To be or not to be in a quest for changes

Here is my response to Mike’s post on losing my edge 

Hi Mike, I share similar views to Jenny. I empathise with your situation.  I think I would lose my edge too if I were in your position.

I realise how tough it could be, especially when some of the voices seemed to have been “weakened”, lost or even drowned in the “sea” of networks or at work, as you perceived it.

I could still hear the echoes, the amplification of those voices, out of the cries for changes as a result of the interactions amongst networkers, like David Wiley, Jim Groom, George Siemens, Stephen Downes, Alec Courosa for more systemic changes, the inclusion of personal learning development with PLN/E in formal education, and open education.  Seth Godin raised this alarm in his post on the Coming Meltdown in Higher Education.  Daniel Lemire responded in his What is a good university, highlighting the importance of University in Higher Education.  Tony Bates reinforces the importance of managing technology in universities. These have all blended with the perceived feeble voices, and weak connections that many other networkers have  made.

I do not feel comfortable in sharing as “openly” as you do, as I have responded to you via message on FB. I just kept my silence, and would prefer to go for meditation when I need more time and space to reflect on what works, and what doesn’t, especially on the systemic changes, and community responses. 

When I contemplate that there are better ways of promoting open education and learning, I would write blog posts to share my voices.  I don’t think I always go with the “flow” as envisaged, but surely I would listen to the voices of other networkers and colleagues and develop my judgment.

I seldom commented on your blog, as I think I have understood most of your views and aspirations, in open education, de-schooling, and the need for reform, or transformation etc. May be I have said enough and have exhausted all ideas in my responses, especially on those views that I resonate with.

Does it mean that you have to go with the flow?  I don’t know. 

For me, going with the flow makes me feel better, especially when it comes to work or learning in the network.   However, I could do see the significance of the tyranny of participation and collaboration in networked learning  and the pressure towards conformance and agreement in views in networks or at work.

As I have mentioned in my past posts, learning via networks may be easier as there are less conflicts, and would allow for openness and autonomy, as there is no one directing “us” to do whatever we think is right for us.  We could use the networks to guide us instead.

This liberates us to pursue our own aspirations – a quest for changes at a societal, systemic or personal level.  It is however, easier to start with changes with individuals.

As I read the later posts, you really mean something more….

I think we are in the verge of changes, the cross-road with a shift towards

Resource constraints

Value in Relationships

Business (education) flux

Education Transformation

Multi-way Markets

Information Abundance

Would we be in a quest for changes? Would the media change us? Would we change the media?

 John