#TOFOL Teaching: Online Facilitating Online Learning
June 24, 2012
Sharing = Caring = Growing Together
One of the activities proposed in this course was to create an artifact and share it.
When it comes to sharing, some of us stop and think. I do it, sometimes. This is a brief summary of thoughts that may cross my mind:
What do I get in return?
I don’t have much time to prepare something worth sharing.
What will the others think?
Whenever I am having these thoughts, I acknowledge that they are part of me, part of what I have learned in the past. And I acknowledge that they are not part of my present and my future, because they don’t correspond to what I am committed to, which is contributing to others and being part of a network of people that includes individuals with experiences different from mine. This diversity that I cherish motivates me to share. I may not get “something” – some specific thing – in return. At the same time, I know that I have received “things” from others that helped me learn and grow.
The thoughts that I am creating around sharing are:
I am giving the artifact I created to I don’t know who, and I hope people can use it for their benefit.
I am committed to enjoying every moment I spend creating. This way, I received my reward before I share.
Welcoming ideas, comments, and questions about my artifact is a way I can expand my world and grow.
There is also a side to sharing that I want to pay attention to. I received other’s artifacts as a contribution. I may not always know what I can use them for, but every artifact is worth taking a look at, listening to, and reflecting on. Artifacts contain ideas that I can transfer to my context. They can make me recognize something I have never noticed. This way, artifacts created by others make my world more diverse.
There is a quote that I posted in my portfolio about sharing, from George Bernard Shaw.
“If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples
then you and I will still each have one apple.
But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas,
then each of us will have two ideas. ”
This quote teaches me something about material and immaterial artifacts. When I am teaching and learning with others, I try to create artifacts I can share many times, with many people. Thanks to software developers, I have many applications and formats to choose from.
Cartoon from: http://strongchain.tripod.com/business/stories/stories.html
