Microblogging = Learning to mark by optimism - PERSONAL LEARNING NODES #12 (Originally posted to Twitwall on Dec. 07, 2008)

I became very fond of the Buddhist Philosopher site I found for my yesterday's Personal Learning Node. I tried it today as well:

1) Ultimately, our battle is with ourselves. Whether in our activities in society, or in historical, political or economic developments, everything essentially boils down to a struggle between positive and negative forces.

2) What kind of future do I envision for myself? What kind of self am I trying to develop? What do I want to accomplish in my life?" The thing is to paint this vision of your life in your heart as specifically as possible. That "painting" itself becomes the design of your future. The power of the heart enables us to actually create with our lives a wonderful masterpiece in accordance with that design.

I like to reflect the over 2000 year old thinking, because it sets the overwhelming amount of virtual infomation surrounding us into a perspective and a scale of a realistic size. It culminates in: Learning to know and understand what has a positive effect on our bigger and smaller desicions and the actions following them.

I found through Flickr comments my CCK08 fellow learner Heli's idea related to shadows of seedlings - tiny little spruces' reflections on white snow. That just as the seedlings, us learners have a shadow. Each one has a unique kind of a shadow. And Heli's idea most hitting: Wherever a web-teacher walks, s/he sees metaphors for pedagogic solutions...

This returns my thinking to learning recognizing which desicions and actions have a positive effect and impact. Positive (acc. to one Merriam-Webster Online definion) = Marked by optimism. Mircoblogging is exactly about learning how to mark things with optimism. Before the CCK08 course I highlighted the competence to understand and manage wholes. (Micro/photo)blogging has made me see that paying attention to very little things at a time - and consentrating, focusing - really is the most essential skill to practice. Throughout the CCK08 course we've tried to formulate definitions for what is connectivism. Today, for me, it is a learning experiment to unlearn old habits for needing to always first to know and understand goals and objectives. During digital age it's quite seldom possible. Again - the way you plan how to use you impact is what counts. And how you make it visible, real and happen through little accomplisments. Walking around seeking little things to use as metaphors in blog-teaching/sharing is a very productive practical way.

Buddhist Philosophy + Microblogging = Transformative Learning + Connectivism - PERSONAL LEARNING NODES #11 (Orig. posted to Twitwall on Dec. 06, 2008)

Today is the 91st Independence Day of Finland. I captured the Finnish flag hanging all calm - after the several heavy storms we've recently experienced in Finland. The setting December sun coloured the wall. The building is the Tapiola Church is Espoo, Finland. It's 02.50 p.m. - a moment right before the sunset this time of the year in the South Coast.

I browsed the website: Words of Wisdom by Buddhist Philosopher Daisaku Ikeda:

1) Ideal love is fostered only between two sincere, mature and independent people. It is the inner struggle to polish these attributes that is the key. Real love is not two people clinging to each other; it can only be fostered between two strong people secure in their individuality.

2) Every person, no matter how accomplished, has shortcomings. Conversely, no matter how bad someone's negative tendencies, that person definitely has strong points. The key is to identify an individual's strengths and give him or her the opportunity to succeed.

These two quotes knit together ideas currently actual to me:

I) Different phases of learning and management processes constantly include opposite poles. The steps or targets are difficult to reach if the opposite stage or condition of the process phases are not repeatedly: a) Monitored / observed, b) The process adjusted accordingly and the most important c) Practical new ways of action taken in to practice.

2) The iterative process ...c => a => b => c => a => b... easily starts to seem as something complicated, something requiring a special quality project, training or at least dedicated hours. They are impossible to arrange for - the process itself needs pruning and speeding up.

1 + 2 is what I've most experienced myself during recent years and that's what I keep hearing so many others to repeatedly complain. I discussed mircoblogging - HOW and WHY - in my previous Twitwall post. Trying to put simple the answer to the question: HOW and WHY is mircoblogging a way out of stuck projects? -Based on my own experince of several years of participating quality trainings => working / consulting in development projects => studying at a Technical University (+ Uni. of Appl. Sciences) I believe in microblogging => sharing through thinking 2.0 because: It's the first practical tool to understand and control processes from one's own point of view => take care of the whole in pieces of a realistic size. One piece at a time.

BUDDHIST PHILOSOPHY + MICROBLOGGING = TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING + CONNECTIVISM