My Grandfathers dream

Just coming back from the cck08 chat and discussion with steven downes, george siemens and dave cormier. Puhhh what a discussion – what a buzzing chat – what a dense of topics. Just to mention some. Frome different roles learners can take part to curricular topics to implementation strategies. The anonymity of the chat may be irritating but is surely helpful enabling people  quickly saying what they have on tongue or better fingers. As so often it was just good luck – i got notice from this chat but it was worth every second. 

Coming up to this posts title. Why is my grandfather placed so prominent here? This post is simply the reflection on what happened to me after this chat. It has to do with one chatter (male or female,who knows) in the chat collecting arguments – and sure more than this one himself called ender921? – about end of the institutions throughout connectivism models. Maybe a bit provocative shortened now, but he was thinking because of reasons from the financial perspective. So my inner valued: Maybe there would be one reason in monitaire dimension but there must be more than that for change – or (r)evolution on education. Claiming about this we three (Francis Bell also joined this thread) got in a chat throughout ending in the term: There is a use and agreed what i call: „Bridging the World and the Classroom“. Doing so – If we are bridging really world in the global view or why not just locally. This is now the right context for my grandfathers dream, because during my homedrive I realized how important for me the international view of the possibilities of social media is. Lets start the little story – delivered by my mother. 

My grandfather served as child or very young man in war. Came back without brother and father. As half-orphan he got in the small village where i also served my youth. Non educated he started working until he got the degree of an technician. As left of his reflection of the things happened before and in war – he did now the following things: „In his deep believe the only thing – really could prevent wars would be if (his) children could get in contact with many cultures as possible guided by an real interest in the nations he traveled – getting in contact as much as possible to the peoples he met driven by a mixture of curiosity – openness and tolerance.“ This is what moved him to move with his caravan – every holiday. This is, what my parents gave us as children also – like a tradition. And reflecting about this today i realized his main hidden aims – he always teached us: Be aware of thinking in nations or groups. Always try to get the individuals. Always be sure reaching the levels of understanding. Never go to far in a dialog but be open – open enough to be enable surprised. I remember very well his joy – when he was observing his grandchildren talking with hand and feet to new friends on the campground. Now I realize how big this present to us has been and know very well how hard (in financial aspect) this must have been enabling this to his children and later including grandchildren. And I noticed something different. His dialogues with me/us ever brought up to teach us to see individuals instead of masses. This thought got deeply anchored in my professional comprehension. Both seeing students as individuals by their possibilities and aims and realizing the possibilities of getting children of all nations in dialogue – would be well titled as my grandfathers dream. Now he left us 2 years ago. If i could tell him what i’ve learned from him…. really i start to miss him, because he would have so much fun seeing nations getting together.  

So far for today. Sorry getting so individual today. But in times „Change“ or „Yes we can“  got to buzzwords – there is a need to realize: The technology is out there. Its in our fantasy what we will make of it. So whats your dream in use the technology for education?

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