This week, we have been considering what metaphors we might use to convey our experience of IDEL, how we see the space that we are in, whether we can map it out or represent it in some alternative form, based on a spatial metaphor.
There have been some interesting propositions so far:
- Susie’s Sushi Bar
- Karen’s Spaceship IDEL
- Renee’s Paperbag Princess
- Sai’s baby steps
- Kelly’s ecosystem
- Andy’s Binary World:
Christine has usefully summarised the offerings so far:
| Broad Theme | Started by… | Metaphor/Analogy | Representation |
| EcologyMovement & changeChange & timeConnections
Digestion
What’s going on below the surface…
… and how is it represented? |
Kelly | Ecosystem | Image |
| Karen | Starship on journeyDancing – change in steps | Story | |
| Images | |||
| Lorenzo | Pit – showing change process | Visual graph | |
| Sai | Baby steps – increasing exposureWeb of connections | Visual graph + Quicktime | |
| Image | |||
| Lisa | Caught in the web | Image | |
| Lorenzo | Knowledge bubbles | Image | |
| Mary | Maps | Image | |
| Susie | Sushi bar – digestion + service | Image + Thinglink annotation | |
| Sarah | MOOcow and body functions | Image + annotation | |
| Renee | Paperbag princess, hacking at fairytales | Images | |
| Chris | Space – and a remix of the week’s intro | Image, sound, remixed words (Soundcloud) | |
| Andy | Binaries (and rhizomes) | QR code | |
| Dorine | Object oriented way of thinking | Discussion | |
| Discussion themes | Questions | ||
| Anna | Neuroplasticity of the brain | Do we process differently? | |
| MaryMary | Ownership & control | How do we protect students from being exploited? | |
| Skeuomorphism | Are our old metaphors no longer working? | ||
| Helen | Design | How do we make a transition to new ways? | |
| Implications for teaching | Marie | New form of engagement | How do students feel? |
| Karen | Role of teacher (in MOOCs) | What is a teacher at scale? |
Mid-way through the week and I’m still stuck for ideas.
I feel like I’m in a confusing hall of mirrors with half visions and half ideas fragmenting and dispersing.
However, maybe I’m just reflecting…
Hello Helen,
Do you think that other spaces might also feel like a confusing hall of mirrors? I think my whole role feels like that sometimes! Could your feeling about the experience of IDEL help you connect with the teachers you are trying to draw into online work?
Best,
Velda
Hi Velda,
With regard to feeling often like we’re in a hall of mirrors, I think you’re right! However much of my work feels ‘transactional’ and practical so embarking on this course is providing me with the opportunity to be reflective, to think about my own practice and my own learning in a way in which I haven’t done previously.
I think your suggestion as to using my experiences and responses to engage the teachers I’m working with is incisive: I need to move our teachers beyond the transactional and work towards developing within them a sense of engagement with the process of change. Meta-analysis and loop inputs will be starting points for my thinking about the next stage of my work with the in-school teams.
Best,
Helen