#Change11 Metaphors of learning and knowledge

I like to toss around ideas, thoughts, and explore about what metaphors mean.

Here in wikipedia, there are definitions and ample examples of metaphor:

“A metaphor is a literary figure of speech that uses an image, story or tangible thing to represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea; e.g., “Her eyes were glistening jewels.”

“argument is war” and “time is money.” Metaphors are widely used in context to describe personal meaning. The authors also suggest that communication can be viewed as a machine: “Communication is not what one does with the machine, but is the machine itself.” (Johnson, Lakoff, 1980).^[13]

I have composed some posts relating to metaphors, here, here, here, and here.

Here is a collection of metaphors  relating to knowledge and learning on delicious.

There are abundance of metaphors. Take these two as examples:

Models of innovative knowledge communities and three metaphors of learning

The knowledge creation metaphor – An emergent epistemological approach to learning

Under the Three metaphors of learning:

The acquisition metaphor: “monological” within mind approach

The participation metaphor: “dialogical”, interaction approach

The knowledge creation metaphor: “trialogical”, developing collaborative shared objects and artifacts.

What would be the metaphor for a connectivist approach?  Would it be based on a participation and knowledge creation metaphor?

How about a rhizomatic approach?

Picture: Google

For me, it requires some of the following images to represent and visualise, and more:

Picture: credit from Gordon

Photo credit: see link above

Photo credit: Google

Picture: From George & participants’ collaboration

Picture credit: Alan Levine

Have you got any images, videos, podcasts, audios or slideshares for Change11?

#PLENK2010 PLENK & Network Metaphor

I shared the below post in my blog on CCK09, and may I share the same with PLENK here?

My observation so far is that our “network(s)” do exhibit some of the phenomena of singles and flocks of birds or schools of fish, when it comes to CCK08, CCK09, CritLit2010 and this PLENK course.  Some would prefer to fly individually in the sky, whilst others would fly with flocks of “birds”, flying freeing through the sky, with multi-directions, and multi-”guidance” at times, and then the way they go afterwards…. Others would like to go for a “swim”, like a school of fish, through the ocean, and explore the deep, deep world down the ocean(s), and across the different oceans, where they encounter big and small school of fishes of all kinds.  Are there any borders in these network exploration?  Where are the limits?  The sky?  The ocean? The clouds (cloud computing, artefacts, social media)?

Would the birds and fishes meet?  May be, if they want to. But it’s all up to the desires and needs of the individuals. There are more and more “clouds or tools” forming, sometimes blurring the flights of the birds, but often they would help in guiding the flight paths as “mediators or navigators”.  The traces (artefacts, URL, tools, media and techniques) left behind could often be used as guidance for others. Would that be the emergent learning?

Are the ”birds”, “fishes” self organising?  Will the “clouds” help in the flight journey? Any thoughts?

May be we are all just human behaving similar to the emergence of flocks of birds and school of fish, but we won’t see these ourselves unless we step out of our comfort zone, and look at ourselves swimming in the ocean, or flying ourselves with the planes, and we could see ourselves out from the outer space, realising how small our planet is….

Refer to more sharing from others in the forum in PLENK before and after

Enjoy these

Photos: from Flickr

CCK09 Metaphors

Talks James Geary Metaphorically Speaking sounds interesting.

Here are some thoughts:

Metaphor: Creation of patterns

X=Y

Silence are sweet.

Some jobs are jails.

Language is fossil poetry.

I shake things up, therefore I am.

I like to make up metaphors: and you will find lots of them in my posts here.

My favourite metaphors just created are:

1. You are my dream, and I am a dream too!  Because when you visit me, my dream comes true.

2. Love is double edged sword, it cuts on one side, but is blunted when shielded.

3. Blogging is a public discursive discourse, where you could broadcast, share and reflect like an interactive TV.  

4. The business of education is a show legend.  Elvis is a show in the music legend, Einstein is the show in the science legend, and everyone is the show in this network legend.  When it comes to internet, including you, you and you, you are in the show of global legend.

5. Love is the legacy. Trust is the anti-legacy in internet, when spammers are looking for their preys…

What is your favourite metaphor?

Metaphorically speaking, what is love to you?