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Interesting article on how PLNs relate to self-directed student learning. The author,Bernard Bull, provides some background on learning theory and self-directed learning to clarify how PLNs could be incorporated into any curriculum. The article includes a few how-to tips at then end.

Really great article about helping students create PLN's and why they need them. It starts with some theory about PLN's and then discusses self directed learning and self blended learning. A student PLN really is a collection of connections to people and resources.

I think PLNs are the cornerstone of self-directed student learning. As I read this article I kept thinking about how I could use this in a math classroom. The author states, "The idea of a PLN is simply a network of people and resources through which you learn and grow". He goes on to summarize key learning principles and accurately states, "a student personal learning network, which is a mix of connectivism, self-directed learning and self-blended learning". Great read Cheronne!

The chart of self-directed and teacher-directed learning is great. Those questions are what educators should be asking themselves everyday before they teach a lesson. This helps us identify exactly what needs to be taught, how to evaluate it and to make sure it was taught successfully.

This is a fantastic resource! I had never even thought of Personal Learning Networks for students, as I was so focused on it as professional development for teachers. By helping students create their own Personal Learning Networks you are able to shift from teacher directed learning to student centered learning.

Not only defines PLN's and gives some background learning theory information, but gives some concrete ideas on how to help students develop their own PLN's.

This article from Dr. Bernard Bull discusses ways that students (including all of us) can develop our personal learning networks. While we may have people that help us learn, there are different outreach possibilities to increase our PLN. He states that if students were to grow over time with their PLNs, the number of connections would be of more quality and quantity. He discusses this through the theory of Connectivism. He encourages including PLNs into the curriculum which then may allow for students over time to create personal teaching networks from the information they have learned.

The author not only explains the benefits of Personal Learning Networks but also asks himself what would happen if learning communities and organizations made student personal learning networks an integral part of the learning experience. With the popularity of PLNs, the author believes that students may not only build a personal learning network, but also venture into starting their own personal teaching networks.

This is such a fascinating article! I appreciated the explanation of what a PLN is, but also how to explain it to others and to even help them get started with one. I want to incorporate a great deal of technology with my f2f students this year as well as help them grow to being self-directed learners, so having this article as a resource of how to help students set up their own PLN is great! I hope this will intrigue them to become learners even outside the classroom.

This study covers teacher and student PLEs and details the necessary components for bringing students into the 21st Century with differentiated digital resources.

I like the visuals for the models. It makes it very clear how to utilize digital resources and clearly explains the method,data and design of the model.

This article explores a Networked Student Model and a test case which seeks to understand how teachers can support a more learner-centered and autonomuos learning experience.

This article discusses the difficulties that are posed to instructors as the PLN grows for each student. It discusses the need for student autonomy but with instructor guidance. It shows how the instructor should be a foundation of the PLN but the student should be encouraged to utilize all the tools available.

The article also compares a networked teacher model to that of a networked student model so teachers can see how similar the two really are. Although the teacher acts as a guide by nurturing and encouraging students throughout the process, the student is the one who controls what is learned or explored. The students can activate their own learning or shut it off. Just like adults. Fascinating.

Another nice resource. It looks like Mr. Regur has done some impressive work: https://educators.coop/our-founders-digital-footprint/

I find most Ted Talks super engaging and this one was no different. Thinking about PLN's I have only been considering myself and the benefits for educators to be involved in them...but what about the students? The focus of this talk is to promote the use PLN's with students - helping them to find resources beyond just the teacher and build teams. It goes on further to briefly discuss how this can enhance a student centered classroom.

This resource made me realize something. These PLNs are something that the students will naturally do in many parts of their lives. My little brother plays video games, he has a group of friends that would be considered a PLN for his video games. It wasn't intentionally created, but they talk about it and share ideas all the time.

This is a great resource showcasing how students can create "dream teams" where they can get advice and advance their learning. The ease of empowering students is really demonstrated here without diminishing the role of the teacher. I like the shift of teachers from the distributor of knowledge to more of a guide.

This article discusses the pedagogy and theory that is the foundation of connectivism. Discussed in detail is how connectivism impacts education in a 21sr century learning environment.

Interesting article by I. Bessenyie if for no other reason than it was originally written in Hungarian and translated. But it does show that the idea of connectivism is making waves in educational communities around the globe and not just in the United States. This article also tackles some of the more specific elements of connectivism as related to Web 2.0 & E-learning.

This article is a discussion of how network participation is making shared learning possible and the role of the traditional educational institutions.

Thanks for including this article...I got confused for a second seeing the foreign language. Since connectivism seems to espouse the belief that students lead the learning, and should all be learning different things, would it mean the end of the traditional education system as we see it? Do you think connectivism sees any future for mainstream education?

I posted a comment a few minutes ago, went away from the page, and when I came back my comment was gone. I haven't found diigo to be too comfortable to use yet. My main question was...connectivism preaches that students should be learning different things and leading their own learning experience. Does connectivism leave any room for a traditional education system?

Hey Scott. that's a great question and a certain dilemma when it comes to implementation, For me, the real revaluation was in how I personally am a total connective learner. I access information as needed from multitudes of resources. it has changed what I am willing to embrace or not. From a teacher's perspective, implementing it is a totally different animal & considers much more of a balanced, blended approach. You have to ask the question, at what point is a student self-actualized enough to own their connectivness? it is safe to say that students are connective learners regardless of whether we are involved in that or not. I would love to find a way to harness their personal relevance in the classroom.

This article focuses on elearning 2.0. Talks about how learning has evolved from long ago to today and how we used to learn from our elders and now we learn from "informally"

This article discusses socialization and the accessing of information in the information age. The article claims, "A vast amount of spontaneous knowledge exchange is taking place on the interactive World Wide Web. It is on the basis of this that the theories of eLearning 2.0 and connectivism declare that network participation and access to information and to software that interprets and contextualizes information makes a completely new, cooperative, self-organising form of learning possible."

In identifying the role of social networking in reference to connectivism the author identifies that among the entire population that uses the internet some 75% are are members of social networking sites. "The role of Web 2.0 technologies is to provide a network of people who connect to each other wherever and whenever they need information." states Tinmaz. Thus, when people are in need of information they have access to an abundance of resources. This had led to the passive acquisition of knowledge by students to trying to create an active and engaged student populous in constructing their own knowledge. Part of this is the connections students build through online social networks. These networks allow for students to follow the flow of information and stay current in the changing information on a day to day basis. One of the new concepts is called a "hub" which is a main center for information distribution. Those people or places who serve as hubs help disseminate information throughout to other students. These social networks allow for easy access and the streaming of information on a constant basis to all people involved. This connectivity to learning allows for all students and others to remain involved in connecting their learning.

I like this article because it directly associates social networks, connectivism, and education. This quote from the article does a good job describing how: "The Connectivist theory has demonstrated that on a connected network, learners increase their capacities, performances, and levels of knowledge while creating and reforming the information. In that sense, social networking websites comprising already linked members in their innate technologies have a superior potential to enrich learners' current knowledge, skills, and abilities."

This article is an outstanding review by Mark K. Smith of Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger's theories of social learning through communities of practice. It gives a great overview of the theoretical foundations as well as additional explanations of those theories.

This article outlines the theory and practice of communities of practice, and discusses the idea that learning is social and comes from of our experience of participating in daily life. The authors identify a variety of types of CoPs that all humans are engaged in, even if they are not formally identified as such. A CoP is defined along three dimensions: what it is about, how it functions, and what capabilities/resources it has produced. Also emphasized are the importance of the relationships formed between the people within the CoPs - hence, the community in CoP. Stemming from that, they extend the idea of CoPs to apply to the classroom culture and environment and discuss the need for educators to cultivate a similar idea to best facilitate learning among their students.

The point that I learned from this article is that communities of practice go beyond the acquisition of knowledge and skill. They build relationships where people within the community work together to share their skills, knowledge, and interests they have learned in order to complete new or more complex tasks. We learn best through active participation.

Articles like this one make it clear that we are actively involved in communities of practice every day, without even realizing it. This is largely due to the internet; now, if one needs to reach out to another person for advice on baking, for example, one can use online forums or message boards to connect to others in their community of practice. This was not possible before the internet, or at the very least it was difficult to accomplish so easily. I'm interested to learn a little more about what COPs might have looked like before the internet.

Learning is social and takes place by participating in daily life. Learning takes place situationally in communities of practice. These communities of practice exist all around us: home, work, school, etc. As we pursue our goals within our groups, learning occurs. Members off s community of practice (CoP) are united by common activities and by what they learn through participating in those activities. A community of practice is defined by three factors, "what it is about," "how it functions," and "what capability it has produced." For a community of practice to be effective, it needs to "generate and appropriate a shared repertoire of ideas, commitments and memories." There also need to be resources like documents, tools, procedures, and a shared vocabulary. The the developers of this theory, Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger, focused on the kinds of "social engagement" that caused learning to take place. People join groups and initially learn from the periphery. Eventually, they become more proficient through their participation as they move toward the center of the group. The situation in which the learning occurs has a significant effect on the learning.

After reading through this article, I kept coming back to this quote: "Rather than looking to learning as the acquisition of certain forms of knowledge, Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger have tried to place it in social relationships - situations of co-participation." These are ideas I try to integrate into my classroom on a day-to-day basis because healthy social relationships can enhance learning experiences due to students becoming vested in goals. Students are more willing to put their feet outside of the box, without fear of sharing and participating in these learning environments---and they become active inside members of these groups, rather than outside onlookers.

What a great article that shows merit for connectivism in the new tech age. The comment about students not seeing the importance in passive activities is becoming prevelant in my own classroom. Taking into account the changes that are occuring with technology and internet, as well as the use of communities of practice can help educators best reach students using connectivism theories and approaches.

"Connectivism recognizes that learning resides in a collective of individuals' opinions and nonhuman appliances." This is a great statement to show that connectivist theory centers on the interaction of people. In addition, it explains how the new theory works with personal networks and communities of practice. The digital age is transforming the way people approach learning.

The phrase "know where" in relation to connectivism is a great way to describe it. I have found that the most important aspect of my job is to know where to find the answer, the people that understand that concept are the most successful.

Article does a great job of explaining where connectivism came from and how it will continue to advance forward just as society if doing currently. We will continue to learn and mold our understandings based off of the connections we are making through a collaborative network.

This article provides a balanced view of the arguments concerning the role of connectivism in the field of education. The authors have done a nice job of differentiating the types of theories and their roles in practice. Perhaps the strongest features of the entire article is the discussion on connectivism as it applies to the use of technology. I appreciated their description of the theory as a connecting piece between some of the more established learning theories and the new technological landscape that characterizes our learning environment. Excellent article - thanks for sharing!

This article by Duke, Harper and Johnston is a detailed analysis of connectivism as a learning theory. Not only is technology discussed as how it's applied to this theory, but there is also discussion of learning theories and instructional theories in general. It is also a valuable read because it explains how this theory can or should not be applied to all students or content.

This source gives a good description as connectivity and connectivity as a learning theory, and it also discusses the argument that connectivity is not a learning theory. It ends by talking about connectivity and its integration with technology and online learning.

This article from Kaplan University explains the importance of connectivism in a digital age. They reference George Siemens and Stephen Downes and their research behind connectivism as a learning theory. They examine connectivism as a learning theory, and explain how the learner is at the center and designs their own path, essentially making their own learning.

This article discusses Connectivism and the debate over whether it should be considered as a learning or instructional theory or as a pedagogical view. The role of Connectivism in the use of technology in education is also discussed.

I really liked this article mainly because they clearly explained the difference between learning theories vs. instructional theories. I think that was useful in their conclusion that connectivism really is more of a tool to be used in the learning process rather than a complete learning theory.

This article discusses the validity of Connectivism as a learning theory. It gives the very straight-forward definition as "social learning that is networked." The discussion of the importance of the Connectivism theory in today's ever increasing technical classroom is quite engaging. It has also forced educators to look at what is being done in digital education and rethink, debate, and philosophize over how each part fits.

In this article, Duke, Harper, and Johnston discuss whether connectivism is a learning theory or an instructional theory. They begin by discussing the differences between learning theories and instructional theories. A learning theory should explain how learning occurs, while an instructional theory should explain how best to achieve the learning goals. The authors summarize connectivism as "social learning that is networked" (2013, p. 6). What a person knows is not as important as the connections the person makes that will allow further know,edge and growth. Everyone feeds into the systems of knowledge and receives greater knowledge as a result. This knowledge can be held by people, societies, or machines. Basically, everyone learns through personal learning networks. These learning networks allow people to learn through collaboration rather than by having to experience everything for themselves. Being able to tap into a large amount of knowledge allows people to understand patterns they might now otherwise see. While there are several arguments against connectivism as a learning theory, the authors argue that connectivism can be useful as an "instructional guide or theory" (2013, p. 9) to develop behaviorism, cognitivism, or constructivism for "application to a globalized and networked world." The authors conclude that connectivism is useful in the learning process or curriculum planning, but that it is not a "standalone learning theory" (2013, p. 10).

This talks about how connectivism takes elements from behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism. It discusses connectivism as a learning theory and how the use of technology ties into it.

This article puts a focus on the debate if connectivism is "a learning theory or instructional theory or merely a pedagogical view." Instructional theory has major elements that are discussed in this article and connectivism is analyzed to see if it in fact, is a learning theory. The author recognizes that the debate will last a long time but the fact that connectivism is valuable in the educational setting will prevail. Technology is a major factor of its success. This article convinced me of the importance of allowing my students more access to technology for educational success.

The author of this article defines learning theories vs instructional theories, connectivism, connectivism as a learning theory, and connectivism and the use of technology. Connectivism was created as a learning theory for the digital age. Siemens and Downes came up with this theory because social learning can happen through networks. In today's world technology and advancements are changing rapidly, which in turn is providing new information quickly. Educators have had to embrace this new option of networks for knowledge use in the classroom. Connectivism can be used as a tool in the learning process for instruction or curriculum.

We are at a crucial point in history. By being educators, we must constantly be discussing and managing our definition of an educator's job. We must constantly be working through our philosophy base as new tools and ideas come to life.

This paper outlines connectivism and analyzes whether it should be considered a learning theory, instructional theory, or pedagogical view. I found this article interesting as it has a good discussion the differences between learning theories and instructional theories. The paper is critical of Connectivism as a learning theory, which I think is important as you consider how to use its principles in the classroom.

This article discusses a theory developed for the digital age by Siemens and Downes called connectivism. The theory has issued a debate over whether it is a learning theory, instructional theory, or a pedagogical view. In this article, the authors discuss learning in the digital age and how the theory of connectivism fits within the world today. There is a focus on connectivism being social learning that is networked.

This article discusses whether Connectivism is a learning theory or an instructional theory or a pedagogical view. A learning theory is not whether something is true or not but if it is useful for explaining behavior. An instructional theory must list procedures to enable learning by focusing on the overall structure of the learning material and how to achieve the most successful learning experience. Connectivism is social learning that is networked. It could be a learning theory as it states how a student learns through a network. Connectivism can be categorized as a tool to be used in the learning process and not a standalone learning theory.