I signed up for the Innovators Mindset MOOC, and I am thinking, I have too many balls in the air right now, no way I am going to be able to be an active participant, so maybe I can just lurk in the background. I could follow the Facebook group, #IMMOOC on Twitter, immooc.org and the many who have already shared some thought provoking posts and blogs. I was convinced that this would be enough.
Here is where the crazy starts. I decide I am going to post on #IMMOOC Facebook group, apologetically to say I’m here but I’m not here. I am going to say that I have to many balls in the air—but then I think, is that the correct description of my present situation. According to Wiktionary: Too many balls in the air– Too many tasks, responsibilities, or details to cope with or manage successfully. Ok, that sounds about right. I tell myself, you can only do so much and if you take on too much you will not be doing anybody, let alone your students any favors. Then I find this balls in the air, according to the Urban Diction the term means “there is no going back now” referring to the point of no return or to something that cannot be undone. Oh no! My thoughts start down a new path. A path that does not fit neatly with my original intentions. This path is messy and I’m certain I will stumble and perhaps fall.
The more I reflect on this, the more I realize that if I truly want to be innovative, I can’t just sit back and watch. Is it going to be easy? Heck no, it will probably be hard for me! This brings me to one of my favorite quotes from Seymour Papert, “We learn best and we work best if we enjoy what we are doing. But fun and enjoying doesn’t mean easy. The best fun is hard fun.”
As I think about Seymour, I can help but think of Mitch Resnick which leads me to another quote, “As I see it, whoever’s doing the inventing is also doing most of the learning – and probably having most of the fun.”
And finally I have a change a mind, I need to be an active participant, I need to nurture my own innovative mind. I am dropping the “too many” from the “balls in the air”, instead I am going to say it’s too late, balls in the air, I’m gong to just jump in, have some hard fun, learn and innovate. There is no turning back now!