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As Siemens makes his case for the theory of connectivism, he provides a very detailed analysis of the failures of the prominent learning theories to meet the digital age. He weaves a detailed argument that connectivism is not a new theory, but an application of practice.

This is a paper that considers how connectivity has changed the cycle and nature of learning. It proposes that a new reality caused by computer networks has caused the creation and lifespan of knowledge to speed up and made knowledge creation a much more distributed activity. It is now even less expert driven and more driven by connections between learners.

George Siemens gives a background overview of the more traditional learning theories and then makes a case for why they are limited by technology while connectivism is built for the digital age.

Summary: This article compares Connectivism to other learning theories (Behaviorism, Cognitivism, and Constructivism). It also includes the principles of Connectivism and explains why this theory is important (and more relevant when compared to other learning theories) in the digital age. Some principles of Connectivism that are emphasized in the article are: diversity in opinions, choosing what to learn, connecting, sharing knowledge, fostering life long learning.

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. 

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.

Guide that shows how other educators are using social media to grow their personal PLN's.

Creating your PLN is easier than you might even thought. Most of you are already familiar with some social media platforms such as Twitter, Google+, Facebook, Diigo, LinkedIn, but do you really know how to use them to create a personal learning network ? EDTECH543 Personal Learning Network

This is a great resource for educators that are looking into personal learning networks. There is a five minute video that goes over personal learning networks, numerous resources that go over all the information needed to know about PLNs, and different tools and resources that can be used for PLNs.

This article draws comparisons between behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism and how they all relate to connectivism. Connectivism has come about with the age of technology, and has gradually become its own learning theory.

Provides an overview of learning theories in terms of creating instructional environments. Discusses principles and limitations of connectivism and concludes that how people work and function is altered when new tools are utilized. Connectivism provides insight in to learning and tasks.

This is is a good breakdown on the history of the connectivism theory and school of thought. It highlights how it the theory is beneficial in our digital age because other theories like behaviorism, cognitivism,and constructivism operate under the tenet that learning occurs by majority inside of a person. It reiterates the point that the network or "pipe" is more important than the content within it.

Explanation of connectivism, including contrasts to behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism. Interesting quote: "The pipe is more important than the content within the pipe. Our ability to learn what we need for tomorrow is more important than what we know today." I'm not sure I totally agree with that statement...

Very interesting piece on the how the half-life of knowledge is shrinking. The amount of knowledge in the world has doubled in the last 10 years and is doubling every 18 months.

George Siemens ideas on the limitations of traditional learning theories and connectivism.

This articles gives information about the basic thought behind Connectivism. This article even gives the background information about the limitations of behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism in the realm of technology and knowledge.

This background paper reviews the limitations of common learning theories in the digital age. Siemens then describes connectivism.

"Connectivism is driven by the understanding that decisions are based on rapidly altering foundations. New information is continually being acquired. The ability to draw distinctions between important and unimportant information is vital. The ability to recognize when new information alters the landscape based on decisions made yesterday is also critical." This is a fantastic quote in this article. Our foundations for education are highly impacting the way we learn and soak up the knowledge around us. Everyone in this world needs to gain more knowledge, learn new techniques, and grow their thinking to become a harder worker, more valuable asset, and a better person in general. It is critical for the society to build on the foundations of their knowledge now so we can overcome those future problems and struggles in the future. Technology is opening doors for people to create, develop, and build knew foundations of education.

The resource discusses the need for a changing view of learning due to the development of technology tools to aid learning and information sharing. Many learning theories have not incorporated the use of technology or connectivity. Previous learning theories such as behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism have limitations presented in this article to support the need for connectivism. An important thought stated by the author, "We derive our competence from forming connections". This article states the importance of experience to learn knowledge.

In this piece, Siemens explores behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism and their deficits when it comes to learning in the digital world. He explains how Connectivism addresses the change in learning in that it is no longer an internal activity because of technology.

This resource discuss what is means to be a connected teacher. It describes a cycle built around Twitters, blogs, webinars and other online resources. It encourages students to build their own PLN and become involved in the process.

Truly, a great video on connected teachers. It really is time to say goodbye to traditional education. Being connected is the key to 21st Century Learning, Social Media is the way for teachers and students to learn and be connected with the knowledge we need to move ahead in today's education.

This article describes what a PLN is and breaks down personal, learning, and network. There is a short video that uses graphics to describe a PLN and another video that explains the importance of being a connected educator.

This article really helped me understand what a PLN is because it first provides a basic definition of PLN. It also links to an article on 'connectivism' which, as I learned in Module 2, is the learning theory at the root of PLN's. The other part of this article that I appreciated, is how the author breaks down the P, L, and N and describes how each aspect contributes to learning and professional growth.

This blog begins with a word cloud comprised of reasons to begin a PLN. While the writer mentions its roots in connectivism theory, he does not explain further. The "personal," "learning," and "network" aspects of the term are explained, and a video with an explanation is embedded. The author then goes into reasons we need PLNs and how to create one, which is outside of what we are looking for with this assignment.

Introductory explanation of PLNs & reasons why it would benefit educators

This website has many articles on how to set up your own PLN and be a good member of one (or fifty). A lot of multimedia resources available to here to help educators get started with this.

In this article, the author explains in simple, easy to follow steps what a PLN is and how to effectively set one up. The first explain that PLNs "has its origins in connectivism theory (Siemens, G. & Downes, S., 2005)". The P is about make personal connections and relationships. The L (learning) is about sharing ideas and resources. The N (network), perhaps the most significant part, allows learners and educators to "tap into and share diverse, global perspectives". Included in the article is a short video about PLNs. There is also an excellent argument for why it is so important to be a connected educator in today's 21st century learning environment.

Australian teacher and blogger Michael Graffin does a nice job explaining simply what PLNs are. He write to break down individually the personal, learning and network piece. Michael also express how the network you create is all about the tools you choose and the people and communities you choose to be involved in. This is a nice starters guide for teachers and learners of PLN's.

This article written by Michael Graffin was a great resource for explaining what a PLN is and connecting it to the connectivism theory. At first glance, it seems to lean towards the "how to" of creating a PLN but he also opens the doors of theory and a few things to think about when creating one for yourself. This includes reflecting on the idea of the tools you will use, who you would possibly connect with, how you will want to learn and when you want to learn it.

In reading this article, I really connected with the part relating the author's experience after playing an active role in his PLN for six months as he "realized that developing a PLN is an empowering, transformational process that fundamentally transforms your professional learning and teaching approach. As I have participated in the English department PLN with English 101 and 301 faculties, I can testify how true this realization is. This article is a good basic approach to PLN's.

This blog draws the relationship between personal learning networks and connectivism.

I like that this website gives different reasons for having a PLN and follows those up with a link to an additional resource for each reason. It gives a good overview of different ideas and provides options to go deeper into the areas you want to explore further. The infographic is nice too. It is something you could save and print to motivate yourself to keep up with your PLNs.

Great graphic organizer in this article. My school has a monthly mandated "PLC" meeting that we all have to go to, that accomplishes few of these goals. I think these communities are more effective if they are organic and not top-down.

I was just looking at this article before I noticed you had already posted! I was really drawn to the graphic provided when you first open the page. It's a good reminder of why PLN's can be such a benefit for educators. I was drawn to the global resources an educator could gain. I often get wrapped up in my immediate circle of "supporters" that I forget there are other educators all over the world that could be a resource.

I love this graphic!! This would be an excellent thing to bring to administration to help allow space and encouragement for teachers to develop PLNs!

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.