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
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