Our connectivist session

In yesterday session I had a confirmation: free learning happens! (or "from freedom learning emerge" or "learning from freedom emerges"...help me with the English please)

When you raise a child you are told that constrains is needed, you need to give containment for them to feel secure and grow safely. I´m raising a child right now...Is that true?

As a learner I enjoy the freedom I have in cck09. I enjoy it because I´m learning. Freedom doesn´t mean anarchy, clearly the facilitators of the course have designed this freedom enviroment for us, with not traditional constrains (are there any constrains at all? You are not even bound to participate, you can be a total lurker!)

In CCK09 I´ve learnt more than in all the courses I´ve ever done. I may say I´ve learnt more than in many cases at the University, where sometimes I had nothing but constrains.

On the forum Roy makes a distinction between kinds of constrains, ones that allow emergence, ones that don´t.

The question is not whether there were any constraints and sanctions in place in 08 or 09. There were constraints and sanctions in place in both. There are two, linked questions:

1. What type of constraints best provide conditions for emergence? In CAST terms, negative constraints, i.e. constraining what can NOT be done facilitates emergence, and, paradoxically, autonomy. On the other hand, positive constraints, e.g. "you must do 3 assignments on the following topics, in text only, with references, against predetermined outcomes", are most likely going to exclude emergence. [So, does that mean we have to redesign our curricula, completely 'upside down'? Yes, and the design of CCK08/09 goes part of the way in designing 'courses' upside down for the same reason.]

2. Constraints without sanctions are just hot air. So what sanctions should be in place, and i) how can you avoid imposing them, by offering alternatives (diversions, etc), and ii) if you have to impose them, how will you go about doing so, to ensure that they are swift and effective? - And this means there is a 'you' in the picture, (singular or plural) 'you' cant be air-brushed out. To put it plainly: 'freedom is conferrred -either by an authority, or by a consensus, but conferred it is'.

I think that the only limits I have on CCk09 are my own, all I didn´t know and what I don´t know yet. I am learning because I can get over the overwhelmed fase and go to research and to learn from others adn make connections, and hold back my anxiety and keep going at my pace.

So, learning on cck09 is very challenging for learners, i like that because i can learn with big challenges. The question is what happens with learners with learning problems? (And with "learning problems" I mean mostly what I think is the big problem -and a politic issue-: the real learning disability is feeling so confortable within limits made by others).

Freedom works with learning desabilities? May be we can be surprised.