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A comprehensive resource to visually explore the systems of the human body in highly vivid detail. vAnatomy is your comprehensive resource to study the entire human body. With over 3000 highly detailed diagrams and descriptions- vAnatomy has the most comprehensive human anatomical study information available!

Another great A/V resourse from George Siemens. I have really enjoyed the many resources he has publicly available from the courses that he teaches. This presentation focuses on the nature of groups and networks and how they differ. He stresses that we must not ignore human nature and the need that each of us has to be recognized individually. We cannot overlook humanity by loosing the self in the collective or community. In this presentation he discusses the self and its relationship and role in the network or community.

P.S.- I found the information on slide 22 to be particularly interesting.

Seamon states in this article that there is evidence that social communication (PLN) can strengthen human relationships, particularly for introverts. It may help foster family and business as well. It encompasses learning from feedback, insights, new contacts, and is based in reciprocity and trust. It is needed to increase the chance of higher levels of learning maturity.

The author addresses concerns about the feelings of isolation that can stem from the use of technology (in the sense that it is utilized to the exclusion of in-person connections) but makes sure to point out the benefits of technology as evidenced by Personal Learning Networks.

How three theories have shaped distance learning over the years. Connectivist theory shows how learning is about forming connections with others through human and digital interaction. Developed in the digital age and assumes access to social networking technologies.

This is a March 2011 journal article that highlights the shifts in technology and theory for distance learning. First, there was the cognitive-behaviorist with it's focus on read, watch, and recall. As the web developed, we saw constructivism shift the teachers duties from content creator to a guide through the content as students synthesized. Connectivism promotes the teacher as a "co-traveler" helping students to explore, connect, and create.

This nonprofit site not only provides information on international heroes for students, but it also requests student reporters. Reports can be written or videos can be created. Pictures can also be uploaded.

Ashley Leneway Week 2, Link 2

This website is designed to teach about heroes and humanity. People can submit essays, art or films they have created about a hero of their choosing.

A 3d interactive model of the human body that provides complex interaction that would be near impossible to access outside medical school laboratories. Note: Requires a browser that supports HTML5 and WebGL.

Another good anatomy and human body systems information site.

In this short blog post, Walker discusses the changing technology requires us to revisit classic learning theories. He continues to describe Connectivism with references from Siemans and Downes. He touches on the idea that learning is not just inside the learner, it now occurs among learners.

This website breaks down the learning theory of connectivism and how this learning theory came about. It describes how connectivism was created due to the Internet and the need for different strategies.

From this article I understand that connectivism is a way of learning through the internet, media and social networks. It discussed how learning can be formal and also informal, to which informal learning seems to be outweighing the formal learning now a days. Informal learning comes from communities of practice and personal networks which are very popular and common today.

The authors springboard from a Cornell University study of the difficulties that humanities doctoral students have in finishing their degree to discuss the ways libraries can help improve student success. They show that the establishment of communities of practice are a necessary component of the success of doctoral students in the humanities. They then advocate for libraries to create and support these communities through providing designated space for doctoral students to collaborate and share information in the library and by offering discipline-specific research skills workshops.

This is a link to an audio/visual presentation given by George Siemens on connectivism. The entire presentation takes about 15 min, but you can navigate to specific areas using the menu on the left sidebar. In this presentation he explores what connectivism is and our needs/desires as humans to create meaningful connections. This is a great resource for the auditory or visual learner that doesn't require endless reading!

An audio presentation on this topic is a great resource! I saw several YouTube videos I thought were nice for overviews but I like that this is from the "founder" of connectivism.

What a find! I love having information via audio or visual presentations and the combination is even better. Siemens does (of course) such a nice job of explaining connectivism-making it super clear for me to develop a clear understanding. I also appreciate the navigation menu as I wanted to go back to certain sections. Thanks so much for sharing this resource @kristiedtech

This is an excerpt from the book by Etienne Wenger, Communities of Practice: Learning, meaning, and identity. In it, Wenger details that communities of practice are found everywhere in our lives, from a very young age (daycare!) on up. For many reasons, modern societies are concerned that valid learning takes place and Wendger hopes to contribute. He points out that "a social theory of learning is...not exclusively an academic enterprise." It is all around us. Wenger is not discounting the many other theories of learning that have been developed in the past. His theory is in addition to these.

Andrea, thank you for finding this. I thought I'd found everything available on the internet for Wenger. I had been vacillating back and forth about purchasing "Communities of Practice: Learning, meaning, and identity." Having now read this chapter, I think I'll have to go ahead and buy the book. I love Wenger's writing, especially his straightforward prose used to support his argument for the Communities of Practice theory. Here's a fine example: "What if we assumed that learning is as much a part of our human nature as eating or sleeping, that it is both life-sustaining and inevitable, and that - given a chance - we are quite good at it? And what if, in addition, we assumed that learning is, in its essence, a fundamentally social phenomenon, reflecting our own deeply social nature as human beings capable of knowing?" That's very nice.

A collection of tools used to access the 18,000 digital scan composites of the human body. Very powerful tools for helping teach health and physical education, anatomy and physiology in particular.

A digital journal space created by Jesse Stommel about learning, teaching and technology with the idea that all learning is hybrid. Jesse has some strong opinions about teaching and learning and keeping things "human" in an ever increasing digital world.

Breakdown of the theory of Connectivism, distinctions between groups and networks and learning about the history & application of Connectivism in education

This article talks about the importance of networks and the difference between a group emphasis and a network emphasis. The author discusses the importance of information running through a network of human and non-humans. He additionally outlines Siemen's principles of Connectivism. Further, he discusses the implications for using the principles of Connectivism by educators and within higher education.

Kelsey, thanks for sharing. I found the article relevant to my own practice as a higher ed librarian, where we are increasingly encouraging students to be producers of information and to participate in the scholarly conversation.

A site that contains interactive games for learning about topics including the human body and nutrition and exercise.

When I've thought of the Khan Academy website, I used to think of the great deal of content there that is focused on Math and Science, with smaller sections for History and Economics. There is a much smaller but very useful section of the website focused on Grammar.

This is a more technical site that better describes CoPs.  It talks about what a CoP is and what the requirements are.  I particularly like that the it states that the learning is not necessarily the primary reason for the existence of a CoP.  It also gives some sources for further study.

This article is an outline of Communities of Practice with description of relevant terminology outlined and defined. Identifies the three components of CoPs - domain, community and practice. This article says that the central component of this learning theory is to draw participants deeper into the community through the attractiveness of developing skills relative to the domain.

This one I didn't summarize, only because I really had a hard time grasping the three elements of the CoP, and I thought this site encapsulated it nicely. Incidentally, my creative assignment for this week was inspired by the reference to Star Trek fans in this post. Here are the three elements make up CoP, and again, this information below is taken straight from the source (long quotes), because the definition is so good: 1. There needs to be a domain. A CoP has an identity defined by a shared domain of interest (e.g. radiologists, Star Trek fans, middle school history teachers, Seahawks football fans, etc.); it's not just a network of people or club of friends. Membership implies a commitment to the domain. 2. There needs to be a community. A necessary component is that members of a specific domain interact and engage in shared activities, help each other, and share information with each other. They build relationships that enable them to learn from each other. In this way, merely sharing the same job does not necessitate a CoP. A static website on hunting in itself is not a community of practice. There needs to be people who interact and learn together in order for a CoP to be formed. Note that members do not necessarily work together daily, however. Wenger points to the example of Impressionist painters who sometimes met in cafes to discuss their painting styles. He indicates that even though these men normally painted alone, these kinds of interactions were essential to making them a CoP. 3. There needs to be a practice: A CoP is not just people who have an interest in something (e.g. sports or agriculture practices). The third requirement for a CoP is that the members are practitioners. They develop a shared repertoire of resources which can include stories, helpful tools, experiences, stories, ways of handling typical problems, etc. This kind of interaction needs to be developed over time. A conversation with a random stranger who happens to be an exp