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Jennie Finafrock

Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age - 5 views

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    Siemens introduces connectivism as a theory for the digital age. He discusses the shift in learning theory that led to the creation of connectivism due to the need to make connections between specialized communities. He emphasizes the rapidly changing foundations of learning and information transfer and suggests that "creating, preserving, and utilizing information flow should be a key organizational activity." Ultimately, he suggests that connectivism is the way that education can meet the changing environment of learning.
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    As Siemens makes his case for the theory of connectivism, he provides a very detailed analysis of the failures of the prominent learning theories to meet the digital age. He weaves a detailed argument that connectivism is not a new theory, but an application of practice.
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    This is a paper that considers how connectivity has changed the cycle and nature of learning. It proposes that a new reality caused by computer networks has caused the creation and lifespan of knowledge to speed up and made knowledge creation a much more distributed activity. It is now even less expert driven and more driven by connections between learners.
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    George Siemens gives a background overview of the more traditional learning theories and then makes a case for why they are limited by technology while connectivism is built for the digital age.
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    Summary: This article compares Connectivism to other learning theories (Behaviorism, Cognitivism, and Constructivism). It also includes the principles of Connectivism and explains why this theory is important (and more relevant when compared to other learning theories) in the digital age. Some principles of Connectivism that are emphasized in the article are: diversity in opinions, choosing what to learn, connecting, sharing knowledge, fostering life long learning.
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    This 2004 article by George Siemens discusses learning theories in general--what they are and their limitations. Siemens then goes on to discuss an "alternative theory"--that of connectivism. He specifically explores the fact that connectivism is part of the digital age because of the rapidly changing technology which enables more and more information flow. Siemens then goes on to briefly discuss the implications of connectivism.
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    This article investigates the beneifts and downfalls of behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism. Then, it dives in to the idea of connectivism, and how we use it to develop new knowledge and skills. The article states that, "This cycle of knowledge development (personal to network to organization) allows learners to remain current in their field through the connections they have formed."
wagnerang

Knowledge Sharing Tools and Methods Toolkit - Communities of Practice - 9 views

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    This wiki page from Knowledge Sharing takes an in-depth look at the use of CoP in International Development and provides an extensive list of examples to provide greater understanding of CoP and its uses.
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    This site describes communities of practice (CoP) as "groups of people who share a passion for something that they do, and who interact regularly to learn how to do it better." It then goes on to describe the history or CoPs, when and how to use them (providing a flowchart for cultivating communities of practice), and concludes with tips, examples, and related resources.
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    This resource outlines CoPs and provides relevant examples. Explains that the emphasis of these communities is the quality of content shared by individuals. States that the creator to consumer ratio is 0.07%. Where's the YOU?
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    This article provides an overview of, applications for, and tips the use of a community of practice.
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    This article give not only the basic idea of a CoP, but also gives tips and lessons, examples and stories, and more references for those interested in learning more. Some of the resources are in Dutch (?), so be aware.
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    Great summary of CoPs and their usefulness in education. I like how the article explains that they can be short term or long term depending on the purpose and goals of the community. I also really like the graphic and saved it to my desktop!
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    The image in this article is great! The tips section is also helpful when you are thinking about creating a CoP. Overall, great article with great examples.
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    This is a really great resource! Like Ryann, I love the image within this page. It really puts some of the important aspects of communities of practice in the simplest terms possible. I love the emphasis on key questions to ask when thinking about CoP. Consistent attitude is something that needs to be taken to all communities! If the purpose is to teach and learn, then the attitude needs to be there to match.
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    This was a great find Natalie! I especially like the idea that the resource presents when it states that it is tempting to mandate these communities but that they can better be nurtured by continuing existence. I connect this to my own classroom and the work I do throughout the beginning of the school year where I'm constantly arranging their groups to help them develop their communication and group skills but then allow them to form their own groups as the year progresses and I find that, for the most part, they gravitate to individuals that they work best with. I really liked the infographic on where to start as well. I think this is a great go to visual for utilizing CoPs.
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    This online toolkit offers a brief and well-organized overview of communities of practice (CoP). It begins with a short description and follows with the history CoPs. It then offers a bulleted list of when to utilize CoPs and even provides further advice on how-to use. This site was particularly helpful in that it also offers tips and lessons learned from others as well as examples, stories, and other resources. Overall, it is organized and affords users a plethora f information on Communities of Practice.
susanbird

What is Community of Practice and How Can We Support it? by Christopher Hoadley - 6 views

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    Christopher Hoadley defines communities of practice, explains underlying theories of CoPs, compares CoPs to other types of learning communities, and discusses the use of technology in the support and development of CoPs.
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    This chapter by Hoadley breaks down a community of practice (CoP) and explains the theory behind it as well as well as its history. An interesting piece of the chapter compares a CoP to other groups and how each works a bit differently. It was also interesting to read about how technology is used in successful CoPs.
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    I learned the feature-based as well as the process based definition of communities of practice. I also learned how we can support a community of practice. It was valuable to learn how technology ties into communities of practices in the form or presentation or communication abilities, integration in content and context, etc. The article mentioned C4P framework, which encouraged me to take a deeper look at the C4P framework.
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    This is an exhaustive article that covers the definition and history of COPs, thoughts on how to sustain COPs, and ideas on how technology can support and enhance COPs in the 21st century. It is practical, useful, and interesting. While I found it to be perhaps a little too detailed, it was nonetheless a good article.
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    The concept of communities of practice has been used as both a theory to explain how learning occurs, and a "metaphor for how instruction should take place." From an anthropological view, knowledge is not completely contained within individuals, but is more often found in groups/communities. Knowledge can be "sticky" or "leaky". "Sticky" knowledge is difficult to disseminate, perhaps because it is highly technical, or because the target audience does not absorb it. "Leaky" knowledge is knowledge (like trade secrets) the disseminates despite efforts to keep it secret. Knowledge involves practice in context. One way we learn with situational learning is by peripheral, or tangential, participation. Learners should be allowed to "lurk" before participating, much as beginner social media users do. A knowledge building community and a community are practice are not the same thing. A knowledge-building community seeks to learn and build knowledge, while a community of practice wants to improve some type of work function. The learning may be the same, but the goals are different. Forced knowledge-building communities may never read the stage of community of practice depending on the level of connectedness and peripheral participation. Technology can facilitate communication and collaboration for CoPs.
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    This explains what a Community of Practice is, it goes into two definitions, features-based and process-based. It also discusses how communities of practice and technology often go hand-in-hand and how this has changed and developed over time.
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    This chapter provides an overview and history of communities of practice. There is a nice description of the theoretical assumptions underlying its development. The differences of communities of practice and other knowledge communities are explained thoroughly. There is an appreciation for how technology plays a role in today's communities of practice, how it can support it and how it is not less effective than face to face communication. It is explained that the key to a successful community of practice is "connections, conversations, content, and information context."
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    Christopher Hoadley explains CoPs, focusing on definition and practice. Essentially, Hoadley illustrates that CoPs are informal yet highly connected, constructivist in nature, and supported by technology like social media. He states that technology supports communities of practice by "linking people with similar interests, providing a shared repository of resources, directly supporting communication, and providing awareness of various resources within the information context" (Jonassen & Land, 2012). Additionally, he goes on to express that individual learning fails when it comes to application but that group learning often creates deeper, more meaningful understanding especially when built upon authentic situations.
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    This article gives two separate definitions for communities of practice, a feature based definition and a process based definition. Between the two it explains how learning through practice can be more beneficial than following a manual or example. It also states how participation is important as well as being viewed as a member of the community of practice. The article then goes into explaining how technology has played a positive role in communities and has helped with communication to allow a community of practice to function even better.
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    This chapter dives deep into communities of practice. It begins with an overview of the history of CoPs and discusses theoretical underpinnings the concept is based on. The author explores CoPs in relation to other types of learning and related technology.
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    In this resource, Christopher Hoadley helps to define community of practice with two approaches. The first approach to the definition is what he calls the "feature-based definition" and the other approach is the "process-based" definition. He attributes these definitions based on Lave and Wenger's book on situated learning. This resource provides a good starting point to understanding what CoP is and the theoretical approach it involves.
melpalmer4

Connectivism as a Learning Theory for the Digital Age - 1 views

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    This article talks about how connectivism is important and valid, but should be used as a tool in the learning process and not as a standalone learning theory.
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    In this article the section labeled Why Connectivism is considered to be a learning theory was fun to read. It explains how learning can no longer be explained linearly and must be explained in terms of personal networks.
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    This article looks at connectivism from the standpoint of learning theory. It discusses the essential criteria for a learning theory or an instructional theory and the differences between a learning theory and an instructional theory in the context of connectivism. The article make an effort to explain connectivism as a learning theory of digital age.
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    This article gives a really interesting look at connectivism as a learning theory vs an instructional theory. It brings out many studies and prior theories to look further into connectivism in education.
melpalmer4

What is a Personal Learning Network? - The Tech Edvocate - 6 views

  • One, you shape absolutely everything about it.
  • You personalize exactly who you want in your network, what you want to share, where you want to engage with people, and what you’re interested in learning about
  • You also pick the platform.
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  • you will form personal connections with them based on shared ideas and experiences
  • You’ll be amazed who in your field will say something you’ve never thought of, or mention a point of view you’ve never considered.
    • nstringham
       
      I love this aspect of collaboration! I know that I could never come up with all these different ideas on my own, but I also have the ability to take someone's thoughts or ideas and add my own to them to expand it even further.
  • But the heart of every network isn’t the platform, but the people who enrich conversations with unique backgrounds and specializations.
  • hey’re especially important for educators because it’s likely a school district lacks the funding to support teachers with professional development.
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    This article discusses the value of PLNs specifically for educators. It gives the who, what, when, why and how for the reader.
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    This is a great article. I like that is starts with what a PLN is and proceeds to talk about where and how to set it up. I also like that this article is written through the lens of an educator. It makes a lot of what is said more relevant and personal. Good find!
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    I really like how this article breaks down what a PLN is, how to learn from one, and where to network. So often, I think that these basics are what keep people from joining in. Though networking can sound intimidating, this piece notes why they are so important to educators and, potentially, students, thus encouraging and motivating users to join in.
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    This is a nice overview of what a PLN is and how teachers can get involved. It discussed important reasons that PLNs are useful. The article breaks down the need, structure and value of a PLN. #EDTECH543 #EDTechSN #PLN
katelyngriffin

Three problems with the connectivist conception of learning - 1 views

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259552573_Three_problems_with_the_connectivist_conception_of_learning (you have to download the PDF) In this article, three main problems with the new conn...

connectivism education technology EdTech543 theory

started by katelyngriffin on 09 Jun 17 no follow-up yet
katelyngriffin

Connectivism: Learning theory and pedagogical practice for networked information lands... - 2 views

https://doi.org/10.1108/00907321111186686 This article seeks to describe the theory of connectivism as a learning theory to help explain how students learn informational literacy. Connectivism, as...

education EdTech543 learning connectivism theory

started by katelyngriffin on 09 Jun 17 no follow-up yet
sofianahtchi

What is a personal learning network - 7 views

I like this article! It is right to the point! I especially appreciate the element of the degrees of connectivity. As technology advances, interaction will as well. Can't wait to see how VR affects...

education technology EdTech543 PLN learning

anonymous

The networked student model for construction of personal learning environments: Balanci... - 3 views

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    This article explores how to find a balance between teacher control and student autonomy in personal learning environments. I like the author's observation that students are "networked learners in training." Page 3 has a networked teacher model, while page 4 of the article shows a diagram model of a networked student. A networked student uses constructivism based on experiences and social interactions. Meaningful learning is made up of knowledge construction, conversation, articulation, collaboration and reflection. The remainder of the article details a test case with networked learning. And there is a link to a YouTube presentation of the project, at the end of the conclusion.
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    Thank you for sharing this article. The diagrams painted a good picture of the networked teacher and student. It was interesting the direction the arrows were pointing in both pictures!
kellyspiese

Using Connectivism to Guide Information Literacy Instruction With Tablets - 1 views

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    In this article Librarian Andrea Wilson Brooks discusses how the educational theory of connectivism can be used to enhance the delivery of information literacy instruction. She begins the article with a discussion of the connectivist theory and then moves on to the specific role that this theory can play in 21st century library instruction. The instruction that Brooks talks about in this article utilizes mobile technology, in particular, tablets. She concludes the article with a series of specific examples of lessons based on connectivism. Each activity involves the use of mobile devices, various apps, and social media platforms to engage the learner while developing his or her information literacy skills.
teachingjake503

An early report card on MOOCs - WSJ - 1 views

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    I saw a reference to MOOCs when I was researching so I wanted to dive deeper into MOOCs (massive open online courses). This article serves as a report card discussing the successes and needed improvements for MOOCs. MOOCs biggest successes seem to be the huge reach they have with their online presence. Millions of people enroll in the courses and top universities, such as Harvard and MIT, have MOOCs. However, some pitfalls are that less than 10% of people who enroll in MOOCs actually finish. The article gives ideas for improving MOOCs mostly based off the belief that online courses can be isolating and more collaboration with actual humans, via chats and videos, need to be included in MOOCs. I found this read interesting because the MOOCs are founded with the connectivism theory in mind, however many of this components that drive connectivsm and communities of practice are lacking.
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    Jake, I found a resource on MOOCs as well and while it was a positive presentation of them, it also noted some of the pitfalls. The fact that they draw mostly highly educated students, makes me wonder how accessible they are for all people. However, I know they are new and evolving, so it will be interesting to follow their development.
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    This article was extremely interesting! I was surprised to see the the high percentage of people who sign up for MOOCs and don't finish. I also strongly agree with the comment in the article, "people need people." Thanks for sharing!
Terisa ODowd

Connectivist Learning Theory - 6 views

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    This source is a Wiki on connectivist learning theory. The Wiki goes a little bit deeper than other articles I have read and is well organized. I especially liked the discussion at the end of the Wiki as it gives some good ideas to think about in regards to connectivism.
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    The layout of this article is wonderful! I like how everything is numbered and listed out for easy reading. The glossary was also especially helpful since the theory does have it's own language.
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    Nice share. I agree with Ryann. Reading this article helped me better simplify the connectivist theory. I like how the sections are neatly organized and open for the reader. I epsecially liked the History section.
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    This Wiki article explores the theory of connectivist learning. The theorist argue that educators have long believed experience has been considered the best teacher of knowledge. "Since we cannot possibly experience everything, other people's experiences, and other people, become the surrogate for knowledge." In other words, learning by forming connections may be a better way to acquire learning in the digital age. http://wiki.p2pfoundation.net/Connectivist_Learning_Theory_-_Siemens
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    I agree with your comment that there is no way we can learn everything and being able to connect with others to add to our knowledge is the only way we are going to be able to keep up with the changing digital age. I think the principle of connectivism say it all: Principles of connectivism - Learning and knowledge rests in diversity of opinions. - Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources. - Learning may reside in non-human appliances. - Capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known - Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual learning. - Ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is a core skill.
Paige Goodson

http://www.alasedu.net/resources/1/Publications/White%20Papers/White%20Paper%20-%20Engl... - 1 views

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    Article about incorporating technology for the advancement and achievement of ELL learners.  This article cites several examples.
anonymous

How to Create Social Media Guidelines for Your School | Edutopia - 1 views

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    Excellent article about ceating social media guidelines in schools. Has lots of resources both in the article and on the page.
Molly Large

The use of Twitter in the Creation of Educational Professional Learning Opportunities: ... - 4 views

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    This study looked at how Twitter-using educators were using Twitter to collaborate, network, or engage in professional development
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    Molly, I really enjoyed this article. It is especially relevant with this course. Honestly, I could never image using Twitter as any kind of professional resource, but after reading this and using Twitter for this class and one other, I can see how it would benefit educator to collaborate. It is also very easy to use. Thank you for sharing this article!
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    Hi Molly, This is very appropriate for our class, especially since we are using Twitter to share articles and resources with each other - - in our own personal learning environment. I focused on the discussion portion of this article. I noticed that for educators, personal learning networks are important and useful for professional development. It was interesting that the study found greater use in high school environments (maybe because we are influenced by our students?). The benefits of Twitter and professional development, is that one can access and participate at any time and any location - - it is self-directed! I would be interested in finding out how to promote this type of professional development within a school. What type of training is needed for educators to get started? How would one track satisfaction and learning?
Kara Paula Godfrey

Personal Learning Networks: Knowledge Sharing as Democracy - See more at: http://www.hy... - 2 views

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    The big question presented in this article is, "How do we use technology?" The online environment is present in our daily lives and our participation is key. A PLN is defined as "the people you choose to connect with and learn from." A mutual desire for learning and participation must be present.
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    This article talks shares some history on the Personal Learning Network (PLN) and how the term came to be and how technology use impacts the PLN. It also highlights some of the different definitions for it. One thing that stood out for me was the point that they are dependent on the reciprocity and trust of members, as well as the literacy level and drive of the members.
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    Our everyday life is revolved on some type of social networking (i.e. cellphones, email, social media, etc.). Through networking, we build a personal learning network (PLN). As we continue to use networking, as users, we need to be able to find out how we learn best and then seek out for networks that fulfill our learning needs.
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    Hi Erin! I thought this article was quite interesting. I like how the author pointed out that so many say that the use of technology and media as a way of communicating leaves us disconnected, when really, it's the complete opposite! We are absolutely connected, just not the way we are accustomed to. Thanks for sharing!
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    PLN: Seaman's article discusses how to use social networking, especially Twitter to develop and maintain personal learning networks. She goes on to discuss that our we feel less lonely when we are connected, even if it is virtually on a tablet, cell phone or computer.
Jenni Borg

(Assignment #2) 10. http://www.edudemic.com/2012/10/build-personal-learning-network/ - 3 views

This article helped to synthesize all of the other articles I read on PLNs. It states, "Personal Learning Networks are systems that help learners take control of and manage their own learning. This...

education technology resources tools EdTech543

started by Jenni Borg on 18 Jun 13 no follow-up yet
Dennis Large

(Assignment #2) 5. http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/523/1103 - 3 views

Great article Jenni. I have saved it into my Mendeley app with other resources for my dissertation! As the authors stated, we are definitely shifting toward more autonomous learners. I am still try...

education learning digital EdTech543

David Yargo

What is a PLN? Why Do I Need One? - 8 views

The value I found in this article is that the author describes the additional two benefits traditional personal development cannot. They are that a PLN allows an educator to completely personalize ...

EdTech543 education PLN

joannalieberman

Resources: Cross Curricular Unit- Integrating Technology into the Arts - 1 views

1. Arts Integration: Resource Roundup. (2013, April 17). Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/arts-integration-resources All points of arts integration -- from benefits and implementation to lin...

education technology resources edtech541

started by joannalieberman on 06 Nov 16 no follow-up yet
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