Nomadding in virtual knowledge spaces: Technology driven collaboration in the21st century

Tryggvi ThayereTwinning Workshop

Reykjavík, IcelandOctober 31, 2013

Icelandic Historical LiteratureNjálssaga (Brennu-Njálssaga)

Starring the quintessential Icelandic “dynamic duo”

Njáll Þorgeirsson:The wise old sage

Gunnar Hámundarson(Gunnar frá Hlíðarenda):The mighty warrior

Some Geography & Geology

Striated Space:• Hierarchical• Layered• Fixed Pathways

Smooth Space:• Continuous• No discernable pathways• No gateways

Technology creates smooth spacesWhat if Gunnar had modern ICTs?

Nomadding in Smooth Space:– Transcend knowledge structures– Meandering– Discovery– Serendipity– Creating meaning

“Knowmads”(Moravec, 2008)

“[…] a nomadic knowledge worker –that is, a creative, imaginative, and innovative person who can work with almost anybody, anytime, and anywhere.”

Knowmads are empowered by the smooth space created with information technologies

Creating Nomadic Spaces

• Smoothing the terrain– Access to people– Access to information– Access to dialogue

• Harnessing the power of the “difference”– “… information […] is a difference which makes a difference”

(Bateson, 1972).– IT smoothes the spaces that we inhabit to allow us to identify

and explore differences.

“… difference, and not similarity, [is] the driving force in becoming” (Roy, 2003)

Emerging Technologies

• Fantastic possibilities– Merging of the virtual and reality– Merging of man and machine– New forms of collaboration– New forms of learning

The question is not what does this technology do.It is, what can we do with this technology?

eTwinning as a Nomadic Space

• Over 200,000 participants• Over 20,000 projects

• Facilitates:– Collaboration– Communication– Exploration

eTwinning provides a terrain. What you make of it is up to you.

Thank you!

Have a fun, informative and productive workshop

Tryggvi Thayerwww.education4site.org

tbt@hi.is

References

• Moravec, J. W. (2008, November 20). Knowmads in society 3.0. Retrieved from www.educationfutures.com/2008/11/20/knowmads-in-society-30/.

• Deleuze, G. & Guattari, F. (1987). A thousand plateus: Capitalism and schizophrenia. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.

• Bateson, G. (1972). Steps to an ecology of mind. New York: Ballantine Books.

• Roy, K. (2003). Teachers in nomadic spaces: Deleuze and curriculum. New York: Peter Lang.