Fall Gems

Long time no write. Since going back to school last September, I’ve been involved in designing learner experiences and teaching for two schools. Starting the third year of teaching with one school. Starting courses and workshops with another school.

This means that my mind is constantly reflecting on my experiences, deep thoughts over the past few months. As there are about two months left before the end of this year, it’s time to reflect on what has been in my mind, my heart, my trials and tribulations and observations so far.

To do this, I revisit the crumbles of likes, notes, content amplification, stuff I let go of on the media tools I use and in my archives.

Table of Contents

Refining My Social Strategy

This visual on expanding the reach of your ideas by Tanmay Vora on Becky Robinson’s book entitled “Reach: Create the Biggest Possible Audience for Your Message, Book, or Cause” caught my attention.

After more than 10 years of engagement via the Blue Bird aka Twitter, I left the media tool at the end of October this year. I see my three main tools for continuing learning and sensemaking these days as the following: my blog, podcasts and books, offline and online communities of practice.

As for “having a home base. Share on your own platform, own your data, use the social tools as outputs for sharing and conversation” as shared by Tanmay Vora, I am thinking about this following my conversation with Robin Good on Substack.

What are your long-term strategies for publishing and owning your work?

How would the legacy and positive impact of your work continue after you are gone?

In terms of sharing, I’m still on LinkedIn, Mastodon, Substack, Slack, Microsoft Teams and another live chat tools to share knowledge, questions, experiences and tools with my colleagues, network and weak ties.

I still struggle to share with discernment in each of these digital tools. Face-to-face engagement is still my main way of doing so these days.

As I started the new month, I thought about discerning who I connect with and following on LinkedIn and on other media tools to keep learning, discussing, and exploring together. As I wrote in this oldie on motion.

Trying Minds

It feels like having a beginner’s mind. As two fellow seekers from the Perpetual Beta Coffee Club commented on Substack:

“Beginner’s Mind is a striking “mindset” that we should all aim for. Thank you Rotana for this reminder.” ~ Jane McConnell

“I think often that it is not just a beginners mind but a child’s mind also. Children are always experimenting and trying new ways of doing things be it outside or in the house or even on their Nintendos et al. They are not encumbered by the sense of the fear of failure or looking bad in front of their peers. We develop those periscopes later in life and are constantly scanning the horizon of how this will look to others. A powerful question could be “How would I do this if I knew I couldn’t fail?” ~ Andrew Trickett

Two wheels of pedagogical activities in French were shared by the networks of my fellow teachers on LinkedIn.

The Activity Wheel to stimulate student participation

a colorful wheel with text and cards wheel pedagogical activities

Source: https://idip.unistra.fr/la-roue-des-activites-pedagogiques/#

The Open Serious Game

a yellow circle with black text open serious games

Source: https://openseriousgames.org/liste-des-openseriousgame/

How do you nurture the beginner’s mind and the child’s mind when it comes to teaching and learning with your colleagues, networks and communities in the workplace?

Finding Pockets of Silence

As one continues to learn and navigate knowledge flows, individually and collectively, what about finding pockets of silence to reflect and digest knowledge, insights and experiences?

“Go slowly. Amidst the chaos, find small pockets of silence. Find compassion. Allow the healing. And most of all… Be kind. There’s no human being on earth who couldn’t use just a little bit more of the healing salve of kindness.” Naomi Holdt, Psychologist via @FionaGrayPhD

I have written before about the futures of third places. For me, libraries are among those places where you can find pockets of silence, as well as the forest, as we have entered the autumn season.

“In a world as noisy as ours, we need the quiet space of libraries for solace and safety. They are community hubs that serve whoever walks through the door but they also foster hope – in the power of words and in the people who write and read them.” ~ Jodi Wilson via Meredith Lewis

What are your pockets of silence these days as you dive into the streams of media tools, RSS feeds, video streams and conversational chatbots, if you use them?

Quiet by Susan Cain has resurfaced in conversations I had with one of my cohorts of students and as I noticed this post from Meredith Lewis:

“As an introvert I spend time with myself, constantly reconnecting with my personal values and priorities. As an introvert I find the space to reflect, analyse, and strategize.

There is nothing timid, silly, or weak about the quietness of the introvert. It is not an effacing of assertiveness; it’s a gathering of strength.”

Resonating.

How do you break the silence before engaging in any conversation while being present?