Moving forward – looking back – the recursive journey of learning

Keeping ahead of the field

Yikes, January 17th 2012 already!  Another year has arrived so fast that I barely have my running shoes on and already I am being called to the starting blocks. Yes, it is a race, as a race against the clock seems to be the order of the day in our fast paced world of Web2.1 and beyond, iPads, iPhones, iTouches. Twitter, Google+ and the ever changing and confusing Facebook, texting, blogging, voice messaging etc. But somewhere there needs to be time for reflection, time for looking back over what has gone before. If we do not look back and take stock of what has passed and what has been the successes and challenges of the previous year, then we can fall into the trap of running the same race year after year and never moving beyond. To keep ahead of the field I have to study the field, I have to know what works and what should be put to one side or completely dropped.

The world of learning and teaching is ever changing (play-based learning, inquiry learning, project learning, critical thinking, problem solving etc), ever growing and it is fast paced. To be the best we can and to help our students be the best that they can, we do not have to have all the answers, but we need to be asking a lot of questions. Those questions will be best formed as we reflect on the past year, the last week, the day that has just ended and lesson that has just finished. As we move forward we are propelled by what we learn from looking back. The looking back assists the looking forward and provides the focus that is so necessary to scan the information that is now flooding us as educators and learners.

I am excited with what lies ahead, but I am taking time to make sure I have learned my lessons from what has now passed. I wish you all an amazing 2012 and I am looking forward to learning from and with you all. I hope you will join me through this blog, Google+, Facebook and Twitter and keep the thinking and reflecting open and challenging for us all.

Have an awesome year everyone!

CC

Last updated by Carmel Crevola at January 17, 2012.