Diving into the DS106 Pool and Camping Magic Macguffin Style – Part 2

Watching Michael Wesch‘s lecture “From Knowledgeable to Knowledge-able” (part 1 and part 2) was a great return to some  thought provoking material for me. I had the fortune of meeting Wesch briefly and seeing an earlier version of this lecture a couple of years a go at Alan November’s Building Learning Communities Conference in Boston.

It was the first time I got to go to the conference and Wesch was the whole reason that I fought for my district to send me. I had seen all his videos, read a lot of his work on his blog, and couldn’t wait to see what he would present. He presented what must have been an early version of this talk.

There is something heartrendingly beautiful about his story of spending time in Papua New Guinea and it being the harbinger of everything he knows about the Internet. In watching the video, the irony of his experience is what I continue to find so amazing. I sometimes believe that we live in a time of enormous paradoxes. AT&T used to have an ad campaign with the catchphrase, “In a world full of technology, people make the difference.” And they do. Wesch poignantly highlights this, as he explains how he was curled up on the floor of a remote hut coming to grips with his own identity crisis.

Yet, in true classical story form, it was only in a completely distant, foreign context that he could make the necessary discoveries to return with insight. Much that is old is indeed new again, or perhaps, paradoxically continues to remain new.

Image: Harold and the Purple CrayonOur mediated existences help form and refine our identities. For many of us, the medias we choose to engage are the contexts in which we find ourselves always, perpetually emerging. We can take up the challenge of reading and writing our world into existence, in true Harold fashion with crayon in hand, or we can allow our choices to be dictated to us without even knowing, like the fish who is unaware he lives in water.

To me these are some of the themes at the core of what Wesch describes in the pursuit of Knowledge-ability. The most heartbreaking aspect is that without mindful awareness of our choices and reconciliation of their impact on our identity, we all run the risk of looking back on what we have wrought and hating it, much like some of those individual that “reformed” that small village in Papua New Guinea that Wesch observed.

Diving into the DS106 Pool and Camping Magic Macguffin Style – Part 1

Image: DS106 Jolly Roger Logo      Image: Camp Magic Macguffin Logo

Already having my own domain and website, as well as nearly all of the requisite social media accounts, completing Week 1 of DS106 Camp Magic Macguffin was a pretty easy thing to start. The bulk of the first week is all about situating oneself to the Web 2.0 environment in preparation for an exploration of both digital storytelling but also the new media reality in which most of us find ourselves.

Despite all of this, I am already running a little behind the pace, but I didn’t really start in earnest until Thursday, May 24. So I won’t be too hard on myself.

I learned about DS106 during its initial open run. In fact, the last few years I have become endlessly fascinated by Massively Open Online Courses (MOOCs) in general. I have been following the work of some of the pioneers like Alec Couros, George Siemens, Stephen Downes, and Dave Cormier for years. In fact, I am almost positive I discovered the original iteration DS106 through Stephen Downes’ Online Learning Daily.

The main reason why I teach is because I am a confessed learning junkie. I have become a bit of a MOOC junkie too, tracking many different ones, participating in some, floundering often, and slowly but surely getting a stronger sense of how better to self-direct and manage my own path through one. They are definitely not for the faint of heart. Then again maybe they are.

For me, the problem is always the surplus. I desperately want to drink from the firehouse, all the while knowing that is not really a viable possibility. Still, it hasn’t stopped me from trying. With each dive into the stream, however, I have taken a little something from the experience that has helped me the next time.

Another problem has always been the fact that I am perpetually enrolled in at least one professional development course for the credit chase needed to advance my salary where I work. Regardless, I have been getting much better in how I partake in the grand online educational smorgasbord, in spite of the additional course and work loads.

Truth is I love the idea MOOCs and have grown to be even stronger fans of the people who are building them.

So I finally felt it time to jump into the DS106 mix when Magic Camp Macguffin was ready to launch its maiden voyage. Plus, I am working to construct an online digital storytelling course of my own designed for high school students specifically, inspired by the likes of Jim Groom, Alan Levine, and the rest. Thus, there was never a better time for me to start playing too.

More to come…

Autumn Arrived Before I Knew It

Wow, time has just flown this year, so far. The summer was over before I knew it and once the school year started catching my breath seemed a luxury. It seems like all of my personal interests and projects have taken a back seat, including the old frtizwinkle. So here is a quick catch up.

We had two birthdays by summer’s end, which was great fun. Fritz turned two and had a Sesame Street birthday party, complete with Oscar pinata, Elmo birthday cake, and the two characters in matching cupcakes. It was quite an affair.

Photo: Oscar Pinata Photo: Hanging Oscar Pinata

Photo: Elmo Birthday Cake

Photo: Presents from Grandma

For the face cut-out we went with lovable roomies Bert and Ernie, which generally prompted all kinds of couples conversations on who was who in the real world relationship. Between Ali and me, Ali is Bert.

Photo: An Unsure Ernie Photo: This Party is Wearing Me Out

All in all it was a great time had by all, despite Fritz throwing a technicolor yawn right after blowing out his candles. Fortunately, he missed the cake. Too much chips and water we think.

Photo: Making Wishes

Photo: I Don't Feel So Well

Then as the summer drew to a close and the school year started, it was Hadley’s turn for festivities. This time it was a pirate theme, arrrr! Ali crafted a magnificent cake again and could elaborate given the theme.

Photo: Treasure Chest Birthday Cake

Photo: Treasure Chest and All the Booty

The weather couldn’t have been better. Like all of our themed parties this one involved a treasure hunt, as well as the customary pinata, this time a Jolly Roger.

Photo: Jolly Roger Pinata

Photo: Opening Gifts Photo: A Pirate Princess

We departed a bit with the face cut-out and created our own characters for a change. We freestyled a pirate, in Captain Morgan likeness, and mermaid, inspired by a figurehead we found. It still seemed to be a relatively popular photo spot.

Photo: Taking a Rest Photo: Captain and Mermaid

Best of all no one got sick and a fun time was had by all. I even made a short video to test out the new iPad I got from work. I was able to complete the whole video only using the iPad, shooting, editing, sound, and music. It was pretty fun for a first time effort with the thing and a good excuse to make something quick.

After that it was right back to school and the beginning of the fall, although I will have to track back and share some of my brother’s wedding experience, albeit a little out of order.

Photo: A Pirate Princess with Her Booty