Interactive Learning: HE in FE

I really mean it this time!

Having had the intention to blog very regularly, I have found myself sufficiently deluged that said good intentions have flown by. That is not to say that there hasn't been considerable reflection on events. This has been ongoing. The trouble is that reflexivity is often temporary in its verbal or written expression even though it embeds itself into daily practice. So - have I missed the opportuity to make the subconscious or even the unconscious become part of a more conscious stream of learning. I don't believe so. Well, not completely anyway.

One of the key features of my learning experience over the past few months has been the variety of different types of engagement and therefore the development of a more varied multi-faceted learnspace. Some time ago I started to use Facebook and found that it opened up a very supportive, amusing and engaging dialogue with (initially one of) my peers in the learning community. This has grown and developed and has (hopefully) made me some friends for the long term. This friendship is grounding and motivating and will underpin a determination to boldly go (haha) further with this endeavour. More recently we have been working on a wiki (kiwi) and using Skype; both are new to me, both are proving interesting (kiwi) and energising (Skype). I have been forced out of my comfort zone and have learned from this experience.

Interestingly, I type in an environment physically and role-wise outside my comfort zone and am really beginning to appreciate the activity of a fellow staff member. I am on evening duty and we have been recently charged with spending the first two hours on Reception (as there are issues of 'lone working' for the staff should we not join them). This immediately took me from the 'expert' role to that of a 'novice' and a new type of learning activity. So here I am, an absentee mum, reflecting on my academic activity as an apprentice in a Ph.D community, working as a Director, but being part of the College Reception team. How can this experience ever be measured through positivism?

posted by Jane @ 6:00 pm