In her piece on the future of education, Watters (2014) discusses the importance of metaphor in developing a shared understanding of phenomenon. According to Lakoff & Johnson (2003) metaphors are “understanding and experiencing one kind of thing in terms of another” (p. 5). The metaphors discussed by Watters (2014) included data dredging and data mining, both metaphors that she associates with toxicity (p. 103 – 104). 

The truth is, if you pay attention you’ll notice metaphors exist everywhere in discussions on education and beyond. And these metaphors can be powerful tools for explaining or describing something in a way that allows us to develop a deeper understanding of of the possibilities, consequences and limitations of specific practices, innovations, or tools.  For a much more detailed discussion of metaphor in education, see Weller’s new publication The Metaphors of Ed Tech.

For this learning activity, you will find an educational metaphor, either in social media, in the news, from one of the readings in the course, or elsewhere.

  • You will create a visual representation of that  metaphor in any format that you choose (photo, collage, drawing, painting, etc.).
  • You will then write or record a short description:
    1. Explaining the metaphor, why you selected it and its significance in education
    2. Explain which learning theory or conception of Learning (from Bates’ article) your metaphor embodies or represents
    3. Discussing whether or not you think that the metaphor is appropriate or flawed
    4. Reflecting on what impact this metaphor may have on policy, practice, and your own understanding of the topic or phenomenon

Post your visualisation and your discussion in your Learning Portfolio. Make sure to also include a short self-reflection on why you chose this activity, how it aligned with your learning goals, and what you learned through your critical review of the experience.

References

Lakoff, G. & Johnson, M. (1980). Metaphors we live by. University of Chicago Press.

Watters, A. (2014) “The Future of Ed Tech is a Reclamation Project” in The Monsters of Education Technology. https://s3.amazonaws.com/audreywatters/the-monsters-of-education-technology.pdf