Blogs and Wikis

Picture this: Gales winds of up to 80 mph hit the city knocking out power lines and leaving hundreds of thousands of dwellers without power some for more than a week. It is hard to image needing to be so connected that within a week you feel like the world has experienced major new developments and you have missed out on the discussions that have ensued.

The power of blogs has been what has kept many Cincinnatians feeling connected and in the know. After Hurricane Ike’s remnants hit the city finding a power source to plug in your computer to get the latest news was probably similar to the way miners felt when they struck gold. Being able to hear first hand what was going on around the city from those who were experiencing it was more valuable than hearing from the energy company on when power was going to be restored, “It won’t be looong!”

In education and training the use of blogs adds a new dimension to the discussions going on. We are hearing from different sources piquing the interest of new listeners. Blogs and wikis have added a unique dimension to the discussions that are occurring in fields and the contributions individuals are making are being valued and heard. Using these dynamic tools makes the discussion of whether a tree falls in the forest worthy of having.

Spelunking and Adventure Learning

As I read Walczak’s (2002) article on Adventure Learning what resonated most were the images of the young girl learning through her exploratory experiences. Being a person who learns best through physical engagement much of my schooling is a blur of regurgitated material, praise, and good grades.

Fast forward to a recent trip I took to San Antonio where I seized the opportunity to visit the Caves of Sonora, rated as one of the top ten most beautiful caves in the United States by the Adventure Travel and Outdoor Recreation Group (GORP).

For me the experiences described in Walczak’s article on Adventure Learning and going spelunking, bore a striking similarity. Certainly, the difference of one being situated in a futuristic setting and the other in terrain that has been in existence for millions of years makes no difference because the parallels between the two are compelling. A few of them, as I see it, are as follows;




Education should be a full contact sport. Learners should participate in meaningful experiences which engage all of the senses. The cavers of yesteryear tacitly knew that the only way they could really understand the cave system was to get in the cave. They put themselves underground, immersed themselves in the environment, looked, listened, and learned. Cavers know caves from their experiences not from what they have read. In the future, learning may have to be a throw back to the wisdom unearthed by cavers which is, the best way to learn is to get down and dirty with your topic.


Reference:
Walczak, D. (2002). Encompassing education, pp. 60-64, In Department of Commerce. (2003). Visions 2020: Transforming education and training through advanced technologies. Government Report. Retrieved September 1, 2008 from, http://www.technology.gov/reports/TechPolicy/2020Visions.pdf