Article in Edutopia by Will Richardson, originally published in 2008 - I do not feel we have progressed as much as we could have since then in terms of the 'Collaboration Age' and teachers being connectors rather than content experts.
""Personal Learning Networks are systems that help learners take control of and manage their own learning. This includes providing support for learners to:
1) set their own learning goals
2) manage their learning; managing both content and process
3) communicate with others in the process of learning and thereby achieve learning goals
Simply put: A PLN is a system for lifelong learning.""
"Today's enterprises are seeing and experiencing the value of both social software and cloud-based content collaboration systems. By connecting people and giving them the means to discuss, unlock and increase knowledge sharing across the workforce, these services are driving productivity and increasing efficiency in organizations across the globe."
"The Connected Learning for the Workplace design approach embodies the following 5 principles - briefly explained below.
scaffolding- rather than packaging up e-learning content, it involves building a framework for learning to take place. This framework provides just enough structure, without constraining personal and social learning.
self-governance- it promotes and supports participation in the ways that individuals feel most comfortable and best suits them - and it doing so it helps them take responsibility for their own learning
social first - social interaction lies at the heart of the learning experience - whether it be conversation, knowledge sharing, or collaboration in some other way so that participants can build their understanding together. In other words it is not just about tacking-on social interaction to content, and (en)forcing it.
content second- key resources are provided to get participants thinking, conversing and. doing, but participants are also encouraged to contribute to the knowledge base of relevant resources.
performance oriented - it is focused on what participants will be able to do as a result It does not track the (inter)activity to use this as a measure of success. After all activity doesn't equal learning let alone performance. Performance might be assessed in a number of ways, through self-, peer- or even manager-evaluation, depending on the content and context."