Mark Granovetter introduced more than thirty years ago the notion of “the strength of weak ties” - the idea that for many purposes, a large network of loose connections can be more useful for meeting many of your needs than a small network of close connections, e.g. for finding a job. This may seem counter-intuitive, but just think about it: there is typically a relatively large overlap between your network of connections and those of your close friends or family members. You already know or regularly interact with many of the same people, and it’s probably unlikely they’ll be able to pull out of a hat a connection to a person you don’t know, who possesses just the skills or resources you’re looking for. A former colleague who’s since moved on to a new occupation, however, is probably more likely to know new people and be able to put you in touch with what (or who) you need.
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Archive for k12online07
Traditional education tends to relegate students to the role of consumers, of passive recipients of knowledge, which is seen as something to be delivered by the teacher (with the aid of secondary sources such as authoritative textbooks). Over the years, the underlying assumptions of this model about how learning takes place have increasingly come under criticism, but while many call for an overhaul of the teacher’s role - from “Sage on the Stage” to “Guide on the Side” - this is still effectively the model according to which many classrooms operate. The critics further argue that schools need to upgrade the students’ role to active co-producers of learning and knowledge.
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That’s right - last night! I put the kids to bed, brewed some of Starbucks’ finest for my wife and myself, got out a packet of Tim Tams and then got comfy in my softest lounge chair. And then I went to a conference. No need for a visa, no airport checkins, and it didn’t cost me a single centavo - basically, it was all the flavour but none of the CO2 emissions (talk about going green!). No taxis, no need for an ironed shirt. I may even attend the next session from my bathtub!
Okay, you may not be a big fan of charades, so I’ll get to the point and explain. The 2007 K-12 Online conference started last night, and it was pretty cool, I have to say. Read the rest of this entry »
