Connectivism is a completely new theory to me. Much has been said about how learners today (especially teenagers and younger learners) are different from previous generations, so as the learning process. In the past, learners were relatively isolated. Nowadays, learners seldom sit before a desk piled with tons of books and read books one by one to get what they are looking for. Most of the time, learners get connected through the internet with other learners or resources to locate the specific thing they are looking for. Siemens says, “The ability to synthesize and recognize connections and patterns is a valuable skill.” This reminds me of honey bees. One important feature of bees is that honey bees are highly socialized insects. Bees could know the location of honey by communicating with each other about food sources using dances. Honey bees could also convey other information by their various movements. Most of the time, honey bees would work out different activities within a group with shared information and responsibility. In this sense, learners nowadays are just like those honey bees.I cannot image how a learner could achieve his or her success without consulting others’ help in such a digital-aged world. Living in such a fast changing society, possessing the ability to recognize what to learn and how to learn plays a crucial role in the way to success. Just as stated in the video, The Network is the Learning, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpbkdeyFxZw&feature=PlayList&p=3E43054A8703F57A&index=4, “Learning is a network creation process …..what we know today is not as important as our ability to continue to stay in current”. Technology such as blogs, wiki, and other software just provide learners with the necessary tools to stay in current
Yang,
ReplyDeleteI think you have chosen and described a very good analogy for connectivism.
Dr. Burgos
The bee was a great connection!! The internet & all of these great tools do provide an avenue to spread knowledge just as a bee spreads seeds to other plants etc. Despite being one of my least favorite & most feared insects, the connection was really a good one! ;-)
ReplyDeleteI like the connection made with Bees. Bees and people are very social and with technology it can only enhance the socialbilty of people along with providing new knowledge to the masses. Great job! Sandy
ReplyDeleteHey!
ReplyDeleteI had read about the special dance of bees which is the signal for other bees that the honey is avaliable for them. But i had never thought about them in these terms. You really could see good connection between them as they are highly connected through this dance.
good job dear
saima
I had the very same analogy ready to post, and then I read yours and changed mine to ants. I guess great minds think alike. Or something like that. In any event I agree with your definition of todays learner completely.
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