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is Mark Granovetter’s ‘Strength of Weak Ties’ argument in 1973, revisited in 1983. Essentially, weak ties are those ties ‘outside’ the core connections that any one actor has. Granovetter uses the example of acquaintances and friends, where the former are more structurally crucial to a network than the latter. In other words, if you operate solely within your group of ‘close-knit’ friends, then there is little or no expansion of that network and hence the proliferation of linear thought; a process known as homophily. Heterophily then is when networks are predicated on difference, or by exploration of ‘weaker’ ties to any given individual – a phenomenon which discourages linearity, and embraces rhizomatic thinking.

There are two goals supported in the connectivism learning theory, according to Downes:  The ability to grow and foster a network of connections.  The ability to develop a successful, robust, trustworthy network.

That makes what Siemens calls the “know-where” knowledge (“the understanding of where to find [needed] knowledge”)  much more important than “know-how” and “know-what.”

perhaps it is time for us to begin contributing to Wikipedia and adding links to those sources we wish our students would also visit in a quest to solve problems and expand their learning.

Wer sich online vernetzt, hat auch im echten Leben mehr Sozialkontakte“

Virtuelle Freunde aber könnten keine echten menschlichen Kontakte ersetzen – so mahnen immer wieder vor allem jene, die in den Netzwerken gar nicht dabei sind.

Soziale Kommunikation und Interaktion, aber auch soziales Engagement sind generell im Aufwind, nicht auf dem Rückzug