I am, therefore I think.

Original art posted at Deviant Art by ~pslv3r

So 2012 is upon us. 2011 was good for me, but I’m hard on myself… looking back, I probably accomplished more than I think. My tendency is to look at what I’ve done, and realize first what more I could have done, or how much better I could have done it. I am critical; not so much of others or other things, but really toward myself and my goals, projects, jobs or whatever. As I reflect on the things I got done last year, I’m starting to think it really doesn’t matter what I accomplished last year; what matters is what I’m going to do this year.

This year I’m not setting any goals or resolutions because at the end of the year I’m going to look back again and feel like I could have done more. This year I’m going to look forward and make a deliberate effort to simply keep doing what I do, every day, to the best of my ability… and I’m going to be happy with that. I have so many projects and collaborations on the go… more than enough to keep me busy, and I may find more, but that’s OK because I’m going to look at all of them in the same way. I’m going to be less focused on achieving the goal, and so much more focused on enjoying the goal.

This year, instead of looking at progress as a means to successful ends, I’m framing it as a process to extend, refine and strengthen learning. I’m going to view progress as a fractal representation of different sorts of knowledge and skill attainment. There is always room to improve. I’m going to accept (embrace, really) that I will always be learning, and that there will always be something to learn.

I’m going to do this by focusing on four words: Respect; Understanding; Relationships and Responsibility. These are the words that form a circle around me; a learning circle. They represent my hope as a learner. I am, therefore I think.

A what?

I am a phenomenological post-modernist.

A what? Who am I to be using such big words? Well, I am a phenomenological post-modernist... let me explain.

I am a person; myself. My perspective is the sum total of my experiences. Others are people; themselves. Together we all have experiences as we interact with each other and the world around us... the phenomena we are exposed to and that affect us. We are all in the world... the lenses I look through are shaped by this very complex and dynamic reality... this is my phenomenological perspective.

My postmodern perspective always sees a better way. I view the world subjectively, (perhaps we all do,) and see truth as the most logical and righteous construct to me at any given time... but times change, and so do constructs- there is always a better way... this is my postmodern perspective.

I understand that I am unarguably affected by my experiences; phenomena I've encountered altering the lenses I look through. I have dealt with adversity. I am a resilient person. Many times I have had support helping me see the intermediary position... the one that helped to dilute my polarized view. I know that the truth usually tends toward the middle.

The big words I use to describe my perspective are real to me. I think about them a lot. People give me a hard time about using big words, but I have earned the right to use them.

Who and what are you?

Excellence pursued...

"I believe in the pursuit of excellence; we can ask for nothing 

more than the individual’s greatest effort."

flickr CC image via DarrelBirkett

Excellence pursued is excellence. 

I believe that excellence in a finite state is not excellence. Once we believe there is no further direction toward an improved state, we have become less than excellent. 

as·ymp·tot·ic

   [as-im-tot-ik] 

adjective Mathematics .

1.

of or pertaining to an asymptote.

2.

(of a function) approaching a given value as an expression containing a variable tends to infinity.

3.

(of two functions) so defined that their ratio approachesunity as the independent variable approaches a limit orinfinity.

4.

(of a formula) becoming increasingly exact as a variable approaches a limit, usually infinity.

5.

coming into consideration as a variable approaches a limit,usually infinity: asymptotic property; asymptotic behavior.

 asymptotic. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved December 12, 2011, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/asymptotic

Excellence is an asymptotic concept. An athlete may be rewarded a gold medal for excellence, and then in the next race get dethroned as the gold medal score is beaten in the next race... once we think we've achieved excellence, we cease to be excellent.

In the special education environment I used to teach within, the benchmark for "excellence" was 80% of a goal achieved. Goals marked at 80% achieved would be replaced with a new goal. I always wondered what happened to pursuing the other 20%... and then I started to wonder if 100% was even good enough to be considered excellent. What if we simply stated that we will pursue measurable improvements to all goals, (whatever they may be,) understanding that they will never be mastered, but perhaps that the degree of focus on particular goals will change according to individual circumstances? This to me would be the unending pursuit of excellence.

Can we really every ask for anything more than the individual's greatest effort?

Learning for Living at LCU...

flickr CC image via Patrick Hoesly

Question: What will Learning Circle University look like in the real world?

Answer: It's quite simple really. Learning Circle University (LCU) is a conceptual model of learning built on a platform that supports a learning purpose. It's a circle of support enabling the learners inside it to thrive.

We can do much to surround ourselves within learning circles, but there are certain circumstances that can hinder individual efforts to do this. Sometimes we need a little help to achieve our learning goals, or perhaps even to realize the purpose behind them. We can put ourselves in motion toward a better place, but sometimes we need a little nudge; someone to hold our hand. Either way, the platform of the circle remains the same. Never before in history has there been a more optimal time to draw circles of support around those who need to know, want to know or both... anywhere, anytime and anybody learning.

EduKARE taking shape...

flickr CC image via Enokson

The most exciting announcement I've heard for a while took place today in my city. Through the collaborative efforts of the City of Red Deer, Red Deer Public Schools and Red Deer Public Libraries, a new library was born today. This library will be different though.

This library will serve as a public and a school library, and it will be located at a new school to be opened in September 2014. This is a concept for library services that I have been thinking about, and writing about for some time. From the archives...

"As schools are renovated, redesigned or built new, physical EduKARE elements could be built into them. Community halls, recreational facilities, health clinics, libraries, satellite police stations, social service agency offices... these could be built in to the new building reducing cost of maintaining multiple facilities. Shared costs between agencies and school boards in providing these collaborative service spaces would save money. Thinking way outside the box, why couldn't senior citizen facilities share the same buildings as well? Sugatra Mitra is connecting senior citizens with the time and so much more to offer our youth in a global context; why not bring his "granny cloud" concept to every school? If we can connect significant others to kids in a global context, surely we can make the connection locally within our schools."