Connectivism

The above mind-map depicts my  networks for learning.  I connect with are the people who have similar hobbies, similar jobs, or similar interest.  The social media available to connect has changed the way in which we look for and find information.  I can remember when the internet was first available for civilian use it was very difficult to find the information that you were looking for.  I can also remember searching many search engines because they all had a different database of information and the returns or hits on the search would all be different.  Google has cornered the market on search engines.  For instance, when someone asked you a question you may tell them to “Google it”.  I have never heard anyone say, “bing it,” yahoo it”, or “Wikipedia it”.

 I do not use Wikipedia for my research; I use online libraries such as the Walden Library, The Library of Congress, or my local library.  I also use books from my own collection.  Some are digital and some are hard copies in my personal library. I do use Interest for both DIY and educational learning.  I can connect and follow many different people and compare and test the answers to my questions. 

The best digital tools for my learning really depend on the area of desired knowledge.  If I am working on best practices for blended learning I would connect with my network of colleagues and students.  I use Google docs for sharing documents, Blogger for dialog with other learners, and YouTube for visual demonstration.  I would rather listen to a lecture via YouTube then to read the content out of a book. 

The Internet and access to information over the internet has totally changed how I search for answers and information.    I look for connections to people who are in the know of the information I seek.  I don't  look to share what I know with the network, but it happens spontaneously.   According to Siemens Connectivism is the process of building networks (Siemens, 2006).  The networks do overlap and intermingle, but they are based on contributions for learning.

Reference

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

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Constructionism and Collaboration Module 3 EDUC 8845

Humans are social beings and need social interaction with other humans.  The evidence is all around us in the world we live in, especially evidenced in the expansion of social media. It is the expansion of social media that is precipitating the buzz of collaborative learning.  Technology has the ability to connect learners around the world and makes meeting convenient without barriers due to distance.  According to Rheingold  humans are distinctly social, but the "prisoners dilemma" which he states has made them unable to collaborate due to mistrust.   He referees to the prisoner dilemma as one having the goods and one having the money, but neither will let go due to mistrust and both end up losing out (Reingold, 2008). Continued collaboration builds trust and if carried out long enough a collaborative trustful environment evolves.  Technology has been used to build such environments and ebay and wikipedia are examples of collaborative environments that will not work without trust relationships.



Rheingold

Collaborative learning has shown to increase the willingness of teachers to share in discourse with students, higher expectations for students, and greater respect for student ideas, (Bruce, 2013). One of the ways in which technology can foster collaborative learning is by the use of massively open online courses(MOOC), which learners can take courses online and share learning with other learners.  The technology is readily available and easy to use and use such tools as, YouTube, Googe Hanouts, Wikispace and Skipe to mention a few (Horizon 2013)

Reference:

Bruce, C. D., & Flynn, T. (2013). Assessing the Effects of Collaborative Professional Learning: Efficacy Shifts in a Three-Year Mathematics Study. Alberta Journal Of Educational Research, 58(4), 691-790. http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=6bb6fa59-3008-4f0f-a9b1-5ba8c14a6253%40sessionmgr111&vid=8&hid=112

Johnson, L., Adams Becker, S., Cummins, M., Estrada, V., Freeman, A., and Ludgate, H. (2013). NMC Horizon Report: 2013 Higher Education Edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.  Retrieved from: 

http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/hr2013.pdf

Rheingold, H. (2008, February). Howard Rheingold on collaboration [Video file]. Retrieved from  
http://www.ted.com/talks/howard_rheingold_on_collaboration.html


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