Self-direction.  Such a marvelous term.  As an only child, I have been directing myself for as long as I could define a trajectory.

So, when asked, “How comfortable do you currently feel with these approaches to self-directed learning? What do you hope these approaches will help you achieve by the end of the course?”  I have to confess that I chuckled a bit. But, I think that the framework and the structure are great, I do feel that a requirement to use all of the tools before us may prove more overwhelming than fruitful.

Yes, it is great to be out of your comfort zone, but at some point, we all have to work with the tools that suit us best.  If anything, the integration of the social media, discussions and other opportunities to allow our collective thoughts to converge can best be used for sharing.  Twitter, as stated on Day One of the meetings, is a wonderful tool for curating (a “C”) information.   Simply because we each have a goal in mind, to add “tweeting” to the list of tasks would be moot.  But encouraging us to find and to connect with resources via a Twitter feed could be fantastic.

I feel that at the core of it all is empowering us, as the student, to use the tools before as we see fit, and in a away that “edifies, encourages and moves us forward.” (This phrase is a classic “#Stephism.”)

What I hope to achieve are new relationships, varied perspectives, and a profound affect on the world of academia–frankly, the world…period.