Connectivism

How my connections work...

While I am an instructor at 2 colleges it's interesting to note that I have connectivity with 3 different universities and environments just for educational information and email.  I spend a great deal of time on www.ted.com finding material that suits my lecture material for that week, so I often go there for inspiration and assistance.  The discussion boards I have active through Walden University and where I teach provide many different venues for communication with students in other classes.  The online library resources I have available through 3 different colleges are amazing and while overlap each other are great resources for my students as well as my research.  I'm not a big person on smart cell phones, as I used to enjoy that technology but found I was limiting my face to face conversations, so I have a un-smart phone that I use and while it's limiting in many uses I find my personal and professional relationships are easier to understand and manage.

• How has your network changed the way you learn? 

The process of learning is the creation of networks (Siemens, 2006) and those nodes that are our personal networks in which we learn.  My network from 10 years ago looks greatly different than the one I have now. While I consider myself a professional student, I do spend a great time on my dynamic networks through the 3 universities in which I am either a student or an instructor.  My local and dynamic networks change as new technology emerges, but stays consistent as I find the venues that seem to work for me and provide me with the learning material that I can rely on and find answers too rather quickly. 

• Which digital tools best facilitate learning for you? 

Online libraries are by far the best learning and available resource I have available, yet I do enjoy the discussion boards and what I learn from other students.  When it comes to facilitating learning, I enjoy new online tools that assist in my requirements and provide easier access and completion of my task. Such as the mindmap tool utilized for the above jpg.

• How do you learn new knowledge when you have questions?

It really depends on the type of new knowledge I am looking for. If this is information I need and are required to quote directly on, I will utilize the online libraries and databases and do a compilation of research and literature review to find the correct answer. However, on the flip side, I will do an internet search through www.bing.com and find reliable sources on information that I require.  There is great information to be gained through discussion boards and blogs such as this one for learning what works for other students. 

Reference:

Siemens, G. (2006). Knowing Knowledge. Copyright 2006 by George Siemens.

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The Rheingold Discussion

• Do you believe that humans have a basic instinct to “interact and work as a group,” as Rheingold proposed in his discussion of the evolution of Wikipedia as a collectively developed encyclopedia? 

Answer: We do, but as Rheinghold pointed out, sometimes to our own detriment, as we have seen in overgrazing, overpopulation problems and other issues such as sharing a water source with mass society.  HOWEVER, collective  improvements can have great forward thinking and intentions, as we have seen in blogging environments, community efforts to clean our shorelines and neighborhoods and more.  

• How can technology facilitate collaboration among learners based on constructivist principles?   

Answer: In my opinion even Facebook/Twitter and other venues can collaborate great thinking and sharing between many different people that may not necessarily come together in a regular community.  While the online classroom is a great venue to collaborate thinking and share ideas, technology can also bring together many different classrooms to assist in massive communication and collaboration of ideas and problem solving.  We see this in many classrooms around the world, the world classroom is still something that needs to be utilized more to ensure our younger learners are learning more about cultures and other parts of their world.

• Find a current research study that has been conducted in the last 5 years that supports collaboration as an effective tool for learning. Include the link and reference for this study in your blog.

Link: While this is an initiative to incorporate collaboration on the family, school and community level, this is an excellent initiative that should be paid attention too. http://www.wholechildeducation.org/ This organization is supported by companies that support the arts, sciences and technological collaboration of our children's learning around the world. 

Answer: A study and paper was conducted by East, Fitzgerald and Manke about the implications and tensions of collaborative self study groups.  Interestingly the study was met with frustration and issues regarding interviewees not feeling like their study groups 'studied' anything.  Other interviewees regarded the self study as something that could not be collaborative but shared with others.  Perhaps the study should have been called another term to alleviate the self vs the collaborative group. 

Reference:

East, K., Fitzgerald, L., & Manke, M. P. (2010). Identifying Implications of Tensions in a Series of Collaborative Self-      Study Groups. Studying Teacher Education, 6(3), 281-290.