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Lessons, videos, and interactive elements that explain various components and features of a computer to a novice or young adult learner.

Some good ideas for classroom integration. Includes basic spreadsheet vocabulary.

Might be good reminder of basics and terminology that students will need.

This research paper looks into success factors for communities of practice. Although the "success factors" portion of the article may fit better with future "how-to" assignments, I found the breakdown of CoPs helpful. Retna covers the basic idea that adults learn from day to day experiences, not just activities specifically designed for learning. Knowledge transfer is explained with emphasis on what it looks like in organizations. The paper goes on the account for CoPs in a multi-national company based out of Singapore. The findings are explained in the three components domain, community, and practice. The key success factors are identified as leadership, culture, and individual motivation to learn. 

First thing that caught my attention was, "An employee picks up the most relevant know-how in an organisation from day-to-day activities and by watching and talking with other employees." This absolutely defines what a community of practice is. Professional development is a great way to learn, but many of us learn best by seeing a theory, action, or idea in practice. Communities of practice connect people who have similar interests, providing them with a wide range of resources to draw upon. Motivation is also a major part to making a CoP a success. Once a member, one must stay active. Having a responsible leader helps to maintain motivation and organization of the community. I especially appreciated the emphasis on informal CoP. Members are there because they want to better themselves and periodically the leader may provide a reward however I believe knowledge is reward enough. Great paper!

I like how this article talks about knowledge is best understood as a "habitus". This habitus is everything that a person does that helps them acquire knowledge. This includes their activities and life experiences.

This article provides insight into personal learning environments by answering seven basic questions about them. A scenario in which an avid car enthusiast uses a PLE to help him gather knowledge to restore a car provides a helpful image as an introduction. Additionally, an overview of PLEs is provided, along with some examples of institutions that encourage their use and how they are used. Web 2.0 allowed the evolution of the PLE into a digital world. One drawback mentioned by the article is that students who have never practiced metacognition in their own learning practices are said to have difficulty at times with the format of PLEs.

This is a short little slide share on the basics of connectivism learning theory as proposed by George Siemens. It's very basic and straight forward. I like the metaphor used for learning. I also like the images of the different social networks on the first slide.

A slide show production on connectivism, including definitions and comparisons/contrasts with constructivism.

This article comes from the OD Practitioner journal, Fall/Winter 2000. This article focuses on the basics of Communities of Practice, defining the dimensions, purpose and changes from knowledge sharing now rather than in the past. This article focuses on the industrial and business world. It shares that knowledge in the past was knowledge was to be horded for power, while today it is to be shared to grow said power "in multiples" (Allee, 2000). The article goes on to share the benefits for everyone as far as the business, community and the individual. I appreciate the call for possible new communities of practice to meet new business community challenges.

I like how this article, even though it focuses on the industrial/business world, still has some great applications to the world of education. It's also interesting to find out more about some surrounding groups to CoPs and how they are related. A quote from the article (pay close attention to the last sentence in regards to education) says, "Communities of practice emerge in the social space between project teams and knowledge networks. When multiple project teams are engaged in similar tasks the need to share what they know often will lead to community formation. From the other direction, a loosely organized knowledge network of people who share common interests can gel into a focused community when people recognize new shared opportunities or begin to seek a significant breakthrough. Those who would support communities need to learn what conditions foster their emergence and create an environment in which they can flourish."

This is a pretty simple explanation of connectivism. Basically it is about adding nodes to your PLN which connects you to another resource.

Usually when I see anything WIki that has to do with research I have the initial tendency to try to stay far away because in my undergrad years I was constantly reminded to pursue peer reviewed articles. What I really appreciate about this resource is how simple and basic it is on Connectivism. This wikispace provides all the "nuts and bolts" of Connectivism and is a great starting point for digging deeper into understanding its theory. Great find!

"Connectivism is a learning theory promoted by Stephen Downes and George Siemens." Learning occurs with connections in networks. This article believes that with connectivism we can move to a new age of learning. Learning can be more collaborative and global. With connectivism we see the use of networks with nodes and connections to elaborate on our learning.

With PowerPoint Online you create presentations right in your internet browser. They live in your OneDrive or Dropbox space, and you can edit and share them online without any other software or installations. Let's walk through the steps for creating a basic presentation: PowerPoint comes with "themes," sets of professionally designed colors and layouts.

SurveyMonkey is a free online service used for surveys and questionnaires. Need to get anonymous feedback? Create a survey using SurveyMonkey. It's quick, it's easy and best of all the basic package is free. This can also be an excellent resources to receive feedback about your interactive presentations.

This is a great website for basic math fact fluency. It's free, easy and kids love it. What is so great is that the practice they do at school can also be done at home (if they have access to a computer with internet). The pros at Xtra math have completely automated the system of fact fluency in the classroom!

Networking in easy terms!

This site contains a solid overview of the tools available in G Suite, one of the best basic suite providers.

Created by Techsmith, the makers of powerful video editing software Camtasia, this video covers some very basic strategies for incorporating videos into classes.

A look at the "basics" of communities of practice. This text does a great job of answering the basic questions that make the concept a little fuzzy. It discusses the evolution of CoP's from its inception to today's practice.

In this video interview of Professor of Educational Technology, Alec Couros, he speaks to the importance of connections and connected learning. He mentions George Siemens asking the question, "What endures?" He points out that basically what it comes down to is the relationships formed as a result of the tools used. It's not about the number of connections, but the quality and meaningfulness of the connections. He also speaks to the importance of contributing to others' learning and making it visible.

Thanks for sharing this Kim! The discussion of connectionism in relation to identifying, "What endures?" is very interesting. This highlights the importance of growth through the formation and maintenance of connections.

Slides by researcher Stephen Downes provide some basic elements of connectivism. Included is an analysis of VLE (virtual learning environments using LMS) vs. PLE (personal learning environments) and the types of knowledge these promote. Also addressed is personal vs. social knowledge, collaboration vs. cooperation, and network design principles. Especially interesting here is the VLE vs PLE analysis.

Kim, Thank you for sharing! I liked the visuals throughout the slide show!

Mr Downes makes thought provoking distinctions between a number of concepts (e.g.VLE and a PLE, personal vs social knowledge, and cooperation vs collaboration). Thanks for sharing.

Crowley writes about how to effectively build a PLN, but goes much more in depth than just listing out three basic steps. She details why PLNs are so beneficial, especially to teachers. I appreciate that she covers the doubts and frustrations someone may have when establishing a PLN and offers ways to help someone from being overwhelmed.

A Professional Learning Network does not need to be a stress inducing task. A PLN should be a changing group of connections that people can join to connect with like minded people who share values, passions, and areas of expertise. When used in education, it connects teachers all across the world and gives it's members with different perspectives on education. PLNs often use technology to drive the connections. When creating or joining a PLN, there are three steps to think about. The first step is to find the professionals. This means that you need to find professional people who share an interest and value with yourself. Once you have found those people, follow them on social media or their blogs to stay connected with them. The second step is to find your niche group. A niche in a PLN is a place where people gather around similar interests or experiences. The final step is to find your PLN buddies and mentors. These are people you have really connected with and who help to expand your thinking. The best part about a PLN is that it is driven by you. You have the ability to adapt your PLN to fit you and your needs. 

As a teacher who is new to PLN and using it as a forum to learn and share ideas, I thought it was a great article to help connect the new user. Like any connection, time and effort are needed to make the relationship work. This article was precise in effective ways to build a community and sustain a PLN. Thanks for sharing.