I KNOW I've been energised when my dreams rewind my experiences. Last night, I dreamed of sea monkeys swimming through hard coral stalagmites formed by terms of reference I know from my use of education technologies.
I blame Audrey Watters [1] for this dream state, arising from an invigorating challenge she issued during a keynote session at the 2016 Irish Learning Technology Association Conference.
Audrey warns, "There are monsters looming in education technology. (There are monsters looming in politics.) We created them. As we reconstitute technology-enhanced learning, let’s have a purpose and a politics that negates and undoes their monstrosity, that works with great urgency to deny them the power of becoming these 'rough beasts' which we’re told are poised to overrun us all." [2]
I took away a call to action from Audrey's keynote presented. I have become more aware of the need for collective action with colleagues--many who heard the same message in the lovely Main Lecture Hall of the Law Society of Ireland. And the first collective action on my follow-up list is to challenge my own usage of learning analytics by getting a peer review of the techniques and technologies I use as part of the 2016 e-learning summer school in the Dublin Institute of Technology. [3]
In the meantime, I wonder if you might share snippets of any dreams you've had after attending significant events. I'm very curious if sea monkeys have featured in your head at night. If so, share your dream on my wave. [4]
- Audrey Watters is a troublemaker who blogs and shares her observations with dramatic imagery.
- Audrey Watters -- "The Rough Beasts of Ed-Tech", May 25, 2016.
- Dublin Institute of Technology -- "eLearning Summer School 2016 Programme"
- Bernie Goldbach -- "Ever dream about strange things like sea monkeys?" on Anchor.fm.
+++ Bernie Goldbach teaches creative media for business in the Limerick Institute of Technology.
