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In this scholarly article, Bessenyei discusses the current desire in education to decrease the alienation of traditional schools. He looks at connectivism and network theories as a way to decentralize learning into self-organizing networks. These networks allow information sharing to become more significant as students information sources are varied to include experts as well as other students from multiple institutions.

In this article the author discusses the importance of connectivism that is dependent upon learning in a web 2.0 platform. As the influence of the web has spread so to has the importance the ability to share and distribute information to people all over the world. The premise of this article is that as costs continue to soar in education the connectivism platform offers an alternative way to disseminate learning. The web is now no longer a medium for learning, it is the platform and center for personal learning. One final point that is made is the importance in educating students how to use the available online resources to construct learning for future use because as online resources and CoP's continue to be the primary sources for information it is important to understand how to use and identify these resources for continued learning.

Bessenyei takes an interesting look at the history of elearning as it relates to student learning requirements, societal norms and Connectivism today. The authors perspective on Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 and the policital development of elearning provides the reader with a new lens to look at the variety of social media that is used today.

Another great list of Web 2.0 tools. There are a few that should be added in the Augmented Reality section like Aurasma and Daqri 4D, but still lots of good resources. There are also several different choices for Productivity Software.

What kinds of questions should we be asking about web resources before using them in the classroom? Read Part 2 of Mike Gorman's series on the best ways to vet classroom resources. 

What kinds of questions should we be asking about web resources before using them in the classroom? Read Part 2 of Mike Gorman's series on the best ways to vet classroom resources. 

This website is a presentation with an updated version of Bloom's Taxonomy for the 21st Century. It includes suggestions for web 2.0 tools for each department of the taxonomy.

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.

100 Essential Web 2.0 Tools for Teachers

100 Essential Web 2.0 Tools for Teachers

Blogger, Larry Ferlazzo, provides his list of best Web 2.0 applications so far for 2016. Many of the applications have to do with ELL and ESL; however, these applications could be used with lessons in any classroom. He also provides lists from prior years.

Blogger, Larry Ferlazzo, provides his list of best Web 2.0 applications so far for 2016. Many of the applications have to do with ELL and ESL; however, these applications could be used with lessons in any classroom. He also provides lists from prior years.

This interesting article about PLNs talks about the teaching strategy that says we are in a write/read culture and PLNs are a way of allowing students to be published on the web. He says that by allowing students to publish to the web even when their work is lacking, exposes them to other posts that are better and clearer than theirs. This will encourage them and give them more incentive to improve their own work. It is a good theory.

This scholarly paper focuses on COP's and the use of web 2.0 applications. Its emphasis is that web 2.0 applications improve communication and thus build community.

Authors discuss advantages of personal learning environments in facilitating collaboration and fostering learner control. PLEs are facilitated by technology, networking, and self-regulation by learners. Open network learning environments from instructors allow PLEs to form. Focus of PLE is not information consumption, but information creation and participation. Authors relate PLE and ONLE to the theory of connectivism and discuss various applications and limitations.

Fantastic quote: "Educators perceive the instructional value of integrating Web 2.0 tools include autonomy, diversity, openness, and connectedness (van Harmelen, 2006); yet, they find multiple technologies daunting, which may affect their attitudes toward online learning. The integration of multiple Web 2.0 tools has created frustration among educators and students because they lack knowledge of the tools (Lee, Miller, & Newnham, 2008), difficulty learn- ing different tools (Weller, 2007), conducting multiple authentications (Suess & Morooney, 2009), visiting multiple sites for different tools, etc. This phenomenon results from a lack of understanding of the social networking learning paradigm and inappropriate integration." This article describes the role of Personalized Learning Environments (PLEs) and how Open Network Learning Environments (ONLEs) are instrumental for creating a PLE. The authors indicate that connectivism is a key underlying principle for developing such a PLE--seeking connections to learners and sources of information. They cite Siemens ("the pipe is more important than the content in the pipe"), which surprised me, as I read that comment from Siemens as hyperbolic. Practical advice for creating your own PLE are also incorporated, as well as examples of how to work and learn within a PLE. The authors suggest that PLEs (operating through ONLEs) disrupt LMSs in the same way that technology disrupts learning in general. Interesting analogy.

Some great Web 2.0 tools, including 3D Projects, games/quizzes, and timelines (among others).

Educreations is a community where anyone can teach what they know and learn what they don't. Our software turns any iPad or web browser into a recordable, interactive whiteboard, making it easy for teachers and experts to create engaging video lessons and share them on the web. Students can replay these lessons any time, any place, on any connected device. We're on a mission to dramatically improve student achievement by extending the reach of great teaching.

Educreations is a community where anyone can teach what they know and learn what they don't. Educreations software turns any iPad or web browser into a recordable, interactive whiteboard, making it easy for teachers and experts to create engaging video lessons and share them on the web. Students can also use Educreations to create videos.

An interesting article about reformatting the traditional classroom to incorporate Web 2.0 technology and considerations.

Web 2.0 technology - the free digital tools that empower all users to create and share - has changed the way the world operates. In the hands of educators, it can become a powerful catalyst for changing the way students learn.

Great article! These three things every teacher should be doing with Web 2.0 are what make Web 2.0 tools so powerful for learning. Great find!

This quizlet teaches learners about web-based learning and activities through a tool actually used in web-based learning activities. This shows the learner the benefits of web--based learning in an engaging way.

Connectivist theorists argue that the way in which individuals acquire knowledge has changed. Academic institutions (which have historically been considered as the place in which individuals acquire knowledge and information) are being supported and/or replaced by groups of people within a learning network. The process of learning involves the creation of knowledge through these personalized networks and identifying the relationships between one's own knowledge and the knowledge of others within a network. These connections can occur in a variety of ways and with a variety of learners.

This article helped me to understand how to apply connectivism in the classroom. It also pointed out misconceptions that educators have about using social networking in the classroom.

Written by Kegan Remington, an Instructional Designer, the article discusses what connectivism is and how it can be applied in the classroom. He lays out the four simple ways of introducing connectivism in the classroom.