Why should students take my course? Because…
…it isn’t so much my course the students are taking, but rather our course that we will co-construct as colleagues throughout the semester.
…I can only provide the skeleton bones of the course and add assorted meats to the structure; students are the Dr. Frankenstein of the whole operation who bring that spark to old and new materials, making them come to life.
…everyone has the ability to engage in meaningful discussions about things they are interested in and should be given the opportunity to do so with colleagues and peers in an open space where they feel comfortable enough to share ideas and can actively participate with, push against and challenge those around them in order to further whatever “the thing” is.
…as individuals in the world we can make an impact, but as a collaborative whole we can make a difference.
…learning and discovering new things shouldn’t suck.
This isn’t an all inclusive list, but by adding your “Why” -just one thought or line- in the comment feed, we can gather up a collaborative list of things that can make the educational experience not suck for everyone.
So I leave you this time with the question Randy Bass, Cathy Davidson and Mike Wesch posed…What is your Why?
CSU, Chico Connected 2014 
“Learning and discovering new things shouldn’t suck.”
If something new is presented to you in a way that makes you want to run away or puke, then you probably won’t learn or discover much at all! I think there has to be a positive vibe established in order for learning to even begin to happen. A good environment is a prerequisite for real learning. And I think “environment” includes the classroom space (digital or physical) AND the individual’s mental state. There are obvious limitations to what you can do for your students’ well-being outside of class but there are lots of things you can do to engage them, wherever they are coming from, in your classroom discovery-zone!
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