this model exists is only a tiny percentage. The segmentation of students working independently to accomplish their self directed goal is in stark contrast to our current educational philosophy: teachers as information wizards. Instead, the role of educator should transform into that of a facilitator: providing the means to self discovery. I believe that to fully meet this potential a paradigm shift, rather a revolution, in education is needed l. One that I see coming and am excited to be at the forefront of.
4. Two specific areas of November's article struck me as interesting: Camera's in the Classroom & Automating Vs. Informating. These relate to an area that I am currently exploring: virtual classroom environments. I understand the use of video as a form of self evaluation. However I believe the author is somewhat perverting its usefulness. It should not be used as a means to check up on students or teachers or for monitoring performance by anyone other than those being observed. Personally, I have two security cameras in my classroom. But they serve a single purpose: security. Now, I am in favor of live broadcasting classroom discussions, etc to the public. All too often, our classrooms become bee hives: the students enter, work, and leave. But hardly anyone outside the hive actually knows whats happens inside. We have to make learning transparent. And we need to start with the classroom. If our classrooms are transparent, in that our teaching becomes open source, then why not remove the physical walls and make learning virtual? Too much tax payer money is spent on education facilities. We have the technology to remove learning from the classroom and take our classrooms out into the world. But first the traditional educational system stigma has to be broken.