Context: “Learning Like a Spinning Top” is one of about one hundred patterns in A Pattern Language For Emergent Learning. This pattern language is “The Method” section of my upcoming book: “Making our own university – Memoir, Manifesto, Method“. I’ve been testing this pattern in various settings like The L&D Shakers Learning Fest. Here is […]
I’m working on A Pattern Language For Self-Organized Learning Environments* and recently I had the chance to test one of the organizing patterns – The Spinning Top. It was used as a framework for a Learning Festival organized within the L&D Shakers community. I had this opportunity thanks to my dear and old friend Gabi […]
How it all started Once upon a time, in my teenage years, my plan was to start an engineering company and make piles of money. But the Polytechnic University of Bucharest – the first step of the plan – wasn’t the passionate and creative place I hoped for. By the third semester, I was trying […]
Our group of 24 arrived at Nav Gurukul energized by a spontaneous half an hour of intense dancing in the bus. As we gathered in front of a green 4 story building, we were welcomed by a group of girls – students of Nav Gurukul – with heartwarming ritual. Each of us receiving a sweet […]
There must be more than 3 million schools in the world and many more educational programs, libraries, makerspaces, learning communities and other setups where learning is intentionally nurtured. We will refer to all of them as “schools*”. So, if you are a learner that wants to design her own university, a learning designer, a teacher, […]
Dear friends in Portugal, Thank you so much for warmly welcoming me in Idanha a Nova, Lisbon and Ericeira. My first visit in Portugal was warm and inspiring. I’m making this “Thank You & Follow-up Note” after our meeting at one of these events: I would love for us to stay in touch and do […]
I landed on Mexico City on 16th of May and flew out on 22nd of October, after 160 days. The original plan was to stay for two months. I spent most of my time in 6 (/31) mexican states: Chiapas, Estado de México, Puebla, Oaxaca, Guanajuato, Mexico City. I also briefly visited Zacatecas, Michoacán and […]
My learning journey got on steroids at the end of May. I met 22 learning architects in a three day Symposium at Universidad del Medio Ambiente. The next day after the Symposium, 11 of us started a 8 day road trip of 1300 km to visit three disruptive universities in the South of Mexico. First […]
I believe that reinventing higher education is one of humanity’s important milestones going forward. Here I recount my experience of a recent gathering of creators of alternatives to the mainstream university. It is one window open to the messy process of reinventing higher education and an invitation to walk through the door. We gathered at […]
Crossing the mexican desert in a car, 10 learning architects and social activists form India, Germany, Mexico, Romania and Brazil have plenty of time to share life stories and ideas about learning and their communities. Manish hits the record button and takes the role of our radio show host, recording three episodes about (1) games […]