After a week's holiday in northern India I'm back, continuing to read further in George Siemen's Knowing Knowledge and I'm at the section that deals with emotions and creativity. As I read through the chapter, two things struck me and made me think about why I blog and the value of reflection. Siemens writes:
There is something rewarding about having an idea - owning it, being recognized for it. Even when we share we attach identity to what we have crated. In creating knowledge, we experience life, identity, hope. To contribute to the public space, to be recognized, to be a part of something bigger - these motivations drive us.
We want to belong. We want to be a part of the many, but only if we are ourselves. We do not want to face and cease to exist as we meld with the crowd. Our tools are about individualization and personalization, but we individualize so we are a (unique) part of the crowd.
Although I couldn't have written something quite so profound, this quote does summarize a lot of what I feel I should have said several years ago when asked why do you blog? Why do you feel the need to blog under your own domain name? At the time I focused on the reflection, but I think it is true - the motivation to continue to write is the need to explore my thoughts for myself, and not just accept the standard "educational theories". Essentially it is all about being a learner:
When a learner sits down and thinks she/he is engaging in a reflective process. Nebulous thoughts and feelings are put into words. External ideas are scrutinized. The natural capacity of harmonizing our emotions and thoughts with ideas and concepts is evoked - a small cognitive and emotional oasis in the desert of busyness, and, I imagine more learning occurs in only a few minutes here than hours anywhere else.
Photo of the Taj Mahal taken on Wednesday.
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