Lifelike Pedgogy by Marcelo Rodrigues

Student: Teacher, why do I have to learn this?

Teacher: Your turn .... How do you answer that?

Marcelo Rodrigues (Author)

Book: Lifelike Pedagogy

One idea that struck me years ago from reading one of Edward De Bono's books; I can't remember which one, it had a yellow cover, I think but I digress; was that 'Education' came from the root word 'Educare' to draw out.

My interest in the Education System is two fold

1. My sister teaches at risk kids in a highschool in Montreal. We talk a lot about how kids struggle through the education system and how most of them are just not inspired to learn. I will admit my sister is one of the good teachers; she is definitely in that 1%. Her mission is to find ways to help her kids and by sharing what she is doing in her environment she is also helping me rethink my role in corporate education.
   
2. Although I'm a corporate educator and I facilitate adult learning in a corporate envrionment, there are plenty of kids that are just entering the workforce from said education system and I'm getting them. It's not impressive.

So I can rethink my career and believe me I have or I can choose to look at ways in which I can create a healthy learning environment where people can connect with one another and participate in their own learning through conversation and collaboration.

Learning for me has to have meaning. I have to have a reason to learn it and I have to experiment the process by applying it. I suspect from the research and the books I'm currently reading and what's on my radar that it is the same with most people.

As I think of my role as a facilitator, the questions for me are

1. 'How do I facilitate (draw out) meaning from the participants in my course, or in meetings? Corporate Training is failing big time and yet we keep doing the same old same old to the extent that corporate training has become dead, dull and boring; I'm too energetic for that kind of nonsense.
   
2. What resources can I find, use or create myself to put in my Online Facilitator's Toolkit that will give me a variety of options and make it interesting for everyone concerned.

One of the ways I can find resources and learn is from people whose students I will eventually get - from amazing teachers, like my sister, who are passionate about what they do and how they feel it will support their students to be the best they can be.

Two resources I would like to share:

1. Steve Hargadon is a social learning consultant, founder of Classrom 2.0, LearnCentral sponsored by Elluminate, a company he works for, host of the Future of Education interview series and co-chair of the Global Education Conference held in Elluminate from November 15 to November 19, 2010; all of which is free.
   Here is a link from past interviews; some of which are podcasts and those which included a presentation is in Elluminate.
   
2. The Book: Lifelike Pedagogy by Marcelo Rodrigues
   Marcelo Rodrigues is the education director of Escola do Max in Brazil. His interest in teaching courses that having meaning to his students or as he calls his philosophy "real life" education resulted in this book called Lifelike Pedgogy
   
   Steve Hargadon's interview with Marcelo Rodrigues on his philosophy and his book Lifelike Pedagogy is here

I'm curious; to my fellow community of learners, here's my question:

1. What ideas or suggestions have you come up with that will draw out meaning in your online conversations?
   

Enjoy the resources, I have a ton more to share.

Mireille

References and Resources:

1. The World Clock: http://timeanddate.com/worldclock/
2. Edward de Bono: http://www.edwdebono.com/
3. Steve Hargadon: http://www.stevehargadon.com/
4. Future of Education interviews: http://www.futureofeducation.com/notes/Past_Interviews
5. Classroom 2.0 group: http://www.classroom20.com/
6. Classroom live 2.0: http://live.classroom20.com/
7. Learn Central - online events: http://www.learncentral.org/
8. Elluminate - web conferencing tool: http://www.elluminate.com/
9. Global Education Conference - November 15 to November 19, 2010 (free): http://www.globaleducationconference.com/
10. Marcel Rodriques web site: http://www.lifelikepedagogy.com/
11. Book - Lifelike Pedagogy: http://amzn.to/aX9jMo
12. Interview and presentation with Steve Hargadon and Marcelo Rodriques: http://www.stevehargadon.com/2010/08/marcelo-rodrigues-on-lifelike-pedagogy.html