Personal Webpublishing as a reflexive conversational tool...

Sebastian Fiedler's article Personal Webpublishing as a reflective conversational tool for self-organized learning examines the use of blogging as a tool for learning in ways that empower the learner to become more autonomous and self-directed.

A couple months ago I read an article that essentially argued against schooling... at least in the traditional sense. The author encouraged everyone to drop out of school, preferring home learning and other activities. As a long-time student and more recent educator, teaching and learning is an important part of my identity. So, an argument against such things peaked my curiosity and challenged my worldview. Once I was able to open my mind to the article, I actually agreed with much of what the author had to say. Schools, he argued, were sites of socialization, where students mostly learned to conform to their social and civil roles in capitalist society. Moreover, schools themselves are anti-democratic institutions, where students have little opportunity to make real choices, direct their learning, spend time doing things they value, or show independent initiative. As a result, he argued, we can expect a docile and compliant citizenry.

While I would never endorse dropping out of school, the article did force me to examine ways in which education can set limits rather than expand horizons. Often, institutional schooling can stifle creativity, experimentation, and intellectual energy.

Fiedler, similarly, argues that in times of rapid change we have to be "careful not to codify and freeze our processes of learning." He argues for a shift away from "complete dependency on educational authorities who are in control of process and content towards a more self-organized, conscious, and purpose-driven model of personal change." Fiedler sees web publishing using blogs as an ideal way to implement this more self-directed and self-reflective learning model, wherein learners can take more responsibility for their own learning. As students write blogs and comment on the blogs of others, they become both learners and facilitators. In their learning "conversation" they become learning resources for each other.