Group items tagged

I think the explanation on how established beliefs and learning help new information to be routed through connections that have previously been made really helps to establish the point that in Connectivism in order to gain knowledge, one has to continually update existing connections and seek to make other connections outside of the realm of what is already known.

I like how this article points out that you HAVE to have the "ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is a core skill" in order for connectivism to really have a chance to work!

This is a great article. It talks about how knowledge is growing faster and what we need to do to keep up with it. It was great to read about Pros and Cons because you would think there would mostly be Pros but you have to think how this affects older generations not just younger generations and how technology is constantly changing. Thank you!

As educational technologists, connectivism almost seems like a natural next step to ensuring that are graduating students are prepared for college and the work force. This includes a working knowledge of technology and many of its applications. This seems as though it is as important as reading, writing and arithmetic. However, for many educators technology is a source of great anxiety. They feel as though teaching connectivity and networking is a waste of precious time in the classroom. This article did a great job of bringing to light the pros as well of the cons.

A very detailed definition of connectivism, including comparisons in many categories with other learning theories and descriptions of pros and cons.

This article discusses the growing interest in Personal Learning Networks (PLN) and Twitter among educators. This study interviews seven educators about their experiences using Twitter within a PLN to try to understand if Twitter played a unique and specific role in learning. Four distinct outcomes were: 1. Twitter allows participants to engage in instantaneous conversations with their PLN. 2. Twitter provides a way for participants to access the collective knowledge of their PLN. 3. Twitter helped grow the size of the PLN. 4. Twitter can be used as a motivator.

This article includes information on a research study, about using Twitter within a PLN. Its result mentions specific advantages such as allowing participants to engage in instantaneous conversation and access collective knowledge.

After reading the article and other comments, I think Ryan Olynyk's summary outlines the main ideas well.

This article explains several ways in which Twitter can enhance your PLN. It can allow you to share resources, receive resources, and crowdsource ideas. Using hashtags, users can explore topics that interest them and meet potential new members of the PLN. Retweets are another effective way to meet potential PLN members.

The article looks at the impact Twitter plays on PLNs. The research shows Twitter is a valuable tool to connect with people around the world and easily share ideas. The openness of Twitter can create large PLNs and impact more members.

For me its very important. I use it and Diigo groups the most as online PLN tools.

The article clearly shows the benefits of integrating twitter into your personal learning network. The article makes me reflect on my own social media presence where I need to transition from a lurker to an active member in order to build and sustain my PLN.

This article must have been for me since this is my first time on twitter. The information in this article leads me to think that you don't have to have twitter to have an PLN but it is easier when you do. It allows for fast and concise communication with your PLN.

Here Siemens introduces his reasoning and understanding to connectivism. One fascinating piece that he talks about is how the half-life of learning is shrinking as technology becomes a primary learning tool within people's lives. His premise is based around the idea that we "derive our competence from connections with others". So although we may not all get to experience everything personally, which has been seen as the best way to learn something, now through other people's shared experiences we too can learn at a much quicker rate.

Article discussing connectivism and how it applies to the digital age. Includes 8 principles of connectivism.

Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age is a wonderful article that drills down into the development of Connectivism as the use of technology has challenged many of the theoretical foundations of Behaviorism, Cognitivism and Constructivism. This article discusses the importance of communities of practice in the digital age when learning is rapid pace, dependent on quickly changing information, often in self organized groupings. Siemens provides an overview of the principles and implications of Connectivism as a primary theory for establishing learning groups.

In this article, Siemens discusses the incredible impact that technology has had on several learning theories over the past twenty years. Technology has become such a prominent part of our world and it is "altering (rewiring) our brains." It is an interesting take on the power of technology and how it continues to have a gigantic impact on many learning theories.

Behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism are three theories that attempt to explain how people learn and develop. When these theories were created, digital technology didn't play a role in learning which changes how we explore these theories today. All of these theories agree that knowledge is something to be obtained, but how do people get knowledge in today's society? Connectivism is what describes the new learning environments people are experiencing everyday. It is a series of networks that connect people and information and facilitates the organization and flow of knowledge. It can explained with plumbing. The information and knowledge is the water while the series of pipes it flows through is connectivism. 

Bell, F. (2010). Connectivism: Its place in theory-informed research and innovation in technology-enabled learning. The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 12(3), 98-118. Unlike the other articles I've discussed regarding Connectivism Frances starts by detailing the world Internet market. Which is an interesting starting point because in order for Connectivism to be a qualifying learning theory for everyone, the actual "connection" part must be prevalent. This is the first article that draws attention to the potential digital divide that could keep some countries and regions from the potential benefits of Connectivism. From his subtle inclusion of what can be read as the digital divide, he details the history of sharing on the Internet, and the general practice of sharing the Internet in itself has created. I also like that Frances describes Connectivism as a learning theory not looking to take over past practices but collaborate with them. This was an important note compared to the other articles I read that were determined to sell Connectivism as the all or nothing approach towards the future of web 2.0 in learning either for or against. Finally Frances discusses Connectivism role in research and those looking for a more fundamental understanding of research done on Connectivism and regarding Connectivism. The author tackles both topics with great research backing up all scenarios and discussions.

Is connectivism a real learning theory? This article explores the theory through different aspects of the digital era and how other learning theories (i.e. behaviorism, constructivism) are observed through various scenarios involving technology.

This is a very interesting article. I like reading more about connectivism because for some reason I find it difficult to understand. It questions whether connectivism should be considered a learning theory.

This article provides some great background on the theory of connectivism: its beginnings, major influencers, and basic principles. The article goes on to question whether connectivism alone is enough to answer all of the questions regarding how best to reach students in the technology-abled classroom. The article provides 5 scenarios to tackle the question, and offers some thought-provoking findings.

Like many other educational articles, this writer questions whether connectivism deserves a place as a learning theory in its own right. Bell discusses the growing use of the internet as a classroom and how connectivism applies. He also discusses connectivism as a phenomenon versus a learning theory.

Connectivism: Frances Bell explores theories in technology-enabled learning. Bell states, in 5 different scenarios, that it is proven that with our global society we should keep researching how to improve connections and learn from the past. Not all countries or people are equal when it comes to technology.

This 2011 journal article discusses how researchers can bring more rigor to research into Connectivism to counter the claims of some analysts that insist the concept lacks true academic support. Their final results indicate that Connectivism alone can not be a theory for education, but instead needs to work in congruence with other theories. A wide variety of reasons from personal preference to funding will influence which theories we use. As technology expands, so does research.

This article examines connectivism and its role as a learning theory in the digital age. It explains the principles of connectivism and provides scenarios that connectivism could help in an educational setting.

There is significant debate as to whether or not connectivism is a stand alone learning theory. While the data does not fully support connectivism as separate and distinct learning theory, there is considerable support for it a a learning phenomenon. The author of the article emphasizes the connected world in which we live has evolved, and therefore, has influenced the manner in which people learn.

From the development of the internet to present day, using technology for informational purposes and learning development continues to grow and become more common. Connectivism supports the theories that learning occurs as a more intrapersonal experience and occurs while the learning creates information and deeper understandings. This resources presents the development of technology as a cause for a new view of learning and education.

I love the video! This is the first video I've come across that gives a short, sweet introduction to exactly what a PLN consists of. It mentions both the online global community and the people who you interact with. I love how it mentions that you get to choose who is in your PLN. That isn't something that has been mentioned in my research.

This discusses what a PLN is and the benefits to having one. It talks about the flexibility a PLN allows you that a more traditional setting would not. A PLN allows you to personalize things and choose your level of involvement.

This was a great article that succinctly describes what a PLN is. The page includes a brief video in which Marc-André Lalande illustrates, in a very practical manner, how educators can use PLN's to connect with other professional educators to share ideas. He also shares a few of his favorite PLN's, including Twitter.

Marc-Andre Lalande breaks down the definition and key aspects of PLNs. He first expresses the importance of choice in a personal learning network, as it is a "personal" decision who to connect with, when to connect with them, and why you connect to begin with. Next, he discusses the idea of a "network" and how the Internet provides connectivity to people of all backgrounds to engage in conversation on topics of similar interest. Finally, he explains the crucial "learning" aspect of a PLN, asserting that learning happens through observing (or "lurking") as well as contributing to a discussion.

Great article Michelle! I like how it breaks down and explains "personal" and "professional" learning networks! Great insight!

Good resource. Simple, to the point. The video is a good resource to share too. If you have colleagues who don't know about PLNs, this is a good place to start.

Edmodo is an LMS so I guess then all LMS would be PLN tools. I guess I never thought of them that way but they are. Ive used Edmodo once before to organize a project among faculty but have mostly used it with students.

Staggering number of teachers that are enrolled in Edmodo, which show how the education field truly embraces the concepts of communities of practice. The communities of practice idea has not fully been accepted into the USCG and I'm excited to work to create one.

The article is a comprehensive view of PLNs. It gives concrete examples of how to design and grow a PLN. By examining three widely used PlNs, it might encourage more teachers to begin a PLN. I appreciated the statement: Only the teachers who are continual learners [who] work to improve their practice, skills, and instructional strategies can successfully help others learn.

Being a teacher your PLN is so important to your growing and developing. This article really focus on that and how teachers us it. It also give example of other services that teachers can use that will increase their ability to find and use information form the internet,

Resourced by an edutopia article, I found this information to be both user friendly and helpful. Best of's, design tips, and aspects of PLNs that make people want to be active are included

The mention of RSS in this article is very helpful because it is such a simple way to keep track of all your networks. It keeps everything in one location so you only have to open one program to read it all!

I think this is an excellent resource for Personal Learning Network. I agree that we need to know exactly what we are exploring. Often times there is so much information out there, that it is hard to process it all. By knowing the definition and knowing what we are looking for it is easy to focus in and find the best information. I think this is a clear definition and I have added it to my library as a resource for future use.

Thanks for sharing...Yes, understanding the similarities of PLN's, CoP's, and Connectivism and differences are key. This article points out that PLN's tend to be more like social media sites: Linkedin, Facebook, etc to collaborate and share.

This article takes the readers through the definition of PLN and describes how social media is a major proponent of creating a PLN. The article also connects to other "how to" tools for PLNs and professional development.

A personal learning network is a way for teachers to connect with other educators through social media to exchange ideas for growth and improvement.

Describes the powerfulness of a personal learning network, its benefits, and how to get the most out of being a part of one.

Nice, concise introduction. I plan to introduce this topic in a number of schools I will be working with next year. I can use this. Thanks for sharing.

This video addresses students' learning needs and how technology and the Connectivism Theory allows for students to excel in their own way. The author refers to herself as a Connectivist and in this short video explains why learners need opportunities to learn based on this theory. Learners and instructors are no longer limited to a classroom but can reach and teach far more audiences when connected.

I love this video! SO visual and amazing how she is modeling connectivism while making a video about connectivism! I truly think that this is my connectivism is so powerful! This is visual, concise, and very beneficial video to watch while learning about this learning theory.

Good video on the basics of Connectivism. This video gives good reasons why teachers should use Connectivism and some ways teachers can easily embrace Connectivism in their classrooms.

I appreciate how basic of a description this is on connectivism. I find it intriguing that students find e-learning more personal because they can determine which way is best for them to learn. I would agree that this video is beneficial to watch; however, I do think a more in-depth study of connectivism would be vital for those going into a field where connectivism is applicable.

Great, simple video on Connectivism. Sometimes simple and basic is the best route in teaching. It is so true that many students who would not share in the classroom have plenty to share outside of the classroom. I feel that she hit on the power of connectivism very well in the short amount of time she shared. I also believe there is a lot more too it but this is perfect for a simple explanation.

This is a straightforward video that explains connectivism and how it looks in modern learning.

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.

This work goes into detail on how the individual learner impacts the creation and function of their PLN. It identifies 9 specific factors that influence how we "build, maintain, and activate" our learning networks. It fits these factors into a "Personal learning network model"

PLN: This article delves into how networking is essential to personal growth and learning; especially personal learning networks. Learning by interacting with peers lets us make the connections that either in learning or work environment is important.

A clear explanation of personal learning networks, and in particular the different ways they form and the different ways individuals interact with their PLNs. Helpful diagrams for understanding the PLN model are included.

This article focuses on personal professional networking. This is essentially a PLN in the workplace. Three primary tasks build a foundation for future activities within the PLN, 1) building connections, 2) maintaining connections, 3) activating connections. There are nine factors that influence a personal professional network. See include: communality (or commonality) reputation, and real potential for collaboration or learning. Learning within a PLN must be cultivated and involve reflection. Participants must recognize the value of other contributors to their own learning in order for the network to be truly effective, because this will allow person to know who to contact in the future for a similar issue. Networking to create a PLN depends on the person be g able to make connections between their own skills and their contacts' potential contributions. In creating an PLN, the learner "orchestrates" the environment, "browsing, selecting, and choosing" relevant resources.

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.

I enjoyed reviewing this blog post. I agree that we need to think about learning differently and be sure to embrace the potential of connect learning through professional and personal learning networks. I had a hard time with the author's claim of the shift away from internalized learning. From my take on the blog post, the view was internal learning is no longer as valid as learning distributed outside the learner. I find this a bit excessive. If we don't internalize information and make it meaningful to ourselves, how can we share anything of importance?

I think that this is a great discussion point of the ability to find the material is supplanting the actual knowledge. I feel that this important because with web tools and having all the information available at the click or push of a button it is important to focus learning in a manner that will show that having knowledge is still important.

I have taught high school for 15 years, and my role as a teacher has certainly evolved from expert to facilitator when it comes to a majority of my lesson plans. This is a good resource that demonstrates this concept. The administrators at my high school are asking all teachers to adopt the workshop model (which is the way I teach anyway), and I think this resource supports that philosophy because it is based in connectivism.

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.

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?

This article provides an overview of, applications for, and tips the use of a community of practice.

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.

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!

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.

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.

This is a good introductory look at what a PLN is. By reading their post and connecting other to it the author of this blog has just become a member or our PLN. I also enjoyed the nod to commoncraft one of my all time favorite resources to get people started.

I really enjoyed this article, especially The Networked Student video. I thought it was particularly important that the video stated that in order for the student to make meaningful connections, they had to practice validating and evaluating sites to see which ones would be most valuable in their research.

I enjoyed your article on "PLN: Your Personal Learning Network Made Easy." I never thought of of a PLN originally as our "family and friends, maybe other educators you worked with." This could really help newer teachers embracing technology "wrap their heads around what is happening" and how it really hasn't changed, just looks different.

A good article on what type of people and tools can constitute a PLN.  It gives some good examples and provides some great tools that could be included in anyone's PLN.  It embeds a youtube video in it that enhances my understanding of a PLN.  It also helps me to differentiate between a PLN and a CoP.

In this blog, educator Kate Klingensmith describes what a PLN is in general and also describes specific reasons why one can be useful to an educator. She also provides examples of how educators can use PLNs in beneficial ways.

Another great PLN blog. Also has great information on Web 2.0. There is a plethora of information on this site for online learning. Def. a great read.

I love the simple breakdown of the PLN on this site! I also really appreciate the table at the bottom that includes some great resources for getting the PLN started. This looks like a great blog! Thanks for sharing!

Before taking this class, I have never heard of a PLN, but as I read more about it, its amazing to see how many PLNs we are involved with. They definitely have an effect on how we learn and exchange information.

I recently posted a power point presentation by Pam Murray that has a broken link so this article discussion will take its place. In the article creating a robust and meaningful-pesronal-learning-network author Gabrielle Even does a great job detailing what a PLN is through her own leraning of personal networks and how she has used blogging, twitter, goodreads and other platforms to develop PLNs. I like that she details what a PLN has in common with PLE's as well as how they differ. Finally I enjoyed her "how to" use a PLN by providing the example of a MOOC and how to best utilize that to transform your understanding of a personal learning network.

This blog is a very interesting read about PLN's. It is nicely laid out and makes learning about PLNs very easy. I also think it offers great tips on how to create a meaningful PLN.

This article defines Personal Learning Network and shares how their structures have changed over time through the authors personal experience.

Teaching Village - Great teacher resources for PLN and other teacher information. This has all kinds of good information and teacher resources.

I seem to have picked the same articles as everyone else!

Jessica, very nice resource on PLN's through the Teaching Village site. I like how they define the PLN during the decades. Investigating the nav tabs it seems that it is based for a primary school environment.

Like many others, I had no clue what PLN was until this class! This is a very simple example of a PLN defining a PLN! I also liked how they described PLNs through the last 3 decades.

This article represents the authors attempt to retell her journey of creating a PLN. She begins by describing her PLN in the 80's which consisted of people getting together to discuss books they had read. She then moves on to discuss the 90's and the inclusion of the internet and email into her PLN. Finally it concludes with a discussion of the current century and how PLN's have been affected by social media and the resulting implications.

This blog discusses what a PLN is, and how it has evolved over the years. It clearly shows that as technology became more accessible across the world, it allowed PLN's to grow as well.

This explains what a PLN is and how it has changed over the years as technology has advanced. It also talks about what a current PLN looks like, and how things like Twitter and other networking tools are used.

I appreciate the simple explanation this article provides. "Connectivism is driven by the understanding that decisions are based on rapidly altering foundations. New information is continually being acquired." This aspect help solidify the idea that knowledge is not finite and gaining it is never over. Connectivism provides a way to help make sense of our knowledge potential in light of constant change in technology.

This is a great resource for Connectivism. I felt that this theory was more dense then PLNs and CoPs and many articles I looked at were difficult to follow. I like how the theory is broken down here and includes helpful videos. I will be using this resource to help with my creative expression project.

Thank you for sharing! I also found the simplicity of the explanation great in order to grasp the concept. By referring to Connectivism as to "a learning theory for a digital age" makes it easy to remember that it is a new theory (since the digital era is also relatively new.) That, in turn, may also affect the way we perceive the main principles of Connectivism (outline in the article): learning as a process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources, learning residing in non-human appliances, and the need to maintain connections to facilitate continual learning, among others. Due to such an abundance of information in the digital era, the key point in the article for me was "the ability to draw distinctions between important and unimportant information is vital"! A skill is yet to be mastered!

While not really dealing with the theory, I thought the video demonstrating how Connectivism works was really well done. It was interesting to see the path a student might follow and how their web expands.

Connectivism: This article talks about connectivism model shifts with the learning society and that the educational field is slow to embrace and use new tools. Connectivism is essential for learners to grow in educational technology.

This article was written by George Siemens the father of connectivism, focusing on how learning occurs through networking especially through the use of technology. The article also explains the differences between connectivism, behaviorism, constructivism, and cognitivism in a simple to read manner.

This was the first article I read during my research. It really gave me a baseline understanding of connectivism. I liked the way that it explained how connectivism is different from other learning theories. Overall great article.

In this article George Siemens relates connectivism to PLN's. He begins by explaining that knowledge is growing exponentially and now instead of being measured in decades, the life of knowledge is measured in years and even months. He goes onto explain that half of what is known today was not known a mere ten years ago and according to the American Society of Training and Documentation, knowledge in the world has doubled in the last ten years and continues to double every 18 months. He explains that networks are an integral part of growing one's knowledge base and our small world networks are made up of people who share our interests. He also lists eight principles of connectivism and connects these ideas to social networking. He concludes by stating that connectivism provides insight into learning skills and tasks needed for learners to be successful in a digital era.