One of my (many) failings as a professor has been underestimating what my students can do if sufficiently motivated, provided with a strong foundation of learning and skill sets, and given the time and resources to solve a problem or to accomplish a task. I was reminded of that failing when I recently invited challenged encouraged my student assistants to write a short book. Though I agonized over whether I was abdicating my responsibility by giving them minimal oversight, it readily became clear to me that the process that they were engaged in was an invaluable learning experience. When I would walk into “their” office area I would be ignored as they were debating which blog pieces to include, how best to manage communication flow, which tools they should showcase, what to include on the cover and order of authorship. Oftentimes my presence was not even acknowledged not out of disrespect or rudeness but simply because at that point in time I was not needed. They knew of course, that they could contact me at anytime either individually or as a group.
Tags: Curious David • Internet Learning tools • Jane Hart