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I like the explanation of the difference between a full-blown theory and a developmental theory and whether connectivism is a theory or not at this point. I also appreciated the connection to earlier learning theories that this article termed pre-connectivist. With all of the different theories most educators have studied and incorporate into their teaching practices, it is helpful to see how some of them relate to one another.

Connectivism may not be an actual learning theory, according to the authors of this article. It may, they conceed, be a developmental theory that might one day become an actual theory. However, its full list of contexts has not yet been identified so its title as a learning theory could be premature.

This article argues that connectivism is not a theory because it does not introduce any new ideas. It is a great resource for reviewing other learning theories. In the article is states that Verhangen sees connectivism as a level of pedology and curriculum rather than theory. I like this quote from Downs 2007 "Knowledge is the set of connections formed by action and experience."

The author discusses about connectivism as a theory and how it affects learning in a digital era. Connectivism is a new theory that may not have a ton of research compared to other learning theories, but as the technology world continues to evolve, the theory of connectivism evolves too.

Kop and Hill give an overview of connectivism and discuss it as a learning theory. They also discuss the implications in education the increasing influence of the internet has. Kop and Hill look at the connection between connectivism and formal education. They come to the conclusion that, while they foresee radical shifts in education, they do not view connectivism as warranting its own place in learning theory structure.

In this journal article, Connectivism is referred to as helping develop new pedagogies and not a learning theory on it's own. The role of a tutor is diminishing as learners move from a learning environment controlled by an institution, to an environment where they direct their own learning.

I like this article for the overview of connectivism. The overview gives a good idea about what connectivism is. The article goes on to analyze older learning theories and how they need to be addressed in regards to the digital age. It explains how connectivism can build on older theories to better address current digital learning.

Connectivism: is a framework for understanding learning. Siemens (2004) states, "A community is the clustering of similar areas of interest that allows for interaction, sharing, dialoguing, and thinking together." Knowledge is always distributed and shared across learning networks. Information is gathered from everyone and then relating information back to everybody as well as receiving feedback from others.

This source really compares different theories about connectivism. It is discussed whether or not it is a learning theory or not, and what different people think in terms of connectivity. It also discusses some basics about connectivity, and how it means that information is just stored in different places and learners can move between networks to access different information.

This article discusses what learning theories meet the needs of today's learners and how connectivism is built on older theories to connect newer theories. (I didn't check the resources page until after I posted this - I'm hoping I can still use it because I spent a good 20-30 minutes on it!)

This article is a good critical evaluation of connectivisms usefulness in the modern classroom. Ultimately, the authors state that while new theories are emerging in response to technology, connectivism still plays an important role. This is due to the connective nature of technology and the internet.

This article sets out to distinguish Connectivism as either learning theory or developmental (learning) theory. The similarities and differences between the two are briefly discussed before relating how connectivism fits within the frameworks. One interesting aspect of this article is the importance placed on higher-order thinking skills and applications, which seems to be a growing demand in our current education and business markets.

It gives great insights on how connectivism is a learning theory. Also, I find the explanation for how connectivism fulfills the three main tasks for developmental theories.

Thanks for sharing this Alanna! This was a thorough article explaining the past and future of Connectivism. I liked how it puts it all into perspective and we can envision what is in store in the future regarding Connectivism.

Connectivism is a learning theory for the digital age. What does that mean for existing learning theories. This articles questions if previous learning theories still meet the needs of today's learners, and the needs of learners of the future. This articles analyzes connectivism to determine if it has anything new to offer as a learning theory.

I truly appreciated this quote..."New learning environments are informing present and future trends from which both educators and students stand to benefit. Moreover, the way in which global networks and communities of interest are currently being formed through emerging technologies is encouraging young people, in particular, to develop new, creative, and different forms of communication and knowledge creation outside formal education." I also appreciated how this article examined, and almost made the reader feel, the discourse that often arises when new theories emerge. As an educator, I have learned that balance is key! It truly isnt one method or theory over another! Rather an intersection of theories is where powerful learning can take place. Connectivism is certainly a 21st century theory which I believe is built to capitalize how how connected today's learner are through the Internet and social media! Connectivism, to me, feels that a theoretical vehicle to deliver many different theories and strategies.

Essentially, that is what learning is all about! Lifelong learning is key for all individuals. One of the rewards of PLN's is developing lifelong peer friendships. Even if it is only in an online community! Great job!

The authors David Boud and Heather Middleton acknowledge that in many cases the learning that goes on through informal discussions between coworkers is almost always more valuable than the learning that takes place inside a classroom or formal professional development workshop. As part of the article the authors examined informal workplace CoPs in four different workgroups within the organization. They wanted to see what types of learning occurred. Through interviews with participants they found that the larger the workgroup the more diverse the opportunities for community professional development. What they discovered in that end was that sometimes these workgroups developed characteristics of CoPs and other times the group is not cohesive enough to really develop a shared learning environment.

This was a very in-depth paper looking at how adults learn from one another in the workplace in informal ways. I have been reading a lot about Communities of Practice this week and I was struck by how the authors discussed structural factors, such as seniority and large scale workforce, could effect the true development of communities of practice. It discussed political and beurocratic issues could be possible setbacks. This is not something I had considered but is a true reality. When reading, I saw it is easy to assume that like-minded practioners in a similar domain could all just work together in harmony. It is truly more realistic to realize that certain issues like seniority could possible stand in the way.

I often feel like librarians are forgotten. It is also important to note how libraries have changed over the years. Because of that change, the development of online PLNs totally makes sense. Thanks for sharing!

Although many organizations create groups that include people of varying specialties to complete specific problems, people are organizing themselves into communities of practice, informal groups who share "expertise and passion" for a common interest. These communities are new to the business world because their spontaneous, informal nature makes them difficult to supervise. Managers cannot mandate communities of practice, they can only create a supportive environment. Members self select based on common interests and perceived advantage. The authors provide examples from Hill's Pet Nutrition and Hewlett-Packard. While communities should not be forced into creation, managers can cultivate them by identifying potential CoPs that will benefit the company's "strategic capabilities", provide infrastructure to them, and assess their value to the business through "nontraditional methods." Business managers need to realize the wealth of potential available to them through communities of practice.

Prior to my studies in the Educational Technology program, I had never heard of the term Communities of Practice. Until I read this article, I have only seen research about CoP in education. This article begins by discussing CoP in business, and how long CoP has been around as well its benefits for businesses. I was really surprised to hear how long CoP has been around, you would think more businesses would invest the time to develop them. A couple examples mentioned show that it can take up to a year or more before change is implemented, but the long term benefits are worth it. Also, I noticed that another article broke down information in a table, much like the "Snapshot Comparison" section in this article. This is a nice way to compare things in an easy to read and understandable format.

This article, while a bit longer, introduces and explains communities of practice in an in depth and thorough fashion. I enjoyed the comparison to real-life companies organization and the history coming all the way from Ancient Greece. Two of my favorite comments states that communities offer "creative ways that foster new approaches to problems" and "they give you both the golden eggs and golden goose that lays them". It makes me realize how essential deeper understanding and knowledge can be developed within these types of communities. The article also develops an understanding of a comparison chart of different types of work groups to show when using communities of learners are most effective.

This article goes over the basic understanding of what a PLN is, and how to get one. Basically, it explains that a PLN is not something that one can acquire, but rather a person has to build that PLN based around the needs. It gives some steps for an educator, or anyone looking to network, to follow in order to begin setting up the accounts needed to create their PLN.

This seems like a really helpful resource for getting started with a PLN. Though it does make it clear that there is effort required.

Before you can research PLNs, you need to know what a Personal Learning Network is. This article explains PLNs in an easy to understand format, while also giving rationale for why PLNs are needed to develop well-rounded, 21st century educators. Personal Learning Networks go beyond traditional Professional Development offered by schools and school districts. Instead, they are a way to change educators' mindsets on collaboration and digital literacy.

This article on the Edutopia website describes what a PLN is and how to go about getting one. The author explains that a PLN will use social media to "collect, communicate, collaborate and create with connected colleagues anywhere at any time." Some barriers to gaining a PLN are also discussed but for the most part you will gain insight on what a PLN can do for your professional growth.

Thanks for this resource Patricia! I will definitely keep some of these tips in mind when I gather people for my PLN for our assignment in this module!

Communities of practice are groups of people who share the same job or a common interest in a subject. They come together to form a link to help each other perform in the world around them. This article talks about the value of communities of practice and how and why they work.

Eckert, P. (2006). Communities of practice. ELL, 2, 683-685. In this article, Mrs. Eckert does a great job in simplifying what a community of practice entails and means. She allows you to visualize the communities you belong to as well as other communities of practice you interact with or observe on a daily basis. One important distinction is that the author of this work is written from the sense of sociolinguistics and linguistic anthropology and not from an educator's mind set. Irrespective of this standpoint, you can see direct correlations to where students understand themselves and what communities of practice your own student population may fall under. In order to understand the social development of communities of practice Mrs. Eckert does a good job in breaking down common cores that can emerge from memberships. The linguistic side she writes, "A white working class Italian-American woman does not develop her ways of speaking directly from the larger categorical working class, Italian American, and female, but from her day to day experience as a person who combines those three memberships. Her experience will be articulated by her participation in activities and communities of practice that are particular to her place in the social order."(Eckert, 2006) Building upon that theory, she discusses the importance of social space "Emma Moore's study of teenage girls in Northern England (Moore 2003) traced the gradual split of a group of somewhat rebellious "populars" as some of them emerged as the tougher "townies" in their ninth year. In the process, the vernacular speech patterns of the "townies" intensified in opposition to those of their more Conservative friends". (Eckert, 2006) While the article sheds more light on the development of speech patterns and dialects through the medium of communities, we can also see the definition in practice in which a collection of people gather together over a common interest and then orients to their new surrounding

This is just a basic definition of communities of practice. It is a very easy way to understand it.

Communities of practice (CoP) are created through a community of people who have common interests. In communities of practice, Eckert (2006) explains "a community of practice develops ways of doing things, views, values, power relations, and ways of talking" (p.1). CoP's have a way of providing a personal identity and a way of speaking within a CoP.

A PLN is a system of interpersonal connections that support informal learning experiences. With the prevelance of social media, edcuators have a variety of tools to connect with other educators around the globe. Adults are not the only ones who can benefit from PLNs; students can develop their own PLNs to learn more about a topic or concept of interest to develop their learning.

I LOVE this resource. It combines my assistantship, which has to do with professional development, and my online 543 course. It is perfect and really fun. Thank you for posting!

Very cool resource. Great image and different approach to PLN. Great resource and find.

Great infographic! It really summarizes the shift PD could make if open to utilzing technology.I bookmarked the site and I will keep this in mind for the next time I do PD sessions.

This is a resource on communities of practice and their positive impact on organizational development and group work. It highlights the work of Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger. It breaks down the 3 elements that differentiate a community of practice from other groups/communities and how knowledge is generated in a community. Situated learning is the model of learning that is explained as taking place in these communities of practice.

This article gives a short history of Communities of Practice and goes on to explain what they are. It is easy to read and understand as It explains what CoP are and what they are not.

Detailed article that describes the communities of practice philosophy that Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger developed the in the late 80's that proposes learning comes from the social interactions in our daily lives. The article further explains how the interactions with various groups causes the learning, whether it is as a core member or a bystander.

I really liked this article because as an educator it spoke to what I believe in. Learning does not only take place in the educational setting of a school, but it also takes place outside of that environment. Learning is social, it's physical, it's interactive, it's communicating. There are so many different ways to learn and therefore people never stop learning. It states that communities of practice are all around us and most of the time we are involved in many of those groups at the same time.

Lave and Wenger discuss communities of practice covering many topics such as the characteristics and the relationships. EDTECH543 Communities of Practice

This article discusses Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger, who proposed that "learning involved a process of engagement in a 'community of practice'." They discuss the idea of learning as being a social experience rather than an individual one, and that people are typically involved in a number of communities of practice. The characteristics of communities of practice are described, as well as situated learning.

This article clearly articulates what communities of practice are, examples of each (which I find the most interesting as it makes a very clear connection to what we know), and three main components. The three distinguishable ideas show how communities of practice are different than random groups. I like their ideas of these groups occurring over time around things thst matter to people. #EDTECH543

This source discusses communities of practice and how they can be either formal or informal. Members of a community of practice are in an organized group centered around a shared idea. Communities of practice allow connectivity because learners make connections with each other as resources to acquire knowledge when needed.

I learned about different definitions or explanations of communities of practice and how the learning happens by means of communities of practice is connected to situated learning. I also learned about different characteristics of communities of practice and how these characteristics are interconnected. I learned in detail about how the concept of communities of practice is aligned with the concept of situated learning. I enjoyed reading the examples and learning how communities of practices change over time.

In CoPs, connections are being made. Everyone is working together to get everything that they need. I think that the main focus of this descibres the aspects of collaboration and why it is so important with CoPs. CoPs is related to situated learning and that is something new that I learned.

"Communities of practice are formed by people who engage in a process of collective learning" A COP is joining in mutual activities.

3 crucial elements that make a COP: Domain, Community, and Practice. A domain is a common interest among members. A community means that members engage in activities and discussions and share information to help one another. Members practice by sharing tools and resources.is something that individuals do.

Excellent article that explains the characteristics of CoPs and how CoPs can be used in many aspects of life (both personally and professionally). This is the first article I have found that references "situational learning" as part of CoPs. The idea that learning is a social process and that we learn more from collaboration than we do independently seems to support the use and development of CoPs. Lave and Wegner illustrate that theory in the article by using examples from real-life situations.

This article really talks about the details of CoPs without going into the how-tos that many others do. I appreciate how foundational it starts- even pointing out that learning was initially thought of as an individual activity and how that has evolved. Situated learning is discussed as it is beneficial for learners to not just learn by hearing or doing, but by learning to talk about what they are doing.

Ariana, I loved how this article provided such great information and details.I also appreciate knowing the background of where foundations start. Thanks for the share!

This article gives a very detailed explanation of communities of practice. The author traces the term to its origins to Lave and Wenger. Definitions of the characteristics of communities of practice are defined. Both Lave and Wenger claim that learning requires communities of practice which create authenticity beyond models to be applied to real situations

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.