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"Censorship in the classroom: Understanding controversial issues\n\nhttp://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=203\n\nA lesson plan for grades 9-12 English Language Arts and Information Skills\nLearn more\n\n * Learn more about banned books, biases, censorship, language arts, media, persuasive writing, propaganda, reading, stereotypes, and writing.\n\nHelp\n\nPlease read our disclaimer for lesson plans.\nLegal\n\nPrint\n\n * Print\n\nShare\n\n * Email\n * Delicious Delicious\n * Digg Digg\n * Facebook Facebook\n * StumbleUpon StumbleUpon\n\nIt is important for young people to understand their individual rights and what they, as citizens, can do to protect these rights. In addition, young people need to understand the way in which bias and stereotyping are used by the media to influence popular opinion. In this ReadWriteThink lesson, students examine propaganda and media bias and explore a variety of banned and challenged books, researching the reasons these books have been censored. Following this research, students choose a side of the censorship issue and support their position through the development of an advertising campaign.\nNorth Carolina Curriculum Alignment\nEnglish Language Arts (2004)\nGrade 9\n\n * Goal 3: The learner will examine argumentation and develop informed opinions.\n o Objective 3.01: Study argument by:\n + examining relevant reasons and evidence.\n + noting the progression of ideas that substantiate the proposal.\n + analyzing style, tone, and use of language for a particular effect.\n + identifying and analyzing personal, social, historical, or cultural influences contexts, or biases.\n + identifying and analyzing rhetorical strategies that support proposals.\n\nGrade 10\n\n * Goal 3: The learner will defend argumentative positions on literary or nonliterary issues.\n o Objective 3.01: Examine controversial is

Communities of Practice are becoming an important focus in organiation development because of the learning and collaboratiave aspects of CoP. Theory and practice of CoP's are reviewed. The model of situated learning is reflected upon as CoP's are viewed as a process of engagement.

This is an article that dives deeper into the theory and practice of communities of practice. The article hits the main components of domain, community, and practice but dives deeper into the thinking of the researchers Lave and Wenger. I appreciated how the article dives deeper into the process of these communities and how many of us join COPs as periphery learners and then as we gain competence through out interactions with the COP we move to full participation. The cornerstone of the theory being that learning not is solely acquisitional but rather a process of social participation. There are extended quotes from the researchers that provide a deeper context to their theory and more is discussed about the processes of their research.

This article provides a great overview of the writings of Wenger and Lave on communities of practice. Their basic points are that we are all involved in communities of practice and they are valuable tools to become better educators. They also explain how our learning never ends as education continues to change. We constantly need to adapt and change our methods to fit our learners.

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.

In this article Attwell begins to discuss the importance of continuing education within the professional field. Attwell highlights that as the learning environment is changing so too must the educational world in how people acquire knowledge. As we are all well aware that gaining an education online is very adaptable, so too must schools recognize the value in allowing educators to gain knowledge through PLN's. Attwell identifies that as PLN's continue to grow so to will the informal and formal acquisition of knowledge.

Great article Kristin! I really like how the article states that it's lifelong learning when it comes to PLEs and not just temporary if done correctly!

This paper explores the Personal Learning Environment and considers why PLEs might be useful to learning in the future. The author looks at the changing face of education and the ways the net generation is using technology for learning. The idea of a Personal Learning Environment understands that learning is ongoing and wants to provide tools to support that learning and help the learner organize his own learning. The article also looks at changing technology, and the development of social software, and it's impacts on education today.

How two teachers put into practice a connected network of learners. This article features two teachers who worked to connect their students across the globe. Both classes in California and South Africa joined via Twitter, Skype and blogging as they read and experienced a shared novel. Each class offered different learning opportunities. The learners grew as readers and writers, but also as a community of connected learners.

Seamon states in this article that there is evidence that social communication (PLN) can strengthen human relationships, particularly for introverts. It may help foster family and business as well. It encompasses learning from feedback, insights, new contacts, and is based in reciprocity and trust. It is needed to increase the chance of higher levels of learning maturity.

The author addresses concerns about the feelings of isolation that can stem from the use of technology (in the sense that it is utilized to the exclusion of in-person connections) but makes sure to point out the benefits of technology as evidenced by Personal Learning Networks.

Great article about how to assist English Language Learners

In this article from The Journal Patricia Deubel, Ph.D give a really good break down of connectivity and how learn now for students is not about know what but knowing where to find it.

One of the things that I really appreciated about this article is that it highlights how much learning has become a non-linear activity. I actually think that way naturally, but many people don't. This helps me to have insight into how to explain my process a bit and to appreciate that quality in other learners.

Great article discussing the emergence of connectivism. It describes an ecological approach to learning and mentions various tools that are available through CoPs and PNLs. It focuses on educators being lifelong learners and utilizing the resources that are available through digital networks.

Kop and Hill ask how existing learning theories meet the needs of today's learners and further question whether connectivisim is a learning theory. They do a very thorough study of learning theories to determine that "it does not seem that connectivism's contributions to the new paradigm warrant it being treated as a separate learning theory" (p. 11) even though it is important to the the development of new learning pedagogies.

Here Nop & Hill talk about how as information is constantly changing, its validity and accuracy may change over time. In addition to this information is constantly being added, deleted, and modified based upon the world around us. By extension, one's understanding of a subject, one's ability to learn about the subject in question, will also change over time and this information can be adapted and morphed through online educational networks. "Connectivism stresses that two important skills that contribute to learning are the ability to seek out current information, and the ability to filter secondary and extraneous information." Simply put, "The capacity to know is more critical than what is actually known". People begin to know and learn through these online networks where information can be openly shared, resourced, vetted, and attained.

This is a break down of connectivism. It looks at all parts of the theory and how it all works the in the learning environment. In the article, you will find the reasons why it's important, the founders of the theory, and why it's relevant in learning.

The authors postulate that within connectivist communities, the roles that people take (lurker, leader, expert, etc.) have as much or more to do with personality traits than the desire for engagement or ability levels of the participant. They use massive open open courses (MOOCs) as a testing ground and Personality and Self-determination theory as the prisms through which to view learner interactions within these communities.

This article begins by defining constructivism as the principle that all learning starts with a connection, be it neural, conceptual, or social, and that learning is the ability to construct and traverse connections. The authors acknowledge that it is widely recognized idea but not yet accepted as a formal learning theory. The paper focuses on four key principles for learning that exist within connectivism: autonomy, connectedness, diversity, and openness. The authors also examine different theories regarding personality and self-determination and look at how these affect the individual's experience within connectivism.

Here, the author describes connectivism as the proposed learning theory for a digital age and is "based on the principle that all learning starts with a connection." Additionally, "learning in connectivism terms is a network phenomenon" and strongly emphasizes learners making connections. The concept of autonomy is also discussed in depth.

Learning communities need to be intentional; students must form with each other deeper understandings; gives students more control over their learning environment

"Only student who have a desire to learn will learn". We strive to make students life-long learners. This article defines the main characteristics of CoP as "The Domain", "The Community", and "The Practices". It gives examples of strengths and weaknesses, how it associates with the Constructivism Theory, and how to integrate with technology.

Debi, the initial quote really got my attention. I am more interested in getting my students interested in learning than almost anything else I do as a teacher. I think making them life-long learners through Communities of Practice might be the best way to get them to value learning over a lifetime.

The authors point out that today's learners are different from learners previous generations and as such, have different needs. Connectivist theory helps to serve as a roadmap for these learners needs. The authors offer a framework to the reader in which to to help build student's personalized learning environments (PLE). They conclude that it is the role of the educator to select the tools and resources that best enable students to maximize their learning potential.

This article draws a link between personal learning networks and connectivism. The author states that "PWTs allow learners to expand their capacity for knowledge by connecting to external resources", which is one of the principles of connectivism. A variety of personal learning networks are also described.

This tool helps me find some other social learning tools and helps define what a PLN is. It's a concept that I've always worked with and used, but never had a definite term for.

I like the idea of how a PLN's component parts can include (what the authors call) personal web technologies (PWTs). The authors feel that PWTs are especially unique because they create "a continuous, dynamic learning environment for individuals as they move from one role to the next." It is this special property of PWTs that gives individuals the power to "manage their own learning resources." The authors also briefly draw an interesting connection between PWTs and connectivism, but it isn't explored in depth. They do offer an in depth discussion of PWTs shortcomings and potential disadvantages. I especially like their warning that "learners who use PWTs must learn to question sources, verify information, compare and contrast various perspectives and become more independent."

Websites tailored for auditory, visual, or kinesthetic learners 

This paper, by Ana Maria Marhan examines connectivism and social media. The author points out that because today's learning is a "messy, nebulous, informal, chaotic process, we need to rethink how we design our instruction. This hit home because I just moved to a new state and a new district, and they are very strict with, well, just about everything on the computer! I teach at a Title 1 high school, and these kids would truly benefit from instruction that wasn't so linear. These learners (like all learners) form their own pathways of knowledge, and I believe I could make a stronger impact on them if I could use more tools.

Marhan, A. M. (2006). Connectivism: Concepts and Principles for emerging Learning Networks. In The 1 st Conference on Virtual Learning. In this article author, Ana-Maria Marhan does a good job exploring the principals pushing forward Connectivism as a pedagogical helper. This becomes apparent right from her abstract "Connectivism views learning as a network creation process, and looks at how we might provide 'learning ecologies' to meet the learners' needs.". In her first section, she defines learning as "a persisting change in human performance or performance potential which must come about as a result of the learner's experience and interaction with the world." As soon as I read the last few words "interaction with the world", I began to connect the dots (no pun intended) to what I've read thus far about communities of practice. She spreads out on a handful of relevant and interesting subtopics to the overall theme of Connectivism. After she describes more about the new connected and growing world we live in she tackles the basics of Connectivism as a theory of learning and the principals behind it. Again like other articles she echoes many of the same sentiments George Siemens made when he originally proposed the learning theory. After the background on Siemens theory, she begins to draw everything together. One statement that I enjoyed was "Individual is the starting point of Connectivism: personal knowledge is comprised of a network, which feeds into communities, organizations or institutions, which in turn feed back into the network and then continue to provide learning to individual". She does a great job of supporting the use of technology not as the new power of learning but as a tool to unlock that power. "When knowledge, however, is needed but not known, the ability to plug into sources to meet the requirements becomes a vital skill".

I also appreciate how Marhan suggests that connected learning is cyclical: "Individual is the starting point of Connectivism: personal knowledge is comprised of a network, which feeds into communities, organizations or institutions, which in turn feed back into the network, and then continue to provide learning to individual."

This article focuses on the role of personal learning environments in higher education. I particularly appreciated the description of the PLE in the article. Pointing out what it offers that Learning Management Systems do not, the PLE is explained as the future of education where the student takes control and responsibility from the reigns of the institution. It also suggests that PLEs have staying power in education due to the fact that they are not wrapped up with a specific technology, rather they have the ability to adapt and change as technology around us continues to do so. The author discusses how students should be given challenging situations rather than ridged assignments. The article finishes with an example where this idea was implemented in an online learning environment. Väljataga, T. (2010). Learner control and personal learning environment: a challenge for instructional design. Interactive Learning Environments, 18(3), 277-291.