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This article helped to explain why PLNs and Connectivist theory go hand in hand. It explained that theory and knowledge are linked in a PLN because they are accessible in the context they are applied. The nature of the learning in a PLN is all about applying knowledge and coming up with new ideas about its relevance to concepts. PLNs are all about creating as well as sharing as well as autonomy for its users. Connectivism is about working cooperatively, meaning independently but in a shared environment. This article really helped me to bridge a connection between the Connectivist theory and PLNs.

This article discusses the foundational theory of how PLNs and PLEs influence learning. It discusses the new definition of what the PLE is for each student and how it is evolving with the web tools available to the student.

I like the fact that the authors discuss that educators need to embrace emerging technologies. In addition, they point out that social networking turns the consumer into the producer-what an interesting concept; I think I will use this as I argue for a bit more technological freedom in my classroom.

Any questions you may have on how to use Google Drive supported software tools like Google Docs, Google Slides and Forms will likely be answered in this extensive step by step training document. You can also find the link to the YouTube video that shows the live training.

Broadcast live to a virtual audience and embed your own talk show on your blog or website for free. Video chat and take questions from viewers. Share a dialogue. Live and unmuted.

Grockit prepares students for the SAT, ACT, GMAT, LSAT and GRE standardized exams. Students can take practice questions just like the ones on the actual exam.

This article explains why communities of practice are so important for the business realm. In one statement it explained that companies have now figured out that "knowledge = power, so share and it multiplies". This idea is synonymous with connectivism and the idea that in order to gain more knowledge more connections must be made through sharing, collaborating, creating, etc. This article also made the distinction between tacit knowledge that is rooted in people's life experiences with explicit knowledge that is deliberately shared outside of people. This distinction also helped me to really see the reason why connectivism, PLNs and CoPs work so well together. You have a group of people, connected by common interests and goals, that are expanding upon their knowledge by sharing their own collective experiences and goals in effort to connect with others that can share insight, collaborate with and add to their ideas, solutions and questions.

Allee uses the term organizational intelligence to describe how CoPs are becoming more prevalent in the modern workforce. He talks about how he has consulted with various multinational companies to help them create CoPs and to get employees at various levels to share their expertise.

Mostly poses questions about learning networks, and how technology tools and context influence learning. An intriguing notion of comparing the wisdom of a crowd with the stupidity of the mob is presented, but hardly explored.

Very nice slideshow. The author touches on communities of practice, connectivism and PLNs all at once. On a slightly different note, I simultaneously find Slideshare stimulating and frustrating. It is frustrating because of its one dimensional nature. Too bad there isn't a way to hear and/or see the speaker too.

Connectivism vimeo that seems to sum up connectivism into it's major points and areas of application as they pertain to education. Seems to be an excellent culmination... putting a cherry on top if you will of my Connectivism materials search.

Inspiring and awesome. I have been in a classroom for 16 years and feel such new energy in this connected world. Bringing it to my day to day teaching is challenging, but I am trying. With learning becoming 'personal' as it says, where do things that are deemed universally needed (language use, basic math skills) fit into the puzzle? Bigger question- is there any need for a Biology teacher (that's me)? I suppose there is, just not for every student. Exciting to think of how a class of passionate Biology learners would run.

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."

This blog post talks about the MOOC as a Community of Practice but also discusses roles in a manner reminiscent of Vygotsky.

This is a poster to put up in your classroom. It guides students through a series of questions to determine if they should post something.

I think what makes this study interesting is the fact that the researchers explored how communication and learning develop in an informal environment like a social network and how that communication can be transferred to the workplace, specifically, professional development. The study references CEO's who have blogs and discusses the idea that blogs can enhance the performance analysis process. The question that it poses is founded in Connectivism in that it attempts to "investigate the relationship between learning and connectedness among members of a social networking site, and to explore qualitatively how members perceive the transfer of learning from the social networking site to their workplace practices and professional development."

This is a blog of an expert in Personal Learning Networks. He talks about how his own PLN has developed and changed over his professional career due to the availabilty to make connections with others in far more ways than were possible 20 years ago. He briefly describes many of the connection possibilities on the internet such as social networks, blogs, wikis, etc.

I like the discussion in this article about critical behaviors. I have found that it is challenging at first to follow through on those behaviors. Assignments in our edtech courses help us engage in such behaviors, but the question for me is whether or not I'll keep those habits intact after the courses end. Thanks for the link.

Smith, M. K. (2003) 'Communities of practice', the encyclopedia of informal education, www.infed.org/biblio/communities_of_practice.htm . In this article, author, mike smith explains the beginning concepts that Jean Lave and Entienne Wenger developed for communities of practice. What I liked most about this article is it was the first reading I had that took communities of practice and put a learning centered spin on the theory. "Suppose learning is social and comes largely from our experience of participating in daily life. Their model of situated learning proposed that learning involves a process of engagement in a community of practice" (Smith, 2003). Mr. Smith defines and reiterates what Lave and Wenger argued, structure communities of practice. I also appreciated the time Mr. Smith took note the weaknesses that could be potential downfalls within their own research, such as "romanticizing communities of practice" as Mr. Smith puts it. "In their eagerness to debunk testing, formal education and formal accreditation, they do not analyze how their omission [of a range of questions and issues] affects power relations, access, public knowledge and public accountability" (Tennant 1997:79). He goes on to discuss organizational development and follows up with a conclusion that included the below phrase I really enjoyed. "Learning is in the relationships between people."(Smith, 2003) If you think about the history textbook version of what the authors and historians assumed thanksgiving was like and the weeks and days leading up to the day of thanks, you can see a great example of learning as a relationship between people.

This is one of my favorite YouTube channels for the classroom. For each episode, he selects an interesting physics question, then does a roughly 1 minute long video answering in a clear, engaging way with the help of hand-drawn diagrams.

Another option that allows students to use any device with an Internet connection to respond to questions and polls from the teacher.

This not only allows students to use any web-enabled device to respond to quizzes or polls, but students can use it to submit and vote on questions. One of my favorite features is the "confusion barometer."

Many schools would not be able to do this outside a computer lab. The idea may scare lots of teachers. It may be best for older learners. Students were encouraged to tweet questions and observations during a lecture. Students said this gave them the courage to ask something they would not otherwise have, or commented when they may have stayed silent. While this didn't teach content through twitter, it helped engage students with the content via social media.

A series of podcasts that look into the history and people behind the start of our nation. Listeners may also contact the speaker via twitter to ask questions from the podcast series.

Students in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania asked questions over Skype to scientists from CERN the European Organization of Nuclear Research and Fermilab. All felt is was a" high-quality conversation and demonstration medium".

In Japan students are using Facebook as a discussion forum. Students post from a list of questions provided by the teacher and have a dialogue on the topic to enhance both oral and written responses.