EDUC 408 COP Metaphor

Dana Nisbett, Roger Dewald, Lacey Farrish, John Vanderveen, Nina

Howorun, Jackie Melon & Carrie Roode

Separate

A simple square of paper

Transform

Blend

Unite

Energy – Imagination - Individuality

Respect – Communication - Trust

Wenger - Participation & Creation

Wheatley – Working Togetherhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4_1btFqOjk

Process• Wind guides our group

• Group members can change wind speed

• “ It is a perspective that locates learning, not in the head or outside it, but in the relationship between the person and the world” (Wenger, 2009, p. 1)

Contributions

• Each pedal on the pinwheel represents individual contributions to the COP

• “A learning partner is not someone who agrees with you or who even shares your background necessarily.” – Wenger, 2009

• Dis-harmony– If you remove a pedal, or if a pedal is bent out of shape, it

has a profound effect on the pinwheel as a whole

Similarities

• Common goals• Commitment to lifelong learning• Passionate about helping others• “Learning as the production of identity”

(Wenger, 1998)

Differences

• Age• Life experiences• Life choices• Interests and hobbies• Religious affiliations • Learning styles (Kolb)

Conflicts

• Several potential areas for conflict• Handled conflicts in a professional and

respectful manner• The wind represents conflict

Context

• Requires both participation and reification • Alignment with the context• We are social participants• Learning is social becoming• Context is inseparable from learning

Key Points

• Each panel alone would not create a functioning pinwheel

• The wind provides energy to to help make our pinwheel function and spin, providing us with an opportunity to learn and grow