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Here, Ravenscroft conducts a theoretical look at connectivism. He asks what the role of networked technolgies is in the digital age and suggests that tool selection, desired dialogue, and genre should all be considerations for networked learning. He says that "embracing connectivism means that we need to consider new design metaphors for future learning that place the person, their social behaviour, and their community at the centre of the design process and the resulting network technologies" (155).

I found this to be a particularly interesting article. The authors propose the development of a new theoretical model that integrates the foundations of social constructivist thinking, with an emphasis on dialogue, with the connectivist approach to networking. This combination in turn is meant to illicit, support, and increase in collaborative inquiry. The dialogue game provides the students just enough structure necessary to facilitate a organic discussion and critical inquiry.

Article that emphasizes the need for inquiry-based science methods and change in pedagogy.

In order to be a good student, one has to be well fed. Boston University Dining hall tweets are informative about the practical matter of food availability. This serves as a learning instrument as students who participate in tweeting can be exploring anything from conflict resolution (a burrito being thrown) to critical inquiry (requesting details of food)

This blog has an entry titled: "Building School-Based Social Networks for Inquiry, in which he discusses building a social network for students named "Youth Voices." This site is for students to write and respond to each other and teach the value of peer interaction. The process of responding to each other has motivated student begin new posts.

This article is helping me see how if I were to create a Venn diagram of these two concepts, there would be some overlap. Keep in mind, the article was crafted in 1996, which I think adds strength to it because it is not clouded with current conventional ways of communication. I can see the points Panitz brings out where cooperative learning is much like how I was taught to teach science. We have groups, most likely created by me, and each member of the group plays a role. In more recent years (like the last 15 or so), there has been more of a push for inquiry which emphasizes putting control in the students' hands. Let the students decide the outcome (collaborative) as opposed to the teacher knowing what the outcome will be (cooperative). In my later years of teaching I was striving toward bringing in as much inquiry as possible, but even in 2010 I found students still molded into vessels who thought the job of the teacher was to fill them.

Livebinder from Classroom 2.0 Session on Inquiry Learning

Students practice breaking down steps within the scientific method as they attempt to escape a dark room. Inquiry-based and game-like scenario. This is a very short activity, great for introduction.

In this study, professional learning communities were found to increase inquiry and dialogue among participants. Participants who got the most out of the experience were able to explore new ideas and concepts, discuss ways in which those ideas and concepts fit their own paradigms and styles, and then apply and reflect in a supportive environment.

You will need to use your BSU information to access this article. This article addresses the "challenge of developing theory in relation to the practices of mathematics teaching and its development". This a lengthy article but well worth the read for any level of mathematics teacher! The author is trying to "show" how theory can really be put into practice. The author highlights and well supports that: 1) students learn through exploration and 2) educators using inquiry as a tool to enable teachers to develop teaching.

Interesting article discussing the integration of technology in science instruction. The importance of using TPACK, professional development for teachers in both science content and pedagogical methods for inquiry based instruction.

George Siemens presents fundamental tenets of the theory of connectivism in context of and as a substitute or followup to behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism. He discusses the principles of the theory as well as the implications of the theory and why it is superior in a digital age of abundant information sharing.

George Siemens introduces Connectivism as a learning theory for the digital age. In this article, Siemens outlines the main principles and expresses the need for a new learning theory given today's technological advancements. Siemens begins by analyzing the three key learning theories (behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism) in order to describe how these three theories have become outdated and no longer work for today's learner. With Connectivism, Siemens and Downes believe that learning no longer exists solely in one learner; instead, they assert that learning happens best when networks of people come together to create and pursue knowledge. Siemens and Downes explain that because the Internet has so much information, and because that information is constantly changing/updating, learning is not about the knowledge itself but the pursuit of knowledge as it emerges through connection, conversation, and inquiry.

This article identified a massive discrepancy between educational researchers and educational practitioners (i.e. teachers) and called for a new collaborative approach to research in which the two factions work together to build communities of practice "based on collective expertise and designed to scrutinize and improve education." CoPs are a new way to promote dialogue and inquiry on current educational issues and topics, taking the former idea of CoPs as primarily for PD to a new level.

Education affects society as a whole; when society fails, education is often to blame; education is a social-sorting tool that affects societies and culture; social networks allow education to take place anywhere

SEDL discusses some of the interpretations of PLC. Additionally, SEDL discusses the development and attributes of a functional PLC. SEDL also discusses the variety of configurations of professional learning communities.

The researchers conducted a study of 2,036 online students at thirty-two State University of New York colleges in the SUNY Learning Network. Participants responded to a forty-two-item survey that investigates the connection between students' sense of learning community as measured by Rovai's Classroom Community Scale and teaching presence as measured by the Community of Inquiry Model. The study provides insight into the important relationship between instructor's online behaviors and perceived establishment of community. The complexity of the research gives rise to further studies to continue to identify the exact instructor behaviors are most effective in establishing a course presence, while staying true to constructivist pedagogy.

Ramsey Musallam shares how he has flipped his classroom as a tool to promote inquiry.

How do you spur curiosity? Just ask the six quirky characters of Smithsonian's Seriously Amazing Website. The Wild will share the diversity of the animal kingdom; The Green reflects the wonder of the natural landscape; The New will show how technology and creativity collide; The Masterpiece embodies artistic expression; The Storyteller shares the tales of the people of America; The Discoverer explores the world and universe. Seriously Amazing links the knowledge and resources of the Smithsonian Institution and sparks a spirit of inquiry. Grades 3-12. Tip: Challenge students to select one of the 6 areas of exploration and learn 5 new facts to share with the class.

World's largest and most advanced online repository of math and science simulations for grades 3-12. Research-proven, inquiry-based learning tools for teachers and students. Web-based for anytime, anywhere learning.

This article discusses the use of communities of practice for libraries and library science. Due to the nature of university libraries being located far from one another geographically, communities of practice tend to be online. Additionally, this article talks about the differences in communities of practice, communities of inquiry, and communities of learning.