If you have been following my out-of-this-world (more like crazy) project, welcome back! If you do not recall a word I am saying, check out this post here to get context of what I am referring to.
This is a summary of how my project went:
Week 1 – I decided on my topic and started briefly looking for online resources (help forums, affinity spaces, social media platforms) to help get pumped for backflipping! I was super excited and was honestly having positive hopes that I would master it in four weeks.
Week 2 – I gathered enough resources to enact what I called a ‘backflip.’ During that time, I was attempting to backflip and almost hurt myself through the process. Yes, please make sure you are SAFELY doing backflips. Use pillows, mattresses, blankets, and… did I say pillows? Make sure they are firm but not too firm.
Week 3 – I went back to my resources because I had the ‘backflip fear’ and needed that to go away. I realized I also needed to learn smaller movements and worked on those movements to improve the backflip. Smaller movements include a back roll, jumping up in the air properly, and keeping my legs close to my chest.
Week 4 – This week wrapped with discomfort in my neck from consistently back rolling. I have the backflip concept somewhat down now but there is a long way to go.
"That's a Wrap" created with Microsoft Word
In the end, I had more knowledge than before I started, so that’s definitely a positive. However, learning a backflip using online resources was difficult. It was tough finding the right resources and checking their credibility. It was especially challenging for the topic I chose. Enacting a backflip would have been more effective if I had someone to “coach” or give me feedback about things I was doing correctly or incorrectly. Instead, I had to learn the movements on my own. I had to watch many YouTube videos to realize that aspect.
Thinking through a TPACK lens, I definitely did not have the content knowledge for backflips. According to Koehler and Mishra (2006), “[people] must know and understand the subjects that they [learn].” I thought the knowledge I had prior to beginning this project was sufficient. However, I needed specific content and had to research that throughout the four weeks of the project. Researching that content pushed my practice back because I was two “flips” behind (or two steps behind). I also did not have an appropriate pedagogical approach to this.
My instructional strategies to enact a backflip were to mimic the movements others were doing on the videos. However, mimicking the movements did not help because I am a different person than whomever is on the YouTube video. My body moves differently compared to the people I watched.
On the other hand, the technology for this project was appropriate. I mainly used YouTube as my number one source, however, I did visit other technology such as TikTok, Instagram, and Reddit. I was disappointed with TikTok and Instagram because of the lack of content and activity. For example, when I searched ‘backflips’ on Instagram, I came across accounts that were very old. At times, there was only one video or post on the site. It did not help at all. With TikTok, I initially thought the first video I posted on my blog would help with enacting a backflip. I eventually found out the creator of the video previously had background knowledge and tumbled most of her life. Her tutorial of enacting a backflip broke it down but did not support me as much as I had hoped.
All in all, I see some positives throughout this project. This project allowed me to locate diverse networks. Yes, the online resources I used are very common, however, I had to learn how to use Reddit, a resource I never heard of until this project. Partaking in this project allowed me to also connect with novices and experts in this unique way of learning.
In the future, I will continue to expand and search for diverse networks to create new learning experiences as a lifelong learner and an educator. I have seen the benefits of these diverse networks we are able to access frequently as learners. I would love to attempt networked learning again in the future, but with something less complex and with a topic of which I am more knowledgeable. In the future, if I have time, I will practice how to backflip once again, and master it. But for now, I am grateful for the journey!
Check out my video of my networked learning project BELOW:
"NLP on Backflips" created by Stephanie Check
References
Check, S. A. [Stephanie Check]. (2020, June 19). NLP on Backflips [Video]. YouTube.
Check, S. (2020). That's a wrap graphic. [Image of "That's a Wrap" made from Microsoft Word].
Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological pedagogical content knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1017-1054.
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