The Two Monks

Two monks were walking in the early morning. They approached a river which had been swollen by the melting snows into a torrent. The torrent was sweeping right over a small wooden footbridge.
A frightened beautiful young woman stood by the new bank. Sighting the two monks, she pleaded tearfully with them to take her across.
Without saying a word, the first monk took her into his arms and held her high as he waded across the footbridge and set her down on the far bank.
The two monks continued their journey in silence until sunset, when their vows of silence permitted them to speak.
The second monk turned on his brother and asked angrily, “How could you have picked up that woman? You know that our vows prevent us from even thinking about women – let alone touching one. You have disgraced our whole order!”
“My brother”, replied the first monk, “I put that woman down early this morning. It is you who have been carrying her around all day!”
If the two monks were teachers, and the beautiful young woman was the learner, what would this story or metaphor tell you?
Would torrent and bridge mentioned in the story be -
Torrent – learning barriers?
Foot bridge – connections, technology?
Comments?

Strong versus Weak Ties

In this Little Boxes, Glocalization and Networked Individualism by Barry Wellman

Much thinking about digital cities is in terms of community groups. Yet, the world is composed of social networks and not of groups. This paper traces how communities have changed from densely-knit “Little Boxes” (densely-knit, linking people door-to-door) to “Glocalized” networks (sparselyknit but with clusters, linking households both locally and globally) to “Networked Individualism” (sparsely -knit, linking individuals with little regard to space). The transformation affects design considerations for computer systems that would support digital cities.

Are strong ties losing favour to weak ties for individuals (educators and learners)?

Let’s see.  My reflections

Strong versus weak ties

How many of us have strong connections (or ties) with our colleagues, our immediate supervisors or family members, relatives? 

Do we share our inner feelings and emotions (level 3 and 4, the deep ones) with them?

Do we trust them?

Do we comment and criticise them? 

Do we judge them in a fair way?

Have you got polarised answers?  Why?

Why do people prefer weak ties to strong ties?

- Could establish ”trust” and friendship with someone at a private level (i.e. with those who are not close at work or family)

- Protect ones privacy and identity

- Hold ones integrity

- Less conflict

- More willing to share due to openness

- Become more confident in establishing relationships

- Wider connections – gain insights from diverse perspectives and learning from different domains

- A “test of uncharted waters” – could try different networks, connections

- Failure to connect or interact doesn’t harm that much, could try again

- Have dream “partners”, “co-learners”, “professors” or “instructors”…

Are there any implications with this strong versus weak ties?

Limitations with staying on with strong ties (work place, strong groups or communities)

- Learning with your peers, colleagues and supervisor or family members is limited to that of your family group, section, organisation, and sometimes within the same domain, the closed little box

- Group think – everybody tries to conform to the rules, and please others to create harmony.  Complacency follows. 

- Wrong decisions - finger pointing, poor communication, poor judgment, misinterpretation of patterns

- Waiting to be directed at work or at home, especially when one is under an autocratic “leadership” environment. Why border? Lack of initiative. Lack of innovation. Low self esteem, confidence and motivation to learn.

- Dare not share the beliefs with others.  Poor trust and respect on each others resulting from conflicts. Poor relationships follow

- Competition rather than collaboration.  Lose – Lose becomes the way

- Politics, control, gossiping, destructive comments and criticisms poison the ties.

Merits with strong ties

- Learning with your strong connections could more easily establish professional “friendship” and “respect”

- A team approach towards problem solving. Team building leading to even stronger ties.

- Common vision and missions.  Gearing of strategies towards vision and missions. 

- Adoption of a pragmatic approach in collaboration. 

- Win-Win, if the team develops positively towards “Best Practice”. Continuous improvement and innovation.

What are your experiences?

Connectivism – What are the undesirable by-products of connections?

I have noted numerous intrusion to my blog and emails (in particular) and computer (over the internet): 

1. spywares
2. pingbacks/spams with adult themes (advert. on porno, sex, dating, car insurance, etc.), and others such as construction jobs advert. …(at least 4 spams)
3. offer me with a huge sum of money (from a mysterious account) 
4. virus

Am I still secure?

I have even found a mixed blog which has “posted my recent post on blog” on its blog with “an attraction” for advertisement.  It hasn’t got my consent.  Is it an “e-theft”? What are the ways to stop these from happening? 

And here in the forum, at times, with no idea about who I am talking with, not knowing their intention or needs, and expectation (a metaphor – the camouflage). Are people really open? What portion of the conversation is genuine?

In second life: Is he/she an avatar (fictitious one) or a real person?  Is the learning experience shared authentic?   

Unfortunately, these are the by-products of connections.  These are not only future dimensions, but immediate threat.  How to deal with these?

I learn from my co-learner that sage on stage would be better to be guide on side.  In this insecure ecology filled with terrorist attacks and computer virus and security threats (I don’t want to be negative, but have to be realistic), who could be my guide?

Am I too critical?

Are these also your concerns?