Kippers for Breakfast

This week's CCK09 topic was openness and transparency. Transparency in particular is a topic that is very interesting to me.

George Siemens in the CCK09 outline for this week states that transparency "involves making our learning explicit through forums, blogs, presentations, podcasts, and videos". I love it when I identify with what I read in a blog or hear in a podcast. I think this is probably a very common feeling. I also love it when I can see inside someones thinking process. How did they solve problem "x", did they even think that "x" is/was a problem? These are all things that transparency allows us to view.

There are many people who think that sharing or transparency is invasive or that people won't care about their experiences. Someone in one of this week's talks made a comment about posting about having kippers for breakfast on twitter. I just about died laughing. It cuts right to the core issue; do we care that you had kippers for breakfast? I respond with a loud YES! I want to know little things like that about the people I communicate with online. It is what strengthens our connections. I feel like I know you a bit better for that. Maybe I am in the minority, but I am probably not going to remember you for some deep insight you made in class last week, I am going to remember that you ate kippers for breakfast and then remember that you also made that deep comment.

I feel like transparency and openness are necessary for us to connect and have meaningful conversations and that is especially important in an environment where we cannot see each other. I know that you my classmates are not robots, even though I can't see that you are wearing a shirt I really like in class. It is as if we all live on these tiny little islands and when we find out our islands share some features we can say "Hey! My Island has that too" or we could say "How can I get that on my Island?".

I have decided to post a list of 10 things that you as classmates probably don't know about me so that we can get to know each other better. I also invite you to post back with some things about yourselves.

1. I love the TV show Lost. I mean LOVE it. I read numerous blogs about it, twitter about it and even have my own Dharma Initiative jumpsuit to wear while I watch the show.
2. I live in a really small town called High Prairie in Alberta Canada. I moved here about 3 years ago from Vancouver BC. When I first moved I lived in an even smaller community called Grouard which had less people than my old apartment building in Vancouver. I really enjoy living in a small community which is a big surprise to me and everyone who knows me. There are days when I am frustrated that I can't have a Latte or buy lemongrass at the supermarket but I get over it quickly.
3. I have a cat named Loki and a husband named Pat, but no children.
4. I am currently contemplating applying for a Masters Degree in Instructional Design at Athabasca University and would love any input from anyone in the field.
5. I am guilty of lurking. I am slowly getting over that though .
6. I am really bad at sharing stuff I find on Twitter. I keep thinking people will have already seen what I am looking at. I need to get over that.
7. I spend a lot of time on Facebook which many would consider a bad thing but I love because I get to see what is going on with my friend and family who also use it a lot.
8. I love to cook and to eat.
9. I am attempting to win a weight loss contest with some friends this month.
10. I don't have an amazing story of openness but hope to one day.