As we wrap up our week on the Role of Teacher, Stephen Downes offers this wonderful essay on groups. I’ve excerpted the key question from the much larger piece.
Half an Hour: That Group Feeling
When we look at learning, therefore, and when we ask which model should prevail, the group model or the network model, we are asking fundamentally what the role of our educational system should be. Should it be to foster an emotional attachment to a group, be it a nation, religion, or system of wealth distribution?
I think it makes a nice inflection point here because we’re going to be considering the role (roles?) of students next week. Read the whole piece before responding, but think about what this class is about and then think about other classes you’ve been in. Those of you who are teachers, think about whether you’re fostering a group or a network or something else. Think about what you’d like to be building and then consider why you might not be.