While my son's course clearly provided the 'backbone' to his 'learning about' archaeology it was the other experiences that he engaged with outside the course and in some cases outside the university environment, that enabled him to appreciate and learn what 'being an archaeologist' meant to him. If we relate these experiences to the conceptual framework I recently developed (below) we can appreciate that his learning experience embraced all the conceptual spaces in this framework. His course (A) did not, for the most part, encourage him to develop his own learning ecologies, beyond the traditional ecology of reading and assimilating codified knowledge. The one pedagogic strategy within his course that did cause him to create his own learning ecology was his final year project and dissertation (B). Outside the formal educational context he involved himself in various excavations (C) that were directed by others and through this he received support and guidance. He also initiated his own learning ecologies (D) for example by joining the editorial team of The Posthole Magazine, participating in various conferences outside the university and leading/organising his own conference for students.

Overall, this seems like a very healthy learning ecology through which my son gained the development he needed and wanted. And from an educational perspective this would seem to be a good outcome. But it was not accomplished through design. Rather, it depended on my sons own agency and passion for archaeology that drove him to seek out and get involved with opportunities in his immediate contexts and the wider world.

If, as I argue in my e-book chapter, the ability to create a learning ecology is essential to future learning there is an issue as to how universities encourage this orientation and capability within their learners and how they recognise learning and development gained through their involvement in activities outside the planned curriculum.

I have just spent four days 'doing up' my flat in Plymouth. It hasn't been lived in for several months and was in quite a sorry state. But working on it with my son brought home once again how we need the right tools for the job. Whether its painting, filling in holes, laying floor tiles,  unblocking drains or clearing a path and patio of weeds its hard to complete the job without the right tools. The same is true when we try to think about and analyse our learning. We need the right tools to help us understand. The idea of learning ecologies is one example of a tool to aid thinking.  

I'm ashamed to say that I have never laid a tiled floor but when I saw the state of the linoleum floor in the kitchen I decided to have a go. After watching a 'how to do it' video on youtube and reading a Wickes leaflet I felt I had enough knowledge to try. I bought the tiles, adhesive, grout and spacers, and the tools for the job - tile cutter, trowel, pliers, level and sponge. Sadly, there were no instructions with the tile cutter and trial and error didn't work for me so I had to look up how to use a tile cutter on youtube.. armed with this knowledge I could begin... It was slow but I made good progress until I had to cut out an angle piece. My tile cutter didnt work and the hand saw I bought was too laborious. But then a kindly neighbour who had taken an interest in our renovation work popped in and said he would lend me his electric diamond tile cutter.. which he brought and showed me how to use.. Not only that he then proceeded to demonstrate his skill in laying tiles. A good lesson in the need to have the right tools for the job.. tools that were both general and specific ie that addressed a very specific need like cutting and angle or a curve. I also reflected on my learning ecology which included a context, the resources I needed, new knowledge which was gathered mainly through youtube and a kind neighbour. Sadly, I can no longer feign ignorance and incompetence and my wife has tasked me to tackle the bathroom floor next.

I was also pleased with the design of the Magazine cover which I had worked on with Kiboko... Although he had come up with the basic design I was able to influence the content which was formed around the idea of building knowledge to make a cake! 

But the most significant thing I did was begin building a new learning ecology to develop knowledge for  a talk I'm giving in November... Its still about 3 months off but I know how slow these processes can be. I want to find about the ways in which educational developers view their creativity in relation to their development work.  I decided to keep a record of my process to help me recognise and define my learning ecology. 

MY LOG
09/08
1    Wrote an abstract for the conference cannibalising an abstract I had         written but committing myself to a new theme that I new I had to  research
2  Already in email conversation with JC invited him to be my first subject
3  Created a rough plan for gaining knowledge and interacting with people




4   Spent some time searching using google scholar for obvious resources - eg 'relationship between creativity and development' 'creativity and educational development' - found nothing
5   Began compiling a list of educational developers I knew who I would  approach
6    Went on SEDA website and began searching through the journals for names of  educational developers who had written articles for Educational Developments.
7   Began thinking of social networks that I might engage and designed a simple  enquiry which I posted in two Linked-In networks.  'If, as Enrico Coen claims, 'creativity is a developmental process and development is a creative process,' then the two concepts are inextricably linked. What aspects of your development work cause you to use your creativity and how do you develop through this process? I  will happily produce a summary of any contributions.'
8   In email conversation with an e-portfolio developer KC invited her to contribute an interview. - she agreed

The actions with JC and KC showed that I was trying to engage people who I was already engaged with. The invitations I sent to talk to me about the role of their creativity in development caused me to think about the questions I would ask them. 

In my google search I discovered a review of Enrico Coen's which included an idea that was central to what I wanted to explore 'creativity is a developmental process and development is a creative process'. I formed my central research question around this.

In the context of your work as a developer in the field of education - What is the relationship between your creativity,  your development work and your own development?

15/08  
1) A chance email on the SEDA maillist mentioning an educational developer by name led to me contacting her by email to invite her to share her views. This required me to formulate an email enquiry.. Once this had been done I was more confident in contacting people.
2) I decided to cast my net more widely (internationally) and designed an email questionnaire. I googled educational developer blogs and found a number of contacts in the USA, Australia and Canada and contacted them speculatively..
3) Returning to Linked-in I spent several hours searching for 'educational developers'. I ended up with a list of twenty many of whom I knew and wrote a personalised email to each inviting them to share their perspectives through my simple questionnaire.

16/08 
This morning I had one reply to my enquiry with a set of responses and then another really interesting email from someone I had not seen for over 13 years indicating that they were very interested in a conversation. I replied at leangth.

TO BE CONTINUED

Reflections on my learning ecology:  With reference to my tool for visualising the components of a learning ecology. I had a context (a problem or challenge in my working life), I had the will and my decision to act was driven by a concern for the amount of time I had left to do the work. I used my imagination to create a rough plan of how I would proceed. I used my capability and knowledge of unstructured enquiry processes to make a start and trusted that what I sought would emerge. I made good use of google and Linked-in (especially) and used my existing knowledge resources derived from my work on creativity and how people bring about change in universities, I also used my knowledge of people I knew of who were involved in educational development. I used my existing relationships - making it a more personal and more natural engagement and more likely that the people I was interacting with would respond. I tried to personalise all my email communications. Results are limited so far but because I trust my process and believe that people will see the value and be interested in the outcomes - I believe that the information and insights I need will flow.