"They understand that the essential purpose of education and teaching is not to produce some set of core knowledge in a person, but rather to create the conditions in which a person can become an accomplished and motivated learner in their own right." I love that quote and it really is what the goal of a high quality education should be. Memorizing facts just does not meet the current reality that we live in where any fact can be looked up in an instant. It is about creating people that want to and are able to do something productive with those facts.

I also enjoyed reading this very practical discussion of how we increase connectivity amongst educators. It is pertinent to me as part of my professional development this year is to offer some training to staff so that they can better incorporate technology into the class room. The teachers are of varying digital literacy and have varying levels of interest in it. I think it is important to make it directly relevant to what they are teaching, easy to incorporate into their normal day and fun. I have seen some bad presentations that haven't gone over well with staff. The issues seemed to be that it was boring, it was something so far from the typical procedures or the presentation was focused on material/grade level that wasn't high school. The high school math or science teachers seem really put off by sitting through a 3 hour presentation where all the examples are for early elementary language arts. I hope my familiarity with the staff, school, students, and content will allow me to better reach my co-workers.

Stephen Downes defends the ability of Connectivism to provide for instruction against some of the common critiques. He argues that many of the critics cite the lack of changes in educational institutions as proof that Connectivism is impractical. However, Downes believes we should not look at if the changes have happened, but what the outcomes would be if they did change. While he agrees the model can be chaotic, he asserts that it does not mean it can not be effective.

A critique of Connectivism that finds it's research is too lacking to accurately be labeled as a learning theory. The author finds that the theory is unable ton truly define itself without combining other learning theories that it simultaneously seeks to do away with. He argues that it is simply a patchwork of other theorists ideas.

The video from the Digital Media and Learning Research Lab examines how education has changed from supplying curriculum to connecting people with the right peer or mentor that can help engage and develop them. Schools, universities, and professionals no longer control learning and hand it out. Instead, they should arrange learning so that the right people are able to come together for learning. Networks and connectivity are tearing down borders in education.

In an animated video, Steven Johnson examines how good ideas develop. He proposes they rarely happen in a moment, but develop over time. It is necessary for those good ideas to come in contact with other good ideas from outside sources. When we have systems that allow for these ideas to come together, we are creating an atmosphere where better ideas can flourish. He believes that an increase in using the internet will lead to an increase in connectivity and more good ideas than ever before.

This video funded by the EU explains why it is important for educators to look outside of their local community for their PLN. The video highlights three main reasons that a vast and diverse PLN is important: Availability, knowledge, willingness to share. The video focuses on the PLM for foreign language. The ability to connect with speakers globally has revolutionized how, when, and where we can learn from.

Dr. George Siemens discusses his experiences with connectivism and how it reshaped his perceptions of the relationship between student, teacher, and information. He believes in this newly inter-connected world, knowledge itself becomes even more of a network. Beyond the network connections in the brain, the social networks on the internet have become a new way for people to know, understand, and retain information.

Twitter #connectivism is is a great way to check in on the latest articles, thoughts, and discussions regarding this learning theory.

From the P2P Foundation (what is more Connectivist than that?), this an essential description of Connectivist Learning Theory and how it ties to knowledge networks. It includes a history and glossary of key terms.

This is a March 2011 journal article that highlights the shifts in technology and theory for distance learning. First, there was the cognitive-behaviorist with it's focus on read, watch, and recall. As the web developed, we saw constructivism shift the teachers duties from content creator to a guide through the content as students synthesized. Connectivism promotes the teacher as a "co-traveler" helping students to explore, connect, and create.

The line between those creating the educational content and those consuming the content has been blurred through the development of technology and various networks. Students are creating content for each other to learn from, working with teachers, etc. (Think all of the EdTech classes here at Boise). Personalization, Participation, and Productivity are the measures by which we can judge network learning now and in the future. Learning improves as the learner can become active, put their unique spin on learning and ultimately create someth.ig meaningul

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.