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This is a website that I have been working on throughout the summer. When I started in July, the content was severely outdated (up to three years out of date) and few people in our council were actually visiting the site. Along with this ever ongoing process of maintaining content, there will be more changes coming to the CSS and the appearance of the site in the future. The principal webmaster, who still manages the domain for us, set it up using Joomla. I had never used this platform previously, so there has been a learning curve associated with the process of updating this site. I posted this URL because I visit the site daily, not necessarily because it will be of much value to my classmates.

This is the government's take on Communities of Practice, and I included it because like it or not, it impacts many of us on so many levels. The National Education Technology Plan asserts that we need PLC's, and if you have never read this document, it is worth the read. It definitely furthered my knowledge when I read it in EDTECH 501. The bottom line is that because so many students have access to mobile technology, they are able to be a part of social networks. The goal is to harness this power and cultivate collaboration and engaging learning experiences. Its premise is student-centered learning where students are able to make decisions and choices that form their own pathway to learning.

Thanks for including this document. I was impressed to see the progressive views outlined with many strong and important points for changing our education culture. One of the main areas included the need to leverage technology to empower students and shift learning responsibility from teacher to learners. In essence we want to strive to create master learners, where students understand how to evaluate and gain the information they need as life-long learners. The section "Measure what Matters" I especially applauded, as I feel our extreme emphasis on testing is misplaced if we don't make sure the tests and measures are appropriate for what students need to know to be life-long learners. Do standardized tests even have a section about locating information and assessing its validity? This report started out with a short list of recommendations that included, "Be clear in outcomes we seek". I think this is an important point as we strive to embrace and utilize the growing potential of connectivness.

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."

Authors present communities of practice (CoP) as groups with a common desire for change, as providing opportunities for collaboration and reflection, and as catalysts for development of societal products and tools. They note that CoP transcend traditional barriers/demographics and reach groups formed by individual selection. CoP, while also focused on collaboration and dialogue as well as the development desired outcomes, are more open to sharing with the broader community than other collaborative models. Discussion of use of CoP in context of early childhood intervention.

In this article that focuses on social networking and learning, Ruth Reynard explores research conducted by The National School Boards Association (USA), in partnership with research firm Grunwald Associates and with the support of Microsoft, Newscorp, and Verizon, published a 2007. The research cited indicates that learning through social networks is mostly "unidirectional (posting messages, downloading media files, updating personal information) and students utilize it as "a self-reflective learning environment." However, the author points out that the researchers also found if instructional design is geared toward "the user controlling the tool rather than the tool dictating the user's activity," learning collaboratively can increase knowledge because the learner becomes actively engaged in the task, rather than passively approaching it.

I really like the message where it says that students become more actively engaged when they control the tool rather than the tool dictating the user's activity. The students then take control of their learning. They map the course they want to take.

this was very interesting - I found myself wondering how much of it was still relevant given its "age." Crazy that 2008 is "old" but social media has changed so much since then!

The article discusses connectivism and its association with online learning. Some people have different views on how people learn the most knowledge possible. This article puts different views in perspective of online learning and its ability to change the future of learning.

Pinterest has changed my life! From the way I search, cook, decorate, network, and especially the way I teach! Essentially, Pinterest is an online bulletin board. You can collect and share blog posts, pictures, recipes, etc. Connecting with so many different teachers and sharing ideas and resources has been the single most beneficial social networking tool to me.

This site explains the many ways you can change your browser, computer, keyboard and mouse settings to make the web more accessible to anyone.

Exploration of connectivism and it's connections to other learning theories. Includes the idea that connectivism may be a significantly different kind of learning theory than behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism, and that it might be more of an anthropological learning theory. (Interesting!) Also includes discussion of the role of an educator in an connectivist learning environment, including different metaphors for teaching.

David Weinberger ("Cluetrain Manifesto") was one of the recommended authors for further reading on Communities of Practice. The central premise of this book is that the digital era fundamentally changed how we store and reference information. In a physical storage based world, an book or article can only be filed in a single way. Digital materials can be filed in unlimited ways and thus enable a greater degree of connections to be made. The next generation of web search technology "semantic search" will tap into this.

This article quickly explains behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructionism and why those theories are not designed for the digital age. The article explains how there are some severe limitations and explains why connectivism would be a more appropriate theory for the current digital age. The article explains how learning will come from changing foundations and how discerning between useful and useless information is an important skill.

In this article, Duke, Harper, and Johnston extend the explanation of connectivism penned by George Siemens and Stephen Downes. Their argument states that connectivism, even though it is a critical tool that should be used in the learning process in order to bridge the gap that exists between behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism in the 21st century, it is not a learning theory that can stand on its own.

The section, "Why Connectivism is a new learning theory for a digital age," provided a great explanation of how learning has changed in the last several years, and therefor education as well. The explanation that, "concepts can be viewed much like a mind map... rather than as a linear progression of ideas" really stuck out to me. I tend to be a linear thinker and my school struggles with very traditional knowledge dissemination. Thinking about concepts in this way is giving me a better idea of Connectivism.

Authors discuss connectivism as a framework for how students learn. They note that learning is making connections within a personal learning network and knowledge is recognition of these connections. They also note that knowledge is stored outside of the learner. They discuss connectivism and its origins as well as the role of connectivism in the work of librarians. They discuss how connectivism informs pedagogical practices in the library and defines the library as a node within student PLNs.

Exploration of the connectivist theory in relation to library media is the topic of this article. It expresses the idea that connectivism is defined by one's abilities to recognize connections, patterns, and similarities between concepts to construct learning. Dunaway argues that changes in technology, learning, and literacy make it necessary to apply connectivist ideas to library practices.

The author suggests that learning takes place when a learner connects ideas from his/her various personal learning networks. Further, those pieces of information is controlled by information technology. This idea becomes apparent when running the same search in Google, Bing or Yahoo. The author purports that in order for a teacher to be effective, he or she must understand this idea of connectivity and how it impacts a student's learning environment.

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.

I enjoyed this video very much! Somethings are so obvious but the realization doesn't hit until you hear it or read it. In this case, I enjoyed the narration of how a good idea is very seldomly an "Eureka" moment. The internet was a work in progress for 10 years. I had no idea! Something that struck me is that great, life-changing ideas are usually a collaborative effort. I can also appreciate the narrator's stand that it is possible that all of the digital distractions might actually hinder those ideas. But, with technology collaboration on those ideas has gotten a little easier.

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.

I enjoyed this video. I'm always intrigued by the anthropological view learning theories, I like Mimi Ito's point that students have to find ways to support their interests based upon what they want to do with their lives and the adventation of the internet has opened them to a world of experts that learners may not have otherwise had access to. Further, because of technology, like-minded learners are able to connect and foster collaborative and involved learning.

Interesting article here. There's a hand signal you can use to help students remember the power and importance of PLNs. This could be helpful to teach younger students the "why" they have to be learning these skills in order to make learning meaningful. Student- Thumb; rest of the team depends on them for resources and help. Mentor- Index finger; helps organize and keep the group on task. Expert- Ring finger; ensures accuracy. Advisor- Longest finger; pinpoints needs and identifies necessary changes. Peer- Pinky finger; shares thoughts, communicates frustrations and celebrates when things are successful. Watch the video here: http://videos.videopress.com/lzULinmO/collegeunboundpersonallearningnetwork-hd1_fmt1.ogv

Love it! The hand metaphor is great.. It actually helped me to better understand PLNs myself. "Just as the hand's function is to grasp, hold, and manipulate, making it essential to daily tasks, so is the student support team essential for the same reasons."

I really like this Ryan! Not only is the picture intriguing but the metaphor is great for understanding as well as teaching about PLNs. Good find!

This article is actually an introduction to a course offered by the University of Manitoba. My favorite part of this article is the diagram "that shows how the different elements and various technologies are linked together." However, throughout the article it offers various links that I also found interesting.

This article is written by Stephen Downes. In this article he discusses the online course that he created called Connectivism and Connective Knowledge. This course focuses on one of the more recent trends to emerge, connectivism. The visual map in the article shows how different elements and technologies all link together.

I saw Downe's article/work referenced on a few other sites, so this ties up a few things for me. However, the visual map has far too much going on for my brain to focus. Seriously- that thing is wild.

SUMMARY: This resource is geared towards school and district leaders to better understand the necessity of CoPs for not only their teachers but also themselves. It provides simple strategies to infuse educational environments with rich resources that lead to growing PLCs and CoPs.

Thanks for sharing this Cate. I follow CoSN and am usually up on their stuff, but I had not seen this resource. I love the fact that it includes action steps for superintendents. Too often that level of leadership is left out, then people wonder why change is not really taking place.

This provides district administrators with concrete steps for building communities of practice that can help educators develop technical abilities. Suggestions include finding pockets of excellence and working with and benchmarking from other school districts.

SUMMARY: This PDF highlights crucial points of "then" and "now" to help the viewer understanding the depth of change of modifications occurring under this theory to learners, spaces, relationships, and roles. This PPT could be incredibly useful in simply teaching the basics of the theory to newcomers.

This particular document looks at the communities of practice model from the lens of a government agency in its' partnership with businesses, foundations, non-profits, and other organizations. The document's value comes to life in the fact that it focuses on how the communities of practice implemented are more of a valid method for productivity because a shared interest is involved and the experiences are shared. First time viewers of this document would benefit from the diagram on page 8 that explores the distinct features of the community, domain and practice which lead to a successful community of practice. The diagram is an excellent means of introducing the model to new participants or those already engaged in a community of practice, but simply unaware of their involvement. I also appreciate this document because it offers practicality and context in viewing how multiple entities can come together to form a community of practice united by a common purpose.

I found this article interesting because it talked about the value of using CoP's in management, in particular government. It details the changing age of technology in meeting the demands and needs of communities and organizations around the world. As needs and wants begin to move, so do the challenges that are provided to government. In this regard it talks about utilizing the value on online communities to help create a network of highly skilled people to meet these new demands. By engaging people in this kind of networking through social media people are able to better handle new situations by connecting with people who have experienced similar problems in the past.