Scarcities 2: Online Learning PlatformsPosted on November 4, 2013 by A+ Brooke Lester, CuratorMy first forays into online learning were projects undertaken to address the “scarcities” of the face-to-face classroom. These were “embellishments” on the classroom that I discussed at the time in terms of collaboration, diffusion, and asynchrony. The “flipped classroom” stands too as a widespread attempt to address the scarcities of the brick-and-mortar learning space. This is why I find myself approaching “online learning” with an attitude different to some of my colleagues. Where some view the online platforms as threatening to “take away” goods associated with the face-to-face classroom, I had first turned to the online platforms seeking relief from the traditional classroom’s scarcities. In a previous post, I wrote about the face-to-face classroom and its scarcities (particularly time, space, permeability, and malleability). This week, I describe two kinds of online learning space and their own scarcities.
The Second Naiveté of Online LearningPosted on August 5, 2013 by Timothy SnyderIncreasingly, online learning is a part of theological education. And yet, the vast majority of current professors were trained in traditional classrooms. Many of us are finding ourselves teaching in settings we ourselves have never had to learn in. How can educators embrace a second naiveté towards online learning?While I was working on my master’s degree, I remembering attending a workshop on “developing a teaching philosophy.” I was in the early stages of applying to doctoral programs so I thought it would be a good chance to learn how many of my professors reflect on their vocation as teachers.
Reimagining Nimble Ways of Preparing Persons for Church Leadership—2 of 2Posted on July 23, 2013 by Robin SteinkeLet’s clarify the challeges for preparing persons for Church leadership:The world needs the church to be better at being the church.Global crises are erupting around issues of poverty, environmental degradation, economic injustice, alienation of persons, refugees and immigration challenges, human trafficking and violence, to name just a few urgent issues. The list is long and complex. The world needs the church to be better at being the church in ways that bear witness to God’s promise for the flourishing of the world.