This week’s readings in my MEL programme challenged some of my deepest assumptions about what learning is—and who gets to define it. Connectivism pushed me to question whether our “connections” are truly human or increasingly mediated by devices that change how we think, remember, and make meaning. Then came the unsettling idea that learning can exist outside people, in systems, organizations, even algorithms. And the line that stopped me in my tracks: “There is a right answer now that may be wrong tomorrow.” So what is worth learning?
Rhizomatic learning stretched me further. David Cormier’s argument that “community is the curriculum” made me reflect on how essential inclusive communities are, not as add-ons but as the actual mechanism through which learning happens. His emphasis on engagement, effort, and connection-making also contrasts sharply with my son’s current IB Diploma experience—where rigid rubrics and prescribed language often overshadow authentic learning.
Returning to formal study at nearly 50 has made me aware of how nonlinear my own learning has become. I learn in spirals, bursts, and late-night sparks. And I can do this because I have support, stability, and no pressure for outcomes—privileges many young people do not have.
It’s messy, uncomfortable, and deeply transformative.
Connect 