I am Mia (am not)

(This post is part of the Connected Courses Daily Connect in which we are asked to blog in the “voice” of another blogger. I have chosen my National Writing Project friend, Mia Zamora, to emulate for her energetic optimism that she exudes in her writing across many spaces. Forgive me, Mia, if I mangle your voice here.)

(This is Mia, my friend)

I am realizing very quickly just how much possibility there is in everything that is unfolding in the Connected Course networks as well as other Connected Learning networks. Nothing compares to the ideals of so many of us educators coming together for such a deep exploration of Connected Learning! It’s fantastic!

“When I am learning I FEEL ALIVE.” – Mia

I was thinking about this message of teaching the other day. I returned to the concept of “Why I Teach” and isn’t that such a central question to all that we do in our lives? The responses that people posted to that query were intriguing. I do believe we can change the world for the better. We can always be learning, too, even as we teach. We CAN stay in tune with the world.

“Connected Learning is about re-imaging the experience of education in the information age. It draws on the power of today’s technologies and embraces hands on production and open networks.” — Mia

We all have our own learning pathways to follow, and each path will take us on a slightly different journey. The wonder of it is that our journeys often coincide with others along the way. And it is at those intersections where we meet that we can help each other along the way.

“We all feel we are part of a movement that will ultimately be world changing.  We want to invite everyone along with us.” — Mia

Being in the midst of a project like Connected Courses, or even Making Learning Connected, is really being part of hubs of the giant wheel that is Connected Learning. Notice how all the pieces can fit together. If you take a step back, you can begin to see it all in motion. It’s that kind of viewpoint that makes being part of any venture all the more worthwhile.

“Magical things happen when we let ourselves unlearn the criterion of institutionalized conventions.” — Mia.

Peace (to Mia),
Kevin

PS — Process Notes: This “writing in the voice of another blogger” is hard to do! I read Mia on a regular basis, but I had to examine her syntax style and the underlying mood of her writing. I then was struck with the dilemma of, Am I writing as Me (Kevin) in the voice of Mia? Or writing as Mia on my blog, as if she were visiting here? I never quite resolved that question, I realize, and somehow settled into a precarious balance of her positive writing style with some of my own thinking. A blend, then, of sorts. I worried that she might be offended that I zeroed in on her positive message, leaving out how deep she gets with her thinking about learning. I decided to pull in some of her own writing in quotes, to further give Mia a real voice here. I’m not sure it worked.  Go to her blog to get the real Mia Zamora. The one I have borrowed here is only a replica.

2 Comments
  1. Thank you so much for this Kevin. What a pleasant gift to wake up to on a dreary Monday morning – a colleague’s tribute to your own voice. To be honest with you, I didn’t realize I had a “style” or a noticeable syntax (at least not in the way I admire the writing of so many of my colleagues). But of course I do, because we all do.

    You call my voice “energetic optimism”. I’ll take that compliment any day. But I must admit that I don’t always feel energetic or optimistic. You have made me see how I use writing and my voice in general as a way to clear the cobwebs of doubt or cynicism. In a way you have made me see myself from the outside with this thoughtful commentary. And I am struck by my own predilection to push through discouraging things. It is much food for thought for me personally.

    I am honored.

    Peace right back at you Kevin. 🙂

  2. Kevin.

    That is a great way to help me to get to know Mia’s voice bettter. Now this motivates me to know more about her blog.

    She certainly used words I could understand to get me on board with Connected Courses.

    I have benefited so much from your (Kevin’s) voices/songs/poems/cartoons et al now your translation of Mia’s voice.

    I am increasingly of the opinion that we are really changing education one connection at a time, starting with our own.

    It has been an astonishing year starting off with #rhizo14 onwards with #clmooc now with #ccourses. I find it very difficult now to imagine a world without your energy, hope, and determination to lead change.

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