I have only been able to glance at others’ insights and perspectives, but am deeply impressed by the range and depth of exploration. I hope after next week that I’ll be able to read all of the posts more closely and interact with all of you more fully. But I worry about not “keeping up” or posting comments on topics that have long since gone away or rehashing old topics. On the other hand, I am confident in this group of learners that topics will never dry up, participation will always be appreciated, and learning will be ongoing. 

Having said that, I want offer a few thoughts in response to Alec’s question: How do I make my learning visible? I’ve been pondering this as I put together my courses for the  upcoming spring semester. What do I want my students to be able to do? How do I expect (want) learning to occur in my classrooms? How do I model learning in the classroom? 

To begin with, I believe strongly in the social construction of knowledge, and have transitioned smoothly into the connectivist camp. I also believe strongly that “learning for all means learning for one.” While most college administrators seem interested in the “massive” part of MOOCs, I (like Stephen Downes) am most interested in the “open” part. I want my students to explore and make mistakes and struggle. I want learning to be messy and FUN. Too many of my students have forgotten (or never realized) that learning in school can be fun. They too often separate out the learning that they “have” to do and the learning that they “want” to do. They are so busy looking for “correct” answers, that they don’t appreciate the journey. Being “open” means that you have permission to find your own learning and carve out your own learning space. My number one priority, therefore, is to help students make a personal connection in the course so that they can have some fun learning. 

This semester, I am teaching two courses: Electronic Documents and Publications and Principles of Modern Grammar. The eDocs course in the past has been a simple web site course, but since we are trying to get a Professional Writing Minor off the ground, we’re revising all of the prof writing courses. The  eDocs course that I’m teaching this semester will revolve around two primary projects: PLN and Curation. After one week in this MOOC, however, I fully admit that I am woefully underqualified (and underprepared) to teach this course. BUT, my students and I are going to learn together.  I think the course has great potential to meet each student’s (as well as my own) needs as a learner and as a future professional. As I build an initial simple web site to get us started, I’m really excited about how the course will develop. I have clear stated outcomes, but the class will construct what those outcomes mean and how we will meet those outcomes. 

I make my learning visible by making my work transparent, by sharing with my colleagues and co-learners, by collaborating at every opportunity, by being available to read/respond/discuss whenever needed. My goal is to make my learning even more visible by creating new communities, connecting with a wider range of new colleagues, and engaging on as many levels as possible. Learning makes me happy, and I try to help others find as much joy in learning as I do.