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Zach Lonsinger

John Seely Brown: Learning, Working & Playing in the Digital Age - 18 views

  • Bricolage, a concept originally studied by Levi Strauss many years ago, relates to the concrete. It has to do with the ability to find something—an object, tool, piece of code, document—and to use it in a new way and in a new context. In fact, virtually no system today is built from scratch or first principles—like the way I used to build systems—but rather from finding examples of code on the Web, borrowing "that code," bringing it onto their site, and then modifying it to fit their needs.
    • Melissa Glenn
       
      The course that I teach, anatomy and physiology, can be very difficult for some students. I encourage using the vidoes and dissection simulations that come with the textbook, youtube videos, online games flashcards, etc. I had an instructor in another discipline ask me why I didn't just use an online tool to make flashcards for the students for distribution. But this comment in the article really emphasized why I don't. Each student needs to find the study technique that works best for them. And in finding the appropriate video or website or whatever that helps them to learn the information, that process is part of the learning as well and teaches them important study tools for future classes.
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      I use this concept when I write code for websites. Most of the time I don't write new code. I usually take it from a previous project or from another website that I like, and modify it to work for what I want.
  • I believe that the real literacy of tomorrow will have more to do with being able to be your own private, personal reference librarian, one that knows how to navigate through the incredible, confusing, complex information spaces and feel comfortable and located in doing that. So navigation will be a new form of literacy if not the main form of literacy for the 21st century.
    • anonymous
       
      I think this prediction was spot on! Today's learning is not really about what you know, but rather do you know how to find it and how quickly.
    • Phil Tietjen
       
      "... private, personal reference librarian" with help from our networks (e.g., Twitter, Tumblr, FB, etc.)
    • cherylanneburris
       
      Research literacy is a requirement given how much information is available now.  There is not as much a need to have a deep rich understanding of a subject.  Instead, how to quickly find the necessary information from credible sources is a requirement for those operating in a digital world.  
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      I love the "private, personal references librarian". I always described myself to others as a Master Googler. I didn't think anything of it until I saw others try to use Google search engine and fail miserably. Navigation and being able to find what you are looking for is crucial in today's world. And knowing how to use Google, and finding what you actually need, isn't as easy as it looks, as one example.
    • kmlambert
       
      This made me smile as I am a reference librarian.  As much as I find patrons that want to know how to locate something, I think I encounter at least if not more of patrons who just want the item handed to them and do not care to learn how to find it themselves. 
    • kmlambert
       
      Further more often than not, most people assume they already know how to use Google, and will not ask for help searching or don't know how to interpret the search results.  
    • anonymous
       
      I often call Facebook my personalized newspaper!
    • Lindsey Jordan
       
      Social media and apps organizes our library for us: FaceBook, Instagram, Email, banking, gaming, even Pintrest. On your device, you can organize your apps by category, which will only make sense to that individual. I also like your google comment Zach! My students didn't even know there was an advanced search option for google. When they go to research, they can look for specific resources available at their reading level, or look up information during a specific time period!
    • jasmccord
       
      funny thought here... does anyone remeber using the good old card catalog instead of a computer search to find the old, antiquated devices known as books... Sorry, funny connection to the idea of a reference librarian.
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      I do remember using the card catalog. I remember going on a field trip to the school library and having the school librarian demonstrate how to search for books using the card catalog. Even in gradeschool, it seemed rudimentary to me. Now card catalogs are nearly extinct!
    • Phil Tietjen
       
      @jason - yes, libraries have most definitely felt the impact of Web 2.0, social technologies, etc. In many of the conversations and research that I've been following they've been more about helping students and patrons build skills in information literacy and navigating the massive trove of data that all these web-based sources, databases make available to us. Bluntly put, it's great that we have access to all this information through Google and various library databases, but how do we efficiently locate the most relevant, high-quality sources for our specific needs. That is no trivial task and so this presents librarians with an opportunity to assist.
  • This interplay is best characterized as "knowing" and it lives in the action of deliberate inquiry where the concepts, heuristics, laws and algorithms comprising the explicit function as tools for action–deliberate inquiry.)
    • Hannah Inzko
       
      I love this. When learning meets knowing through deliberate inquiry.
  • ...65 more annotations...
    • Marie Collins
       
      I never really thought of the Web being a tool to reach multiple intelligences! The different tools that are on the internet would be great to use in the classroom because each child could express their learning in the context that best suits their needs. Some students could be typing written documents, others could be creating presentations or even short video clips. The possibilities are endless when involving Web 2.0 tools!
    • Karen Yarbrough
       
      I noticed this idea, too! I'm a very visual learner, so I appreciate how the Internet can easily include text, videos, and slideshows in the classroom learning environment. Being able to connect to audio for auditory learners or people with visual impairments would also be really useful.
    • cherylanneburris
       
      Much as discussed here, technology often reaches multiple intelligences at once seamlessly. I am a visual learner and my daughter is an auditory learner.  Recently, we both watched a clip and picked up on different things because she was mainly listening and I was mainly watching.  As stated here, this addresses not only how a child may express themselves but also how a child may learn too.
    • kmlambert
       
      Yes, can you imagine have these types of tools when you in a K-12 setting?  I envision some of the harder subjects for myself would have been less difficult because I would be able to interact with the content in different ways.  
    • jasmccord
       
      I would take it one step further to include that it not only reaches multiple intelligences, but also is great at adapting for ability levels. It posses the challenges needed for gifted students, the adaptations for students with needs, and can accomodate students who learn better in different languages. In many ways it is the ultimate instructional tool.
  • Most of us experienced our formal learning in an authority-based, lecture-oriented school. And yet with the increasing amounts of information being readily available on the Web, we find a new kind of learning happening—it's not all that new; most of us did it informally anyway—having to do with discovery-based or experiential-based learning.
    • Marie Collins
       
      The idea that we need to be shifting from lecture-oriented/teacher centered learning is something that is hard for young teachers to start changing in their classrooms because of the lack of support from administration. I believe that soon students need to be learning in schools that are discovery-based. There still would be an underlying core of subjects being covered per grade level but students could work on their own through self-motivating projects to discover the information. The role of the teacher would be more of an adviser/moderator that would check in with students on their projects, make suggestions, and stretch their learning!
    • Melissa Glenn
       
      Marie--this is very interesting and I think what leads some parents to a home school curriculum. I am not a K-12 teacher and have no experience in that area, but with my own children I see that sometimes they are being taught one certain way to do something because that is the way they will be tested. Since my husband and I are both college professors, we often teach the kids other things and this gets them in trouble at school sometimes. For instance, we taught them 4 states of matter--liquid, gas, solid, and plasma. My son was told that plasma was not in the book so it was not a correct response.
    • Karen Yarbrough
       
      Ugh. Yes. The "the answer in the book is the only correct answer" problem. I was one of those horrible students who argued with my teachers all the time that the teacher's edition was wrong. It's why I always try to write questions that are either A) obviously open-ended on purpose or B) specific enough that there is genuinely only one answer. Sometimes it's all in the directions, but because of my annoyance in school, I try to keep it in mind.
    • kmlambert
       
      It seems like the discovery option in K-12 is not as prevalent in classrooms these days, because teachers/administrators are more worried about covering material for state tests.  
    • Christina Webster
       
      Marie that is exactly the type of classroom I try to maintain.  Students all around the room discovering their own learning.  Its amazing at how something as simple as the powerpoint project I'm having them create right now generates so much creativity and interest.  The students get to pick their topics and I haven't seen them more excited about a single assignment since I've been there.  They ask if we can get out the laptops every free minute and they are constantly calling me over while working to tell me the interesting pieces they are adding about their topic/person/thing.  I also have them present their powerpoint to the class hoping everyone can learn a little about each other's projects and generate their own questions.  As for "the answer in the book is the only correct answer", I haven't come across students that argue with the material yet (unless it is spelling and they are positive that tomato has an "e" in it), but plain and simple the books are outdated.  The information is not always accurate and although I still use the books I try to alternate the books and current internet pieces on the same topic.  Learning is about the students and we aren't constrained to just the old, dusty, resources in the room.
    • Courtney Blackhurst
       
      We need to challenge students to think outside the box and using multiple levels of intelligence.  they are multi-processors and we must continue to challenge them to do so - 1. to keep them from being bored and 2. so they continue to use this ability that they have.
    • jnb196
       
      I would like to add a number 3 to that, so that we shape then into being the 21 citizens which will be required to drive the world forward.
  • If we don't know how to use some appliance, software or game, etc., then we tend to reach for a manual, ask for a training course or ask to be shown how to do it by an expert. Believe me, hand a manual to a 15-year-old or suggest going to a training course and he thinks you are a dinosaur. "A manual? Give me a break! Let me get in there and muck around and try various things and see what works." More generally, today's kids tend to get on the Web and link, lurk and watch how other people are doing things and then try something themselves.
    • cherylanneburris
       
      This made me think of a TedTalk I recently watch.  Titled, Sugata Mitra's new experiments in self-teaching" found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk60sYrU2RU.  Basically, given a computer in India, school age children did not know English, did not know what a computer was, did not know what the internet was, and did not regularly attend school.  Even with that, they taught themselves.  It is worth watching.
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      I saw TEDtalks by Sugata Mitra before. He is a great pioneer of educational technology. I definitely agree with this statement. It is also my favored way of learning a new system or machine. I just like to dive in and experiment and get my hands dirty. That is how I learn the best.
    • kmlambert
       
      I thought I posted about this before, but I remember reading an article where researchers handed non-speaking English children ipads.  The children quickly figured out how to use the ipads without any instruction or previous experience with technology.    
    • Courtney Blackhurst
       
      We need to challenge our students to see what is being done in the world, because they have that ability at their fingertips, and exceed it!
  • The second aspect of the Web that has interested me for some time is the fact that the Web may be the first technology, the first medium that honors the notion of multiple intelligences.
  • In essence the Web augments the knowledge dynamics of a region, increasing its diversity and expanding its learning resources by leveraging local expertise—in a lightweight way—for mentoring.
    • Karen Yarbrough
       
      I like the thought of "augment[ing] the knowledge dynamics of a region". I think it acknowledges that technology is a great tool, but that it isn't the end all and be all. It adds to the learning experience in a way that can be individual and powerful.
    • Rachel Tan
       
      Yes it should be pedagogy before technology
  • It took 20 or 50 years for electrification to take hold and for society to enact new social practices that leveraged the potential of that infrastructure
    • Justin Montgomery
       
      Sometimes we forget how long change takes to occur.
    • Phil Tietjen
       
      @Justin - agree; in many cases, the technical layer is easier than the social, e.g., changing mindsets, developing set of best practices, etc.
    • kmlambert
       
      As a society that has always had electricity, it is hard to imagine a life without it.  Similar to what I expect the digital generation to realize that the Web did not always exist. 
    • jasmccord
       
      It is amazing to think of how long it took for some changes to take hold. I feel the web has been able to catch on much more quickly in many ways yet the learning curve for some of its applications are very slow. Schools in particular a slow to adapt to the applications of web based technology.
  • The Web helps to build a rich fabric that combines the small efforts of the many with the large efforts of the few. It enables the culture and sensibilities of the region to evolve, not only by enriching the diversity of available information and expertise,
    • Rachel Tan
       
      This is another way to see the Connectivist approach to learning
  • a shift between using technology to support the individual and using technology to support relationships. This shift will be very important because with it we will discover new ways, new tools and new social protocols for helping us help each other, which is really the very essence of social learning.
    • cherylanneburris
       
      If Web 1.0 was about building a relationship between the web and the individual and Web 2.0 is about building support for relationships, what will Web 3.0 look like ... tailored experiences ... personalization...collaboration?  If so, are we already in a Web 3.0 world?
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      The Web 3.0 could be the Internet of Things or building a relationship between an indivudal and a thing, or turning things into people. Like having an oven recognize that Zach put a turkey in the oven and the oven knows that Zach likes the turkey cooked a certain way so it automatically cooks it for you. Scary concept, but it's coming.
    • jbueter
       
      In a lot of ways--and this is something that others have pointed out--big internet services have narrowed our influences because of more targeted use of the data we give off when we use Google, for instance. Thus, limited some of the potential for relationships that Brown talks about.
    • anonymous
       
      Interesting! Could this information be considered public like the information that is already being sold by physical stores, etc.? Do you think there will be less material things in the future and more virtual or made of different materials? Like a physical stop sign won't be necessary when cars drive themselves. We won't have to paint our walls we can change the color with a click!
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      Sam, I do think there will be less material things in the future. Check out this link. http://mashable.com/2013/05/18/stop-sign-water/ LaserVision, a light show company, designed a curtain of water with a stop sign projected onto it. It's been a project in Austrailia since 2007. The implications of this are endless. And I think we are approacing a very different and radical age.
    • anonymous
       
      That's really neat, thanks for sharing! :)
    • Rachel Tan
       
      This shift is happening and undeniable. Social learning is the theme for our next e-learning e-fiesta. Thanks Phil for sharing this (rather long) article.
  • Think about what this suggests for distance learning.
    • dmwentroble
       
      I find this statement interesting. As I get older and see younger people using the technology afforded to them, I realize that like it or not...education is changing. This was probably the sentiment years ago about electricity :)
    • dmwentroble
       
      I agree, it worries me that I am missing the boat on my goals!
  • A second example: Hewlett-Packard and the Web. In this example, engineers at Hewlett-Packard use the Web to act as cognitive apprentices, or mentors, for kids wanting extra help on scientific, engineering or mathematical type problems. Again, the small efforts of the many—the engineers—complement the large efforts of the few—the teachers. Both of these examples barely scratch the surface of what could result from interlacing the small efforts of the many with the large efforts of the few.
    • dmwentroble
       
      Interesting fact: My neighbor is one of the engineers with Hewlett Packard that trains perspective clients to help interns/students learn the ropes via the internet.
    • Phil Tietjen
       
      Interesting coincidence indeed!
  • internet and the Web as a medium is that it enables us to leverage the small efforts of the many along with the large efforts of the few. Two very simple examples: consider a project called Pueblo that is happening in the Longview School in Phoenix, Arizona, in conjunction with some researchers from Phoenix College, a part of the Maricopa Community College System. These researchers have found a way to use a closed internet to connect a set of senior citizens acting as mentors with kids in the school systems. The result was that the small efforts of the many—the senior citizens
  • Many of us tend to think that kids who are multi-processing can't be concentrating. This may not be true. Notice that the attention span of most top managers range somewhere between 30 seconds to five minutes, which seems to be about the right span for most kids that I know
    • dmwentroble
       
      I love the idea of the digital age...however, not every job is going to be digital. These "kids" need to understand that they need to focus longer than 5 minutes if they are to succeed in life!
    • jnb196
       
      Good point made, this means that schools cannot fully exchange one method for another but must skilfully integrate two world to ensure that whereas kids recieve training for the digital age we live in they also acquire other life skills.
    • kmlambert
       
      I think his argument would be stronger if he provided actual data. I see students that are 'hooked up' to multiple devices, but I wonder are their brains actually processing and storing data or is it more of a switch in knowing what  requires more of their attention at one time?      
  • So in some interesting sense the need for making judgments is greater than ever. After all, who would necessarily believe something just because it was on the Web? If you found it in the Wall Street Journal you might have some reason to believe it, the National Enquirer, perhaps not.
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      I totally agree that the needs for making judgements is greater than ever. It almost brings a sense of accountability to useing the internet. And at the same time, it is easier than every to double or even triple check a source. Wikipedia provides endless sources to back up its information, which is proving Wikipedia to be a valuable source of information today.
    • dmwentroble
       
      I just had this discussion with my second graders. Just because something is on the web does not make it a fact. It could just be an opinion. Great way to teach FACT vs. OPINION!
    • kristiemcgarry
       
      One of my fave examples of "something on the web is not always a fact" is the tree octopus: http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/
    • Phil Tietjen
       
      @Zach - Yes, Wikipedia has certainly come a long way since its early days when its credibility was questionable and was often the victim of spam wars or vandals. And while it's improved dramatically, there's only so much territory that their groups of volunteer editors can cover, and most of the participation has been by men and so the Wikimedia Foundation is looking at ways to encourage more women to participate. e.g., http://www.dailydot.com/society/wikipedia-gender-gap-sarah-stierch/
    • Phil Tietjen
       
      @kristie - good example :)
  • nd so it will be for the Web. But to see this I think it is crucial not to think of the Web and the internet as just a network of computers but rather as the beginning of a fundamentally new medium, a medium as in TV, radio, theater and books. But this medium is going to have properties that are going to be very hard for us to understand because it's going to be a two-way or interactive medium
    • kristiemcgarry
       
      It is fascinating that we are now in the phase that this article predicted.
  • t this medium is as transformative as was electrification and with similar diffusion properties. The industrial dynamo was introduced about 1880. It took about 30 or more years for the effects of the dynamo to permeate our society
    • kristiemcgarry
       
      I have heard this comparison before--the internet era compared to the industrial revolution--and it is a very interesting comparison. Not just an invention but a disruptive change in the ways that we work, live, and think.
    • anonymous
       
      It makes me think about the combination of technologies as tools and learning the language.
  • Comcast offered about 50 billion dollars for Media One
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      And to think this was 15 years ago. I wonder how much 50 billion is worth today. And people made a big deal with Facebook bought Instagram for 1 billion, and then more recently WhatsApp for 19 billion, and then a few month ago, Oculus Rift for 2 billion---and yet all of this still does not equal 50 billion.
  • Recently, I was with a young researcher, albeit one that was a bit unusual, that had actually wired a Web browser into his eyeglasses.
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      Does this guy work for Google now? Perhaps had a part in designing Google Glass? I got to experiement with Google Glass in February. Woah, was that cool. It was very unique in being able to watch a video in your glasses or wink and be able to take a picture. I can definitely see Google Glass, or a future model being implemented in education.
    • kmlambert
       
      Google Glass came to my mind as well.  I've had colleagues that have had the opportunity to try them.  It confuses me as to how it works exactly.  Perhaps we have reached the Jetsons age?
    • jbueter
       
      I've been more fascinated with what 3D printers can do in the classroom, where at least for now printers seem to have an easier to identify educational role.
  • and to be able to pick up and feel comfortable with these new rapidly evolving multiple media genres
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      I think this is evident in children today. You see kids everywhere with smartphones, tablets, iPads. And these kids are better users of these than some of their parents.
    • kmlambert
       
      Reminds me of the news article (last year?) which discussed the instance of American researchers providing a handful of children with an Ipad. These children lived in a third world country, but were able to master the use of the Ipad quickly and without any adult instruction. 
  • and may even become a prominent form of entertainment for the digital kid.
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      Well that was a dead-on prediction.
  • The catch, however, is that if you are going to become a successful bricoleur of the 21st century, a bricoleur of the virtual rather than of the physical, than as you borrow things you have to be able to decide whether or not to believe or trust those things.
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      I think this can get into the touchy subject of plagiarism. There's a famous saying that goes, "stealing from one source is plagiarism, but stealing from many sources is research". I also read a book titled, "Steal Like an Artist" by Austin Kleon. One of the famous sayings used was from Picasso, "Good artists copy, great artists steal."
    • kmlambert
       
      Again, I find most middle school and high school students, college-aged, and adults are not always certain on the differenences between a .gov or .edu site versus a .com site. 
    • jbueter
       
      The standards for "cobbling" or taking code fragments are different than traditional "ideas," though. Code seems less abstract and more material-based, at least virtually. 
  • So we now have navigation being coupled to, basically, discovery and discovery being coupled to bricolage but you don't dare build on whatever you discover unless you can make a judgment concerning its quality or trustworthiness.
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      This is a loaded sentence and I love it. It's a great point and I think it describes the complexity of today's world, Web 2.0 tools, and how to be an effective digital bricoleur.
  • digital bricoleur.
  • So troubleshooting is really story construction, not abstract logical reasoning.
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      I love this. Stories are everywhere, from birth to death, and have always been apart of the human nature. I do believe stories are vital to education and how every child learns best. Not always just storybooks, but stories from parents, classmates, friends, and from their teachers.
    • snc520
       
      Absolutely! I always try to incorporate story telling into my classes. Sharing things I learned during my time in school and letting students share their stories with their peers and myself. A lot of the time I even learn from their stories!
  • Learning was happening in a fantastic way in terms of telling and listening to stories.
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      This is a fantastic, yet incredibly simple concept of learning--storytelling. This has been going on for generations, yet we still always manage to miss the basic fundamentals. I think this is why gamification is catching on so fast, becasue most games tell a story that catches your attention.
  • The real expert was not a person but was the community mind, the mind of the community-of-practice.
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      Interesting concept. I totally agree that not one person can ever be a true expert in one area, but a group of professionals create the expert community mind. Very cool way to word that, I might bricolage that.
    • kmlambert
       
      Listservs can function as a community mind in this manner.  
  • The twist, though, was that once they received the video, the engineers would replay them in their own small study group, but replay them in a very special way. Every three minutes or so they would stop the video and talk about what they had just seen, and ask each other if there were any questions or any ambiguities that needed to be resolved.
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      This is a great way to learn that I think a lot of professors on campus overlook. The engineers basically were experiencing what we call today a "flipped classroom". I think this is a great way to learn, especially with a small group of people where you can bounce ideas off and pause the lecture or re-watch it. Sometimes during a lecture or in a class, people need that time to pause, and think over the material. Some students do this, and then miss what the instructor continued to talk about.
  • The next system is an experimental system in use at Cornell University and designed by Dan Huttenlocher. Here they use dual video cameras, one on the lecturer and one that zooms in on any student asking a question. The video stream can then be automaticallly segmented, identifying exactly when a student asked a question or the lecturer changed a slide, etc. Once a slide is identified its image is passed to an optical character recognizer whose output is used to help create an index of the video stream content.
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      This is an interesting concept. I'm surprised we haven't seen this technology revamped and recreated today, unless I missed it. But I haven't seen this technology used really anywhere.
  • The traditional producers of knowledge (e.g., faculty) are also becoming consumers of the knowledge that their traditional consumers (e.g., grad students, firms in the region) produce.
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      I think this is a rather important concept, that the teacher also learns from the students. This creates an environment of learning where students can take the reign of teacher and be able to teach. This creates a two-way conversation that can foster deeper and more meaninful learning.
  • We're just at the bottom of the S-curve of this innovation, a curve that will have about the same shape but a greater slope than the one pertaining to electrification. And as this S-curve takes off, it creates a unique period for entrepreneurs! It is entrepreneurs, be they academic, educational or corporate entrepreneurs, that will shape and drive this relatively chaotic phenomenon especially as it relates to learning. Entrepreneurs are great at challenging the status quo. Their power lies in their willingness to see differently, unearth and challenge background assumptions and then act on their beliefs, often overturning an assumption that others felt were unassailable. Our challenge and opportunity, here, is to foster the entrepreneurial spirit toward creating new kinds of learning environments, ones that leverage how we naturally learn coupled to or enhanced by the unique capabilities of the Web.
    • kmlambert
       
      It'd be interesting to find out where this author believes us to be on the S-curve now.  This statement made me realize that most discoveries are made by visionaries that want to push the envelope and have successfully done so, such as Steve Jobs & Apple or Mark Zuckerberg & Facebook.  For better or worse they have revolutionized our society.     
  • learning becomes a part of action and knowledge creation.
    • kmlambert
       
      I have found that I learn and retain new ideas if I can read about it and then have the ability to interract with it in some fashion. 
    • CJ Marchione
       
      When I was in primary and secondary school, I received notesheets that stated that the more senses one uses in studying material, the more likely he is to retain the material as knowledge. Rather than senses, perhaps relating new knowledge to familiar concepts and activitities should have been stressed. (After all, I probably will not be tasting the Renaissance anytime soon!)
  • Enculturation lies at the heart of learning.
    • kmlambert
       
      Again stating that becoming embedded in a community adds to learning.  
  • These study groups were socially constructing their own understanding of the material.
    • kmlambert
       
      Certainly a vote for more group discussions within learning environments, distance learners or not.     
  • One of the things that makes an ecology so powerful and adaptable to new contexts is its diversity
    • kmlambert
       
      My understanding of this is that if everyone in a group has the same viewpoint, nothing new may develop.  But if you have learners from various backgrounds, and life experiences then innovation can begin.  Learner A will propose one solution and Learner B may submit another. Through discussion and evaluation, a final solution will be developed.    
  • Judgment, navigation, discrimination and synthesis are more critical than ever; again, congruent to our hypothesis about digital kids.
  • Basically, each of us is part consumer and part producer. We read and we write, we absorb and we critique, we listen and we tell stories, we help and we seek help. This is life on the Web. The boundaries between consuming and producing are fluid—the secret to many of the business models of Web-based commerce.
    • kmlambert
       
      This is a nice concise statement.  I especially love how it states that boundaries are fluid between being a consumer and being a producer.  
  • What I want to do this morning is to provide some evocative comments rather than give a coherent, logically argued talk. That is, these comments are meant to be idea sparkers that will, hopefully, evoke additional ideas for yourself concerning how the world might be changing and how we might actually recast or reframe some of the classical problems of education and distance learning in quite new terms.
    • jbueter
       
      As someone who teaches rhetoric, I love this acknowledgement of genre and purpose. Probably easier to pull off in a speech when you are someone of his experience.
  • f you see a Web site that's more than six months old, it screams out at you—something is wrong.
    • jbueter
       
      I notice this "off-kilter" quality with operating systems--especially when I toggle between my older iPod touch and my relatively newer iPhone. Must be a golden age for these types of graphic designers.
    • Christina Webster
       
      My summer job is constantly getting new laptops and I never think there is anything wrong with the old ones but each new laptop has a better quality or different feature than the older that benefits the business.  This six month timeline sounds about right.
    • snc520
       
      This is so true! I have a MacBook from 2011 that I have been using and loving. It always worked fine for me, and I saw nothing wrong with it. About a month ago, it started to act up and it eventually quit on me, so I took it in to the local Apple store. I basically needed everything replaced (thank goodness it was still under the extended warranty) and I received all new parts (except for the battery and bottom metal case). Essentially, now I have a brand new computer with the most updated software and I have am so surprised by how much faster and smoother it runs!
  • Web surfing
    • jbueter
       
      Not common to hear this term now, especially in a non-ironic context.
  • Knowledge has two dimensions, the explicit and the tacit. The explicit dimension deals with concepts, the know-whats, whereas the tacit dimension deals with know-how.
    • jbueter
       
      This differentiation looks familiar. The image was also in the Brown piece.  
  • even what constitutes a solution in the first place?
    • jbueter
       
      The skeptic Evgeny Morozov would completely agree with this sentiment. Morozov is cautious of those who look for a solution outside of any real problem.
  • as I mentioned earlier, lurk on the periphery and hear what was going on and in so doing could be a virtual cognitive apprentice. He could also move from the periphery to the center when he had something to contribute, very much like today's digital kids are doing on the Web.
    • jbueter
       
      This is inline with why companies have started forums for support, which is a form of tech support I sometimes prefer.
  • (This capability may be especially important as a child starts his learning journey. Afterwards, and after a sense of self confidence about being able to learn has been established, mastering a broader set of learning media will be easier).
    • anonymous
       
      When I first heard of so many people having a wii fit, I often thought why not just do the real thing in real life? This section gets me thinking about the times I've been in a situation where my comfort level was minimal and therefore I took a backseat to observe (and also refrained from asking specific questions that would allow me to keep up). I enjoy reading about these "safe zones" and how truly essential they are to learner exploration and building confidence!
  • This experiment reflects a win/win situation because the senior citizens wired together actually created a sense of meaning for themselves, through interaction with themselves and the kids, while also acting as a powerful resource to the kids.
    • anonymous
       
      We had "Grandma" in our class while student teaching. The students loved her! I wonder if the students in this project assist "their grandparent" in using technology?
  • just like cold fusion was in science.
  • Then he linked and lurked and at the right moment he transitioned from lurking to asking a question therein initiating a brief conversation with this expert. A small momentary effort of one expert inspired this kid.
  • Given the vastness of the Web, it's often possible to find a niche community or special interest group that exactly coincides with your own, idiosyncratic interest or, more to the point, a kid's interest.
    • anonymous
       
      Depth
  • . It was a strange experience to say the least.
    • snc520
       
      I can't imagine what it would be like if these were mainstream and common! I feel like it would be so hard for myself to concentrate on both things at once!
  • You are picking up or apprenticing to the practices of an expert.
    • snc520
       
      This reminds me a lot of student teaching. In the last two semesters (at least in the Penn State program) are heavy on field experiences. Even though I learned a lot in my methods courses, the most valuable learning experiences I aquired in my time at Penn State were from student teaching, being in an actual classroom and working with an actual teacher!
    • Christina Webster
       
      I have a student now that due to several reasons cannot read or write.  I only have the student for two subjects and during our time with those subjects the student puts his finger on the page as if he is following along, but has no clue where the class is.  The student is constantly cutting papers and never doing the assignment like the rest of the class.  The student does not even remember my name, but if I give this student a verbal test the student receives grades of 80%.  I have no idea how he is retaining the information when he is talking and looking at a completely different page, cannot remember my name, but can get almost every answer correct.  Clearly he is able to concentrate on what is being read or spoken to him in those environments even though according to my eyes he's not paying attention at all.  Just reminded me an example of multi-processing.  
    • jasmccord
       
      This is so true. I cannot help but think of how standards revolve around the ability to read a variety of text, informational, persuasive, and narrative. Standards should be developed for online literacy and how to read online text.
  • learning ecology.
    • jasmccord
       
      I find the terminology used here to be very interesting. To me the word ecology has always had a scienfic conotation to it. Thus, for it to be used in this context seems very interesting.
  • So, having said all that, let's step back and ask about today's kids, kids growing up digital. How are their brains different? How do they learn differently? How do they think differently? How are they different? Because after all, today's kids are today's customers for schools and tomorrow's customers for lifelong learning. So we all have a lot of motivation to jointly come to some understanding of how the "digital kid" is different. Let me first give an overview and then I will dig into this topic a little bit more
    • jasmccord
       
      This is something I have put a great deal of thought to. Kids are different and have changed very rapidly. At the age of 36 I like to believe I am not yet in the category of being considered old. However, when i was going through elementary school the web was not yet something available to me. A computer was the good apple 2e. When I hit middle school and high school the web was coming onto the scene. The apple 2gs was in style and dial up and "You've Got Mail" were familiar to many, but not all. The kids of today however have grown up in a world that has never known dial up, have never been without text messaging or phones capable of standing in for computers. This has changed the kids of today. Their person to person communication skills are lacking, they demand immediate feedback, they multitask like pros because they do nearly everything while connected to an electronic device. This is an area of great interest to me because I believe the web and its associated devices have truly changed who we are as people.
  • Starting about three years ago we, at PARC, started hiring fifteen year olds to join us during the summer as researchers
  • Corporate research centers and high-tech companies are increasingly providing adjunct professors, guest lectures, thesis supervision, richly textured case histories to the universities. They are also providing consulting and sabbatical opportunities for professors and graduate students, thus providing opportunities for the academy to become better grounded in real world problems. Although such intermixing is not fundamentally new, the degree to which it is happening is new and various kinds of cross linkages are growing.
  • What that medium will evolve into, believe me, none of us really know.
    • CJ Marchione
       
      A corporation purchases another for billions of dollars, for the purpose of investing in a medium with intense transformation potential. The uncertainty of what those transformations will be does not deter them. This is the power of increased convenience in communications: it is potentially of great service to billions of people, and worth more green bills than each of us shall witness in our lifetimes.
Zach Lonsinger

elearnspace. Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age - 17 views

    • Courtney Blackhurst
       
      All of these push knowledge construction by the student through experiences. 
  • Even social constructivist views, which hold that learning is a socially enacted process, promotes the principality of the individual (and her/his physical presence – i.e. brain-based) in learning.
  • Objectivism (similar to behaviorism) states that reality is external and is objective, and knowledge is gained through experiences. Pragmatism (similar to cognitivism) states that reality is interpreted, and knowledge is negotiated through experience and thinking. Interpretivism (similar to constructivism) states that reality is internal, and knowledge is constructed.
  • ...69 more annotations...
  • Our ability to learn what we need for tomorrow is more important than what we know today.
    • Shelby Nelson
       
      If we teach our students the "tools" to be able to learn outside of class, we are giving them the tools to become a "learner". Learning is not simply listening to information that is being given, but going out and finding that information and why it is important.
    • Melissa Glenn
       
      I completely agree with Shelby that we need to teach information literacy skills. However, are these skills being taught to all? Are poorer school districts suffering because their students are not immersed in a life of smartphones and iPads?
    • cherylanneburris
       
      For me, the question becomes how to we do this if we are immersed in an enviornment that is consumed with standardized testing?
    • Karen Yarbrough
       
      I once had an administrator excitedly tell me about the new computerized test prep subscription website that they planned to use with the students. She was talking all this stuff about how much better it was to use technology this way, and I'm looking at her and trying not to be all "lady, it's still just test prep..." There was nothing creative about it. There are much better ways to use technology for learning.
    • jasmccord
       
      As a classroom teacher who does not always subscribe to the typical stuff my school tries to throw at us, "test scores, standards, common core..." I love this quote. I ultimately feel that grades, test scores, and the like are not what we are striving for. There will always be kids who can succeed on any test or fail any test. To me, the real measure is that we have given kids the tools to think, the ability to learn, the ability to question, and the ability to be analytical and critical.
  • The need to evaluate the worthiness of learning something is a meta-skill that is applied before learning itself begins. When knowledge is subject to paucity, the process of assessing worthiness is assumed to be intrinsic to learning. When knowledge is abundant, the rapid evaluation of knowledge is important.
    • Melissa Glenn
       
      I find it tricky when learners start to question why they are expected to learn certain information. In some fields, there have been decades of development for certain curricula, so shouldn't the learner value that the experts in that field find that information important? As an educator, I hear from students all the time that they don't know why they have to learn a certain chunk of material because they feel it doesn't relate to what they are doing. But in the future, they may finally make the connection and realize that it is important.
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      In regarding Melissa's comment above (I see it was made last year), I still to this day question some of the material that I was being taught in middle school and high school. There are just some subjects and lessons that I feel we would have been better off without.
    • burkley
       
      I do believe that the skills of learning is the more important in school than that which a student actually learns. Gonzalez in 2004 speaks about the "half-life of knowledge" with this in mind, our student have to be prepare to learn, what is current and appropriate, and learn it very quickly. If I'm going to teach a girl to make a skirt, in order to access if learning have taken place, I could have her build a model or an actual skirt. It really only matter to me or the girl. what matter is if she can build a skirt.
    • jbueter
       
      I agree that the evaluation of knowledge is tricky and a little subject-dependent. Evaluating someone's theory or argument can help a learner understand whether or not the theory is appropriate for supporting their own argument. The source theory could be apocryphal and, thus, unsuited for a highly structured academic piece. This would be a liberal arts/social science skill. But evaluating mathematical proofs seems like a higher-order ability that is for advanced learning, rather than middle-school-level learning. 
    • hagenbuch
       
      While learning theories may not focus on the value of knowledge, I feel that there needs to be a certain external criteria for this worthiness, especially when considering the implementation of learning systems that connect the digital and physical realm. This behaviorist approach seems to be the starting point, but certainly not the end. 
  • Knowledge flow can be likened to a river that meanders through the ecology of an organization. In certain areas, the river pools and in other areas it ebbs. The health of the learning ecology of the organization depends on effective nurturing of information flow.
    • Melissa Glenn
       
      This description really emphasizes the importance of committee meetings, professional development workshops, and the like. We must have networks within our organizations so that knowledge can be shared. I have been fascinated at committee meetings how a representative from one area can drastically improve the understanding of the rest of the committee of some aspect of the problem. Committee work can be time-consuming, however, so moving it to a online environment can be more efficient.
  • Know-how and know-what is being supplemented with know-where (the understanding of where to find knowledge needed).
    • cherylanneburris
       
      This is a testament to the need for informational literacy to be taught across the spectrum of education.
    • Karen Yarbrough
       
      Yes, it's so important for students to know how to find the information they need without getting frustrated by bad searches or misled by bad sources. It's frustrating because it's so often overlooked.
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      The "know-where" mentioned here reminds me of the John Seely Brown article where he mentions how to "be your own private, personal reference librarian, one that knows how to navigate through the incredible, confusing, complex information spaces"...or a professional Googler.
    • kristiemcgarry
       
      True! and 50-90% of the information on the web will never be accessed by a search engine; the 'deep web' contains some of the most valuable information sources
    • Marie Collins
       
      I really like this quote because it sums up the idea that students are individually making connections with the world to gain knowledge. They tend to follow and explore information that is related to their interests.
    • CJ Marchione
       
      I like the quote for that reason, and I also like it because of the emphasis on the concept of performance and performance potential; thus, the idea of applying learning is incorporated into the very definition of learning!
    • jasmccord
       
      I love the way experience is an important part of the definition of learning. Experience and performance are great teachers, far better than any textbook ever will be and yet many institutions seem to insist that this is the way to learn.
  • Learning is a continual process, lasting for a lifetime.
    • Karen Yarbrough
       
      It's so trendy now to talk about "lifelong learning", but there is definite truth to the idea that we never really stop learning just because we have finished our formal education. I'd bet most people don't even realize that they are learning even just by catching the news.
    • snc520
       
      Or from reading their social media feeds! I read so many articles from what my friends share!
    • anonymous
       
      I used to think of Facebook as "recreation" but now I get alot of information/stay up to date through my "likes" and what friends post (so many Facebook pages available). I guess this is an example of how both are coming together.
  • Behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism are the three broad learning theories most often utilized in the creation of instructional environments. These theories, however, were developed in a time when learning was not impacted through technology.
    • dmwentroble
       
      These theories have been around a very long time regarding education. I wonder what "new" theories will be in place years from now with reference to technology? Will future students be looking back at the new theories and deciding how they impact education?
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      I find this rather interesting. I've heard mentioned a few times over the past year or two that our education and school system was developed to answer the Industrail Revoultion, or factories. This can be seen with the the early and late bells in the morning of grade schools. Perhaps these learning theories also came out of the Industrial Revolution or a similar period. It will be really interesting to see what kinds of learning theories will be around in 30 years.
    • anonymous
       
      I also wonder how quickly the "new" theories will change again with rapid/constant development. @Zach, that's an interesting thought!
  • Learners as little as forty years ago would complete the required schooling and enter a career that would often last a lifetime.
    • dmwentroble
       
      This is very true. I graduated in 1981. Most of my peers left high school and went straight into the work force. Many of them are still in those same careers.
    • CJ Marchione
       
      I have encountered many listings on job search engines in which positions are listed as entry level, yet require Master's and/or Doctorate degrees... and paradoxically, previous work experience! It seems like those without formal graduate education are not even considered candidates for many positions that used to only require a high school education or a 2-year college degree.
  • Many learners will move into a variety of different, possibly unrelated fields over the course of their lifetime
    • dmwentroble
       
      Is this a good thing? Can this be a detriment to the person if they find a job they love and for unforeseen circumstances they can no work? Will their portfolios give the indication that they cannot focus?
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      This could be a good thing, and a bad thing. It all depends on the person I feel. If the person is just looking for a job, then it would be a bad thing. But if a person is pursuing a career, or even better, a calling, then it is a great thing. I just read an article the other day on LinkedIn (I can't find the exact article now) that talked about the difference between a job, a career, and a calling. I found it rather intriguing.
    • CJ Marchione
       
      It might be unrealistic of employers to expect that they can regularly find workers who love their jobs, if persons in the work force cannot pursue their passions from entry level to retirement. Yet, the expectation might actually be realistic, given the demands for more formal education from applicants than in previous years; perhaps that increased formal education and a general fostering for the desire to learn could encourage applicants to enjoy a variety of career paths. (I can say in my personal life that I did not enjoy being a retail manager with my B.A. in Psychology, however.)
    • snc520
       
      I feel like this is so common within the teaching feild (especially in the Pittsburgh area). I have so many friends who graduated college with and before myself who are having the hardest time finding a teaching job in the area. I also have friends who have given up completely and have either returned back to school for a completely different field or are doing something completely unrelated. I think the worst part is the time, money, and effort put into get a degree that isn't even being used to its full potential. However, if the person loves what they're doing, then it can be a good thing for them that they found something they are passionate about.
    • hagenbuch
       
      Agreed on the cultivation of a new passion, though it doesn't always work out. Providing an obstacle between a person and their desired field, makes one question their original intent, and can often result in something previously unknown, yet equally satisfying. 
    • kmlambert
       
      People will hold an average of 11 jobs over their lifetime.  As a librarian I am in a different field from my undergraduate degree.  Society needs change and workers need to change with it.   
  • Learning and work related activities are no longer separate. In many situations, they are the same.
  • How can we continue to stay current in a rapidly evolving information ecology?
    • dmwentroble
       
      It is an ever changing world with regards to technology. Staying current can be as easy as downloading a daily news feed.
    • CJ Marchione
       
      I feel the need to raise my hand to this question and answer "Web 2.0! Blogs! Wikis! News feeds from experts! Social networking; communicating with peers!".
    • burkley
       
      I like this question. How current is current do we want to monitor all the changes as they occur knowing that in a few months this knowledge will be obsolete whether we use it or not. Or do we stay current by taking a snapshot of what is current when we are required to be current
    • snc520
       
      As CJ noted, there are a variety of ways to stay current! It's even as easy as searching google to find the most recent information that comes up!
  • Half of what is known today was not known 10 years ago. The amount of knowledge in the world has doubled in the past 10 years and is doubling every 18 months according to the American Society of Training and Documentation (ASTD).
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      This is a mind-numbing statistic. It's almost impossible for me to wrap my head around this number. That is a lot of knowledge that my parents and my past and current teachers did not know when going through school.
    • jbueter
       
      I agree that this statistic is amazing. I also wonder what the "half-life" rate since this stat was published. There is certainly a fair amount of information I will learn (and have learn) that will be obsolete. 
    • anonymous
       
      Imagine having an individual resource for each question you have. When I was young we had a set of encyclopedias but there were alot of questions I left go because I didn't have them by my side constantly.
    • hagenbuch
       
      Agreed, this surely must have changed since 2004. Also, this is documented knowledge, and that which can be accounted for. This kind of makes me want to get a clearer depiction of what knowledge is given weight in such a claim. 
    • kmlambert
       
      I too was curious about an updated statistic but was unable to find anything concrete with google.  I did find an interesting artcle and corresponding TEDx talk.   http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/stratedgy/what%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%9Chalf-life-knowledge#sthash.Wsl4FJs4.dpbs
  • Technology is altering (rewiring) our brains. The tools we use define and shape our thinking.
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      This is a neat, yet scary idea. I immediately took it in the literal sense, that technology is literally rewiring us (or brainwashing/controlling us). I know this is not the case, but our society and technology is not far away from people being able to "hijack" another person and control them via nanotechnoloy or tiny, microscopic swalloable bluetooth pills. But anyways, back to the article - this is very true. It is allowing us to become highly efficient multi-taskers that are able to complete more work in a shorter amount of time.
    • kmlambert
       
      I notice younger students multi-tasking using various media devices.  They are able to do this  because their brains have been 'wired'  and 're-wired' to do so.    
  • that is, we need to act by drawing information outside of our primary knowledge.
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      I think the internet has made this extremely easy today, especially Google. I recently just watched the Apple keynote streamed live from the WWDC 2014 conference on Monday (June 2nd). Their new opearting system is expaning on their search functionality. Now on a Mac computer a user will be able to simply click the maginifying glass on the desktop and type in what you want to fine. This will then search the computer for stored files or software AND it will also now search the inernet via Bing and provide "smart" search options.
  • “Experience has long been considered the best teacher of knowledge. Since we cannot experience everything, other people’s experiences, and hence other people, become the surrogate for knowledge.
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      This is an interesting idea and it reminds me of the Reddit (www.reddit.com) community. I am actively engaged in many subreddits and there is a subreddit for just about everything you could possibly want. And being able to freely navigate and comment on any subreddit allows you to tap into other people's experiences and knowledge in fields in which you may not know anything about.
    • hagenbuch
       
      I always wanted to explore Reddit, but just never took the time to sit down and try it out (you may have inspired me). I like how this emphasizes the unique importance of others, and implies a sort of short-cut with the corresponding quote. By calling upon the experience of others in a time of need, you can leverage experience as living database. Each person representing specific sections of a cloud server which can be accessed on demand - thus saving time, and viewing perspectives of those who are embedded within communities of practice. 
  • “be informationally open, that is, for it to be able to classify its own interaction with an environment, it must be able to change its structure…”
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      This reminds me of John Seely Brown's analogy of white water kayaing to learning in his Entrepreneurial Learner video. Being able to adapt to change on the go is essential to utitilizing technology to its maximum potential in today's world.
  • serendipity
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      I love serendipity so much that it may be my favorite word. And from reading that word, it made a "weak tie" in my brain to an article I read a while back on LinkedIn. Here it is if anyone is intereted in the "notion that you could intentionally design your life to encounter surprises." https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140430125746-10842349-why-you-should-plan-for-serendipity?midToken=AQFCebI-qgsCUg&fromEmail=fromEmail&trk=eml-ced-b-art-M-3-7959820741678275557&ut=3eQ04cw4gPNmc1
  • New information is continually being acquired. The ability to draw distinctions between important and unimportant information is vital.
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      This is extremely important in today's culture, especially for the young person. I am 23, and I occasionally find myself with information overload from my facebook and twitter timeline. It is insane how much information is continually being pushed out from people on an hourly basis.
    • kmlambert
       
      Totally agree on the information overload aspect of today's culture, but even more important in my opinion is the ability to quickly determine important/valid versus unimportant/unreliable information this quickly changing world.  
  • The pipe is more important than the content within the pipe.
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      I love this sentence. It really puts into perspective education and learning. Yes, the content (oil) is important, but without the ability to learn (the pipe), we will never get the oil. This reminds me of a quote I read the other day from Bob Goff. He said, "Spend a lot more time picking hte track you'll take than the train you'll ride to get there."
    • hagenbuch
       
      #Limitless I feel this also applies to the possibilities that technology provides. Great quote by the way!
    • CJ Marchione
       
      Every time I have interviewed for a job in software engineering, I have been asked questions about how I keep up with changing software development approaches and continue to learn new programming languages, databasing concepts/techniques, and other relevant skills. Copious amounts of informal learning truly is a must, in the world of software programming!
  • Driscoll (2000) defines learning as “a persisting change in human performance or performance potential…[which] must come about as a result of the learner’s experience and interaction with the world” (p.11).
  • Content of knowledge – Is knowledge actually knowable? Is it directly knowable through human experience?
  • Observable behaviour is more important than understanding internal activities Behaviour should be focused on simple elements: specific stimuli and responses Learning is about behaviour change
  • Cindy Buell details this process: “In cognitive theories, knowledge is viewed as symbolic mental constructs in the learner's mind, and the learning process is the means by which these symbolic representations are committed to memory.”
  • What is the impact of chaos as a complex pattern recognition process on learning?
  • chaos states that the meaning exists – the learner's challenge is to recognize the patterns which appear to be hidden
    • CJ Marchione
       
      Learning: a game of solving the riddles of reality?
    • anonymous
       
      I like the gaming connection!
    • hagenbuch
       
      Same here, and playing the game depends on knowing the rules and recognizing the unseen obstacles that hinder progress. 
  • Luis Mateus Rocha (1998) defines self-organization as the “spontaneous formation of well organized structures, patterns, or behaviors, from random initial conditions.” (p.3).
  • Albert-László Barabási states that “nodes always compete for connections because links represent survival in an interconnected world” (2002, p.106). This competition is largely dulled within a personal learning network, but the placing of value on certain nodes over others is a reality.
  • Connectivism is the integration of principles explored by chaos, network, and complexity and self-organization theories.
  • Landauer and Dumais (1997) explore the phenomenon that “people have much more knowledge than appears to be present in the information to which they have been exposed”.
  • This amplification of learning, knowledge and understanding through the extension of a personal network is the epitome of connectivism.
  • Mainstream media organizations are being challenged by the open, real-time, two-way information flow of blogging.
    • CJ Marchione
       
      And hopefully, we are not sacrificing too many truths in the name of appeasement.
    • hagenbuch
       
      Paid subscriptions will eventually go the way of the dinosaur. In hindsight, the thought of objectivity from a few providers is scary. The open source nature of media put the power in the hands of the people, and their interaction allows consumers a method of control over media hubs that may not be honest about allegiance to specific policies and special interest groups. 
    • kmlambert
       
      For as much as news networks have turned into a 24/7 reality -- it is even more clear that anyone with access to technology can report on current events as they happen.  There is no waiting for the 5 o'clock news anymore to tell you what occured on the other side of the world.  Users on twitter are tweeting or journalists are streaming from the location as the events unfold.  
  • If the underlying conditions used to make decisions change, the decision itself is no longer as correct as it was at the time it was made. The ability to recognize and adjust to pattern shifts is a key learning task
    • hagenbuch
       
      It is impossible to separate ourselves from our past experiences, as this influences our perception. Recognizing changes in meaning schemes and perspectives, highlight acknowledgement of a  transformation that took place. 
  • Classrooms which emulate the “fuzziness” of this learning will be more effective in preparing learners for life-long learning.
    • jbueter
       
      In a way, when a Constructivist classroom "[emulates] the 'fuzziness'" of learning, it follows the research in support of cognitive learning: method of input should mirror method of output, which I think works very well when studying for an exam.
  • The ability to recognize when new information alters the landscape based on decisions made yesterday is also critical.
    • jbueter
       
      This is hugely important, especially in the realm of policy. People with agency--in whatever field-- are better served by understanding that changing decisions based on new information is not indecisiveness, but flexibility and awareness.    
  • The management and marshalling of resources to achieve desired outcomes is a significant challenge. Realizing that complete knowledge cannot exist in the mind of one person requires a different approach to creating an overview of the situation.
    • jbueter
       
      This seems to be a significant aspect of the Connectivist learning theory. And it feels like an evolution of the social-constructive model: instead of social influences, Connectivism emphasizes organizational influences, like businesses and schools. 
    • hagenbuch
       
      Agreed. They seem to "steer the ship", relying on smaller units to function independently as a whole. These smaller entities are then responsible for identifying issues, and suggesting new methods that increase and improve efficiency - creating an interdependent relationship between both parties.
  • Within social networks, hubs are well-connected people who are able to foster and maintain knowledge flow.
  • What adjustments need to made with learning theories when technology performs many of the cognitive operations previously performed by learners (information storage and retrieval).
  • o combat the shrinking half-life of knowledge, organizations have been forced to develop new methods of deploying instruction.”
  • The organization and the individual are both learning organisms. Increased attention to knowledge management highlights the need for a theory that attempts to explain the link between individual and organizational learning.
  • The organization and the individual are both learning organisms. Increased attention to knowledge management highlights the need for a theory that attempts to explain the link between individual and organizational learning.
  • he organization and the individual are both learning organisms. Increased attention to knowledge management highlights the need for a theory that attempts to explain the link between individual and organizational learning.
  • The organization and the individual are both learning organisms. Increased attention to knowledge management highlights the need for a theory that attempts to explain the link between individual and organizational learning.
  • Chaos is the breakdown of predictability, evidenced in complicated arrangements that initially defy order.
  • “sensitive dependence on initial conditions”
  • instead of thousands of ants crossing each other’s pheromone trails and changing their behavior accordingly, thousands of humans pass each other on the sidewalk and change their behavior accordingly.”
  • The capacity to form connections between sources of information, and thereby create useful information patterns, is required to learn in our knowledge economy.
  • Our small world networks are generally populated with people whose interests and knowledge are similar to ours
  • Finding a new job, as an example, often occurs through weak ties.
  • Vaill emphasizes that “learning must be a way of being – an ongoing set of attitudes and actions by individuals and groups that they employ to try to keep abreast o the surprising, novel, messy, obtrusive, recurring events…” (1996, p.42).
    • hagenbuch
       
      Good quote on holistic nature of learning, and allusion to the utilization of tacit knowledge. 
  • At some point, however, the underlying conditions have altered so significantly, that further modification is no longer sensible. An entirely new approach is needed.
  • How are learning theories impacted when knowledge is no longer acquired in the linear manner?
    • hagenbuch
       
      The consistency of classroom-based learning provided a traditional sender/receiver model, for theories to thrive, based on observed behavior among student populations.  Now, there is a move toward the individual, and their impact on the world around them, as the boundaries are blurred. This forces theorists to adapt to the non-linear approach by establishing multiple approaches that converge to suit an individual - as opposed to a larger population.
  • Chaos is the breakdown of predictability, evidenced in complicated arrangements that initially defy order.
    • hagenbuch
       
      Jurassic Park fans anybody? This reminds me of Dr. Ian Malcolm, and his description of chaos theory https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cVLUPwrSmU. 
  • Connections between disparate ideas and fields can create new innovations.
    • hagenbuch
       
      This seems to imply superseding emphasis on established concepts, and an emphasis on outside perspectives. Possibly a top to bottom approach to questioning established ideas, and allowing individual concepts to exist. 
  • Learning may reside in non-human appliances.
    • hagenbuch
       
      This gives non-human subjects the ability to derive meaning through actor network theory (ANT): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Actor%E2%80%93network_theory
  • Currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is the intent of all connectivist learning activities.
    • hagenbuch
       
      Commoditization of knowledge?
  • Knowledge that resides in a database needs to be connected with the right people in the right context in order to be classified as learning.
    • hagenbuch
       
      These databases become living entities, and are granted meaning through interactions and input from human participants. Once the connection between these nodes is broken, so is the agency of the non-human actor.
  • inference
  • John Seely Brown presents an interesting notion that the internet leverages the small efforts of many with the large efforts of few.
    • hagenbuch
       
      Like in Wikipedia or even content virality, the large efforts of the few that contribute, are amplified by the small efforts of many (sharing).
  • The “half-life of knowledge” is the time span from when knowledge is gained to when it becomes obsolete
    • kmlambert
       
      I was able to put this into the context of personal entertainment devices.  VCRs are a thing of the past, walkmans, boomboxes, and cd-players too.  Show a child a floppy disk and they won't know what it is or how to use it.  All of these items have no value in our society.   
    • kristiemcgarry
       
      Very true! However, when I threw away the VHS tape collection of videos from my library, many people were upset! When I asked if they would like to take them home, the answer was "what am I doing to do with them?" haha
  • (the “black box theory”).
    • kmlambert
       
      I like the imagery that is created from 'the black box theory.'  People are essentially a black box of knowledge, until the box is opened and that knowledge is transferred to another.  Media often reports on the FCC needing to locate the black box in order to find out cause of airplane accidents from the data that was collected.        
  • Learning theories are concerned with the actual process of learning, not with the value of what is being learned.
    • kmlambert
       
      I have always been intrigued with the process of learning for myself and others.  Why are some people able to instantly grasp concepts and others have to struggle with the material.  A person with dyslexia will need to be taught how to learn in a manner different than a person without reading disorders.  The brain is magical thing isn't it? 
  • Learners as little as forty years ago would complete the required schooling and enter a career that would often last a lifetime.
    • hagenbuch
       
      Speaks to the stagnation often associated with today's processes. The speed mentioned in the Arc of Life article is a refreshing contrast to this.
  • learners create knowledge as they attempt to understand their experiences
    • kristiemcgarry
       
      I see this with my students-they are interested in learning at the point when they need the knowledge in order to proceed in a learning activity (rather than gathering up and hoarding knowledge to use later).
  • Personal knowledge is comprised of a network, which feeds into organizations and institutions, which in turn feed back into the network, and then continue to provide learning to individual. This cycle of knowledge development (personal to network to organization) allows learners to remain current in their field through the connections they have formed.
  • As knowledge continues to grow and evolve, access to what is needed is more important than what the learner currently possesses.
kmlambert

Yakima Herald Republic | Wikipedia pops up in bibliographies, even college curriculum - 1 views

  •  
    LOS ANGELES - All through high school, Ani Schug was told to steer clear of Wikipedia. Her teachers talked about the popular online encyclopedia "as if it wasn't serious or trustworthy" and suggested it only be used as a tip sheet.
Phil Tietjen

HOPSCOTCH - 0 views

  • Designed specifically for kids, Hopscotch is an open-ended, single-player iPad app, similar to Scratch, that simplifies the creation of animations, stories, and games by breaking down the complex programming of sprites and text into intuitive and easy-to-use blocks. In addition, the color-coding of functional code blocks and quirky characters make the app particularly appealing to 6 to 12 year olds.
Phil Tietjen

How Many Connections Can 18,000 Educators Make? | EdSurge News - 0 views

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    ISTE Atlanta
kmlambert

MozillaWiki - 0 views

  •  
    This wiki (wiki.mozilla.org, AKA MozillaWiki or WikiMO) is the official public wiki of the Mozilla Project. It serves as the public memory for the Mozilla community, documenting its projects, planning, processes and teams. Additionally, the wiki seeks to facilitate lively community interaction that empowers contributors to coordinate activities, find support, and make their projects accessible to other contributors across Mozilla.
kristiemcgarry

Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - 1 views

  • Wikipedia is not a crystal ball
  • an indiscriminate collection of information
  • a newspaper
  • ...9 more annotations...
  • is not a manual, guidebook, textbook, or scientific journal
  • is not a directory
  • is not a blog, Web hosting service, social networking service, or memorial site
  • s not a mirror or a repository of links, images, or media files
  • is not a soapbox or means of promotion
  • is not a publisher of original thought
  • is not a dictionary
  • Wikipedia is not a paper encyclopedia, but a digital encyclopedia project.
  • Wikipedia is not censored
kristiemcgarry

flatclassroomproject - About Us - 0 views

  • The Project uses Web 2.0 tools to make communication and interaction between students and teachers from all participating classrooms easier. The topics studied and discussed are real-world scenarios based on '
kristiemcgarry

How to Use Wikipedia as a Teaching Tool: Adrianne Wadewitz | DMLcentral - 0 views

  • She describes how “even 10-13 year olds will write every day on Wikipedia” and make substantive contributions about movies and videogames.
  • “every edit is political,” because “you can’t put in every piece of information and you can’t use every source.” 
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