TyRuben Ellingson: Digital Pragmata Brown Bag

TyRuben Ellingson delivered an outstanding talk today at the Academic Learning Commons 4100. I took some sketchnotes for reflection. Two major throughlines for this presentation, as I see it, are:

• How do you become really good at doing something?
• What fosters creativity?

I read and think about deep learning and effective learning — constantly. TyRuben’s talk adds to that mashup of ideas from print and nonprint resources. I see a pattern in learning that is necessary for one to become an exquisite and consummate artist (or an expert in any discipline) over time:

• mentoring or apprenticeship – that is, to be in a position where you can closely observe and pick up the skills and practice of an expert (What would this look like in online learning?)
• obsessive lifelong learning
• sharp observation skills; an eye for detail
• a fearless persistence in looking for opportunities
• never ever think you can’t (TyRuben, “I don’t allow anything to block [my thinking].”)

Mostly, these are habits of mind we need to cultivate, with grit.