Get engaged like auntie Tabby!

Recently, I've read from many sources how 'learning to be', to become a full member or participant in the field, is so essential in one's learning. In New Literacies (3rd ed) Colin Lankshear and Michel Knobel tell a story about Tabby Lou, spelled out originally by Elizabeth Hayes & James Gee.

Tabby – game-playing grandma turned into a Sims designer

Tabby is a grandmother with a health issue that confine her to home. She then learns to play The Sims with her grandchildren. One of those said she'd like a purple potty for her Sims house, and Tabby decided she would create one.

Tabby did find tools for doing the job, but couldn't understand how to use them. Gradually she got help, learned more, got in contact with designers, and after all, became a Sims designer herself, too.

There's a genuine Tabby pot above. Not the pot, but a later production among her approx. 9,000 (!) creations.

"Yeah, I am in my 62nd year on this earth. Wow!! Didn't think I'd make it this far. AND, I hit 6 and a half million downloads on my Birthday, How Cool is that!" (from Tabby's page)

What a nice story about "learning to be", about becoming a member "in a community in which expert practices are central", like Chistopher Hoadley puts it in his article 'What is a Community of Practice and How Can We Support It?', here.

This has a lot to do with media education

Of course the community of practice can be put at work to support learning. And of course passion, engagement, community, and technology can be harnessed for this purpose.

Some tested and tried methods that Hoadley calls C4P: Linking people with others with similar practices and interests. Facebook pages. Sharing resources and information. Wikis like OpiToinenElämä. Tools for communication and discussion. BBS, chat, Skype, virtual world... you name it... Meta-level mechanisms showing twhat others are doing or what they've done. Wiki history, Amazon recommendations.