Survivor Spoilers in education (EDM613 Wk1 #1)

By -
I am currently reading Henry Jenkins' "Convergence Culture" and was struck how the idea of collective intelligence applies to Survivor "spoilers" and also transfers to the classroom.  The idea of collective intelligence centers on virtual communities who rely on the combined expertise of the members to accomplish something collectively. In the case of Survivor, they pool their resources in an attempt to figure out what, where, and who about the show before each airing. An undergraduate in history likened the skills of spoiling to that of cultivating skills as a student. 


That is where there is much to be learned from the process of spoiling. What enthuses the spoilers is not the possession of knowledge, but the process of acquiring that knowledge. They work together from all over the world with a common purpose and goal. This same process happens in the classroom at times (I wish I were able to facilitate it much more often in mine) and can also happen online. This is one of the powerful ways collaboration tools can be used by students outside the classroom to continue and build on the learning. I have had some early success in this area with my students as they prepare for exams (see image) because there is some built in motivation. I hope to find a way to create a "spoiler" culture in my classroom where students diligently work together and feel each has something to give to the whole.

Comments

  1. jbbJune 20, 2009 at 8:05 PM

    I used to joke about the pooling of ignorance that happens in groups too small to break out of their own biases and limitations of experience (eg., teenagers and "know it alls"). There is a whole world of understanding that develops, first as a group, that education just doesn't get. It is something to work toward, to be able to allow for the development of knowledge via the group and still recognize the individual specialness that drives us to be better.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Boost Learning in Presentations and Games

By -
For those teachers who use games for learning and review, it's apparent the rise in engagement that they bring to the classroom. But, does this engagement and enthusiasm always lead to learning? According to research by neuroscientist Paul Howard-Jones, adding an element of chance can help further increase the chances of learning. It's just a matter of adding it at the right time. For instance, the addition of a simple 50/50 chance of losing all points associated with a correct answer leads to more effective learning. But where in the process does the learning peak? I asked Howard-Jones via email and it turns out that the following sequence works well: student/team answers question student/team is given a 50/50 chance to "double or nothing" their points correct answer is revealed It turns out that even if they lose points or answer incorrectly, the learning is still at a peak because of the state of mind of ALL the students involved. Good or bad, even those who a
Read more

How do students know what they know? (an effective exit slip)

By -
I remember sitting in class a few (plus!) years ago and at times totally following what was going on. It could have been almost any subject but there were times when it seemed to click.  At least I thought so. Then I got home and started the homework. Different story. It just wasn't that clear anymore and I realized that I didn't quite get it the way I thought. This was not exclusive to homework as it also happened at times on quizzes and tests. I thought I had studied enough (which, admittedly was what I always thought) but it did not pan out. I want my students to avoid this problem and the trick is for them to answer the question: "How do I know when I really know it?" But how? I recently saw a tweet for a webinar run by Ray Jimenez, who is a great webinar presenter by the way, entitled "Learners Don't Know What They Don't Know." Of course, I was excited to get the long-awaited answer to my question in one interesting hour but, ironically e
Read more

Are We Testing Enough?

By -
As I watched my sons play a new video game the other day, it occurred to me that maybe the problem isn't that we are assessing students too much, it's that we are assessing them too little. Look at gaming environments. Players are constantly being assessed, challenged, and tested. They adjust and maneuver or crash and/or die. Then they get back up and begin the process all over again. It's demanding but the gamers are resilient. I have often wondered how this type of learning could be transfered to the literature classroom. An obvious possibility would be to create time periods or even particular settings so that students could experience them first hand. Imagine going into the house from Poe's "The Black Cat" and interacting with the characters. I am not sure what the "game" would be - stop the murder, find the body, or even attempt to throw a dead cat through the window? What fun! My parent/teacher conferences would be standing room only. While thi
Read more