Fitting Pieces Together

In the beginning, constructivism theory sparked my attention because learners construct their own knowledge and are adaptive (Ertmer and Newby, 1993).  Based on what I knew at the time, this was my best choice.  My quest for adaptability enables me to keep going and to dig deeper when I’m curious about anything.   Intrinsically, I have a need to find out “why” to many questions.  However, if the tools are not in close proximity, I will give up quickly. 

In the previous discussion, I talked about making real-world connections and the urge to understand concepts before moving forward.  Connectivism and adult learning include more of my learning behavior; they expand upon the constructivist learning theory.  With connectivism, my introverted personality is given an opportunity to thrive by connecting socially through Web 2.0 networks.  It enables me to make-sense of learning and by providing resourceful networks like blogging, Wikipedia, Facebook, YouTube, and Delicious.  It gives me a voice where I can test and express my views while tapping into a diverse community of learners. 

For overly complex concepts, connectivists extract and store information on non-human appliances, meaning computers or networks, to prevent human overload (Siemen, 2005).  Decision-making is based on a “rapid changing foundation” (Davis, Edmunds,& Kelly-Bateman, 2008) as information is abundant and readily available.  The limits of software license have been reduced by having applications available at all times, called clouding.  Siemen (2005) believes that with information changing so rapidly we must constantly adapt and evaluate updated information.  Connectivist’s adjust to informal learning, but should draw distinctions between important and unimportant information is vital (Siemen, 2005). 

In the role of technology for me, my laptop is my first resource to connect with the world to find out what is going.  It is used to locate examples and non-examples of topics to connect with work, school, family, and friends.  Web 2.0 resource motivates me to actively learn and connect with others around the world.  When I use social media networks, I connect with my community virtually.  Human contact is not my preference.  Blog posts comments offer welcome feedback that helps to deepen my understanding of a topic and well as provide alternatives. 

Davis, C, Edmunds, E, & Kelly-Bateman, V. (2008). Connectivism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved February 17, 2012 fromhttp://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/

Ertmer, P. and Newby J. (1993). Behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism:  Comparing critical features from an instructional design perspective.  Retrieved from http://uow.ico5.janison.com/ed/subjects/edgi911w/readings/ertmerp1.pdf

Siemens, G. (2005, January). Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning. Retrieved from http://www.itdl.org/Journal/Jan_05/article01.htm

Connectivism

In my Learning Theories course, we explored central tenets of connectivisim by analyzing how networks are used to access knowledge.  Posted to the right, my personal mind map provides a glimpse of how personal and social networks are currently used.  Next, this blog will respond to how networks have changed the way I learn; share digital tools that best facilitate learning for me; explain my process of finding answer to inquiries; and express how my personal network supports connectivism. 

Before sharing how my network changed the way I learn, let us reflect on past learning experiences.  In the 1980s, technology required a great deal of codes, or text commands, to achieve professionally produced documents.  Graphical user interface enabled users to view images also known as “what you see is what you get,” WYSIWYG, rather than a web of codes and text.   It looked a lot like html codes.  At the time, I thought it couldn’t get much better in the information world.  Because research was tedious, the only information that I would investigate would mostly come from a dictionary, bible, or a cookbook.  Any other thought provoking information would require a trip to the local library to find the right resources.  Additionally, visits to the library were mostly to follow-up on required assignments for schools.  Never would I take it upon myself to learn more on my own.  So my network has changed the way I learn because information is readily available to me at home, work, and anyplace my smartphone connects to 3G or 4G network.  In fact, it empowers me with the feeling of being within the loop of information.

Web 2.0 digital tools best facilitate learning for me since many features are interrelated.  Wikipedia gave the following examples of Web 2.0 (n.d.):   social networking sites, blogs, wikis, video sharing sites, hosted services, web applications, mashups and folksonomies.  Tags and hyperlinks enable me to navigate freely to a wealth of information presented in simple and complex forms.  If reading the information is to complex, then graphics and video, like from YouTube, are shared between a network of users.  However, schools focus more on formal learning and have been known to be slow in responding to the connectivist approach (Siemens, 2004), but some are testing the Web 2.0 idea by integrating Facebook and twitter (Schaffer, 2011).  Siemens (2004) states that “technology is altering (rewiring) our brains. The tools we use define and shape our thinking.”

When I have questions, immediately I use Google’s search engine; with just a few key strokes, it immediately anticipates my inquiry and provides suggestions.  Key term locates more links and resources. Even through Facebook, I can type a term and search for dedicated page posts of collaborators. 

My personal learning network support the significant principles of connectivism, especially since it connects me socially with perceptions of others.  In elementary school we were told that Columbus discovered America.  My question back then was, “How could he discover America when the Indians were already there?”  My teacher avoided the question.  A point like this never rests with me.  My personal network gives me the tool to investigate my own answers and to make sense of knowledge learned.  It helps me to weigh pros and cons as I form my own opinion. Learning may reside in non-human appliance, but it is built upon continuous store of human input. As we explore, we think critically by asking our own questions to compare and contrast concepts. Connectivist are wired to expect updates and to reassess the best methods to access information.

Schaffer, S. (2011, October 21).  Colleges embrace social media in the classroom.  http://www.classesandcareers.com/education/2011/10/21/classroom-social-media/

Siemens, G., (2004, December 12).  Connectivism:  A learning theory for the digital age.  Retrieved from http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm.

Wikipedia.  (n.d.) Web 2.0 .  Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0