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A thorough article about various aspects of games and information literacy in the digital age. Includes a list of references and an embedded TEDx talk from noted teacher-librarian and researcher Joyce Valenza.

A video discussion tool that is great for students of all ages. You can present a question, they can respond to video, or do a book talk. The possibilities are endless. And the best thing - it is free.

I have used this in my ESL composition classes successfully since learning about it. It is a video response tool.

Read, Write, Think is a web page about incorporating reading and writing in a classroom with a lot of emphasis placed on the language arts obviously.

Excellent resource for all age students for literacy skills.

Provides 10 tips for using student-created video content in the classroom. The ideas provided here can be adapted to suit multiple age levels.

A post from Kids Discover that explains what web 2.0 tools are and provides 8 example of tools you can use in the classroom. Geared towards K-8 educators, the tools listed could be used in a variety of different classroom contexts for different ages.

Lesson plans for middle school age students using Google docs

The article discusses the traditional learning theories and expands on the concept of connectivism. The author explains the way students gather and retain knowledge is constantly changing and the need to connect what they learn each day is necessary.

A contrasting look at constructivism, behaviorism and cognitivism and how antiquated these principles are in education, with the introduction to technology. This article discusses the impact that technology has on education today.

This is an intro video for a 2.5 hour session lead by Madeline Brooks on Connectivism as a digital learning theory. She asks questions like "where do your students find experts" and introduces a lot of the major themes of connecting digitally online and learning in general.

I liked how this video summarizes what connectivism is. It gives an easy explanation of what connectivisim and I like that. As an introduction to a longer video series, it engaged me to want to see the video.When I was doing my research, I never thought to look at the videos that would explain it. #EdTechSN

I admire how this introductory video gets the audience to make personal connections to their own experiences with connectivism before addressing the definition. I also like how it gets the audience to think about connectivism from the perspective of students and how learning is not always traditional or academic; it can be about anything or take place anywhere with other interested parties.

This video is not strictly about connectivism. With that being said the part about connectivism was very informative even though it was rather short. It starts talking about connectivism at about the 4:25 mark.

I agree that this explanation is a good one. It describes it as Digital Age Learning and a creative process. The teachers are then responsible to nurture the connections that the students are making but still letting the students drive the process. Thanks for sharing!

I am biased as I am a Will Richardson fan. I went to a day with him last year and it changed so much about what I thought. As a direct result I signed up for twitter and began to try and connect with people. He wrote a book on PLN's and his last TED book 'Why School' is a must read. Here he talks through the whole topic as well as big picture issues. Focused on education and good practice. Love the way he thinks and explains. Worth a follow think he is @willrich45

Thank you for the post, It was very insightful. I like how he compares a PLN to your own bigger brain, or something along those lines. I think this is a great way to think of a PLN. There is so much information out there one person can't possibly conceptualize it all, so we create PLNs a system of more brains to consult whenever we have problems or questions.

Richardson summarizes the importance and components of PLNs for educators and students. He summarizes that PLNs are networks of like-minded people that act as a network that converse and brainstorm answers to questions. Richardson notes that PLNs act as powerful sources of professional development for teachers. He discusses the current state of PLNs in our students' lives and how they are creating their own connections through various social media platforms. Finally, he relays the responsibility of teachers to inform themselves about PLNs in order to properly and safely guide our students through the use of PLNs.

This article discusses the theory of connectivism. It discusses the difference between being a learning theory or instructional theory and the differences between each. I like the basic definition that this article gives for connectivism which is that it "is social learning that is networked." Technology in our society is becoming increasingly more prevalent and this theory recognizes this change in our society. The article explains how connectivism is a learning theory because it is characterized by how a student's learning is enhanced by a personal network, the vast amount of data makes it impossible for someone to know all that is needed for different situations, and by current learning theories not acknowledging technology and the changes it brings they are limited. The opposing viewpoints are also discussed and explained that this will be a debate for probably many years to come.

Kristin, Thanks for sharing this great resource! The comparison between connectivism, constructionism, and cognitivism is very helpful.

MakeBeliefsComix.com is an educational comic strip creator from author Bill Zimmerman. You can create, print, email and post your original comic strips through this site. The site explains that: "Comic strips provide a perfect vehicle for learning and practicing the English language. Each strip's three or four panels provides a finite, accessible world in which funny, interesting looking characters go about their lives. And students with limited reading or speaking skills are not as overwhelmed in dealing with the size of a comic strip as they may be with a book of many pages."

MakeBeliefsComix.com is an educational comic strip creator from author Bill Zimmerman. Create, print, email and post to Facebook your original comic strips through this site!

I was most interested in this website in section 5.4.9, where the author details the strengths and weaknesses of MOOCs, specifically the weaknesses. MOOCs have high registration numbers, but only a small number actually finish the course. They are expensive to produce and they are used mostly by those with higher education levels. Higher levels of learning are difficult to assess and so "credit" becomes difficult or impossible to grant. Copyright issues can also be a problem.

I found myself spending most of my time reading the strengths and weakness of MOOCs located at the end of the article. I found several articles that listed only the strengths, or only the weaknesses. I appreciated this article because it examined both.

In this article Nicole Cooke, a Reference and Instruction Librarian encourages fellow librarians to keep abreast of the latest technology and the most current ways of seeking information so that they are prepared to help satisfy the needs of today's library patrons. She suggests that librarians prepare themselves for the evolving library patron by participating in professional development activities. In particular, Cooke advocates that librarians seek out the current educational opportunities that are available through various Web 2.0 applications. Cooke then moves on to describe how librarians can incorporate new learning opportunities into their day to day functions through the use of social media platforms such as blogs and wikis. Cooke ends the article by talking about personal learning networks and how librarians should take advantage of social media platforms to form connections with others in the field for professional growth.

I think this is a great article. I agree that anyone who is in education has to stay "savvy." I especially liked the comment "Maintaining competence and learning new skills must be at the top of every professional's "To Do" list. It is an ethical responsibility, to be sure, but also one that is pragmatic and critical for career success. [...] Continuing professional education is no longer an option, it is a requirement of professional practice. "

I am glad to see you posted a link to a PLN for librarians. I think understanding PLNs purpose and framework comes easier when it is viewed from a particular perspective (i.e. Librarians). I do think PLNs are particularly useful in the digital age with some much information and professional development resources readily available.

This article gives an overview of what Connectivism is and how learning happens in the digital age. Siemans describes the basic principles of how learning is a network of information sources referred to as "nodes." It doesn't describe how learning occurs within but how learners connect with the networked world of people and information.