Messy and Chaotic Learning, by Martha Fay Burtis, reminded me of a podcast called Nice White Parents. It explores educational systems, access to technology, and equity in schools. The Learning Management System LMS was created to deliver content and manage school information. These systems make teaching easier or more functional; however, this is not always the case. These systems can be minimal. She explained that “rules, procedures, and steps are exactly what codes define. We fail to acknowledge the pedagogical power that a learning management system LMS can have on our classroom.
The Trouble with the LMS
Many teachers fail to see how much power they give to the LMS and the people who create it all in the name of convenience. Teachers are inputting students, grades, work, and attendance into this system. This is shared with the company and whoever they share it with. Burtis states, “we are allowing a corporation to deliver a coded set of tools for us to improve our pedagogy.” But this change with the professors at UMW all received a domain name and open-source web hosting.
They used this to create applications like websites, blogs, and media galleries. Teachers built LMS platforms, and professors gained more control over their teaching. They worked with different members of their departments to build customized learning spaces for the students. Students took an active role. They received domain and hosting space to create their own website, where they publish blogs, journal entries, and surveys. By naming their own domain, students gained a sense of ownership and pride.
The Naming of Things
As a current undergraduate student, I like the idea of digital learning. Burtis mentions the idea of ownership in the section title The Naming of Things where she walks through the steps of how the students built and named their domain. I agree with the authors that naming is good. It provides control and autonomy over your hard work.
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