elearnspace. Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age - The Diigo Meta page

• 02 Jan 10
  

  kathy desmarais

  connectivism education learning theory elearning

• 18 Dec 09
  

  makiko_omae
  • Connectivism presents a model of learning that acknowledges the tectonic
    shifts in society where learning is no longer an internal, individualistic
    activity.
• 07 Dec 09
  

  Jennifer Brinson

  connectivism education learning theory collaboration

• 01 Dec 09
  

  laurabonnecaze
• 29 Nov 09
  

  Joe Virant

  George Siemens' work: Connectivism

  siemens connectivism

• 25 Nov 09
  

  Thom O'Brien

  connectivism learning styles

• 19 Nov 09
  

  Shannon Bellafiore

  connectivism education learning theory

  • constructivism
  • Many learners will move into a variety of different, possibly unrelated fields
    over the course of their lifetime.
• 

  Stephanie Curry
  • What adjustments need to made with learning theories when technology
    performs many of the cognitive operations previously performed by learners
    (information storage and retrieval).
• 

  William Keith
  • Constructivism
    
    

    1

    suggests
    that
    learners create knowledge as they attempt
    
    to
    understand their experiences
    (Driscoll, 2000, p. 376). Behaviorism and
    cognitivism view knowledge as external to the learner and the learning process
    as the act of internalizing knowledge.
    
    

    1

    Constructivism assumes
    that learners are not empty vessels to be filled with
    
    knowledge.
    Instead, learners are actively attempting to create meaning. Learners
    
    
    often select and pursue their own
    learning.
    Constructivist principles acknowledge that real-life learning
    is messy and complex. Classrooms which emulate the “fuzziness” of this learning
    will be more effective in preparing learners for life-long learning.
  • Many learners will move into a variety of different, possibly unrelated fields
    over the course of their lifetime.
• 

  Honor Moorman

  connectivism

• 18 Nov 09
  

  Jay Halverson
  • Constructivism assumes that learners are not empty vessels to be filled with
    knowledge. Instead, learners are actively attempting to create meaning. Learners
    often select and pursue their own learning.

  • Luis Mateus Rocha (1998) defines self-organization as the “spontaneous
    formation of well organized structures, patterns, or behaviors, from random
    initial conditions.” (p.3). Learning, as a self-organizing process requires that
    the system (personal or organizational learning systems) “be informationally
    open, that is, for it to be able to classify its own interaction with an
    environment, it must be able to change its structure…” (p.4). Wiley and Edwards
    acknowledge the importance of self-organization as a learning process: “Jacobs
    argues that communities self-organize is a manner similar to social insects:
    instead of thousands of ants crossing each other’s pheromone trails and changing
    their behavior accordingly, thousands of humans pass each other on the sidewalk
    and change their behavior accordingly.”. Self-organization on a personal level
    is a micro-process of the larger self-organizing knowledge constructs created
    within corporate or institutional environments. The
    capacity
    to form connections between sources of information, and thereby
    
    create
    useful information patterns, is required to learn in our knowledge
    
    
    economy.
    

  • 1 more annotations...
  • • Nodes that successfully acquire greater profile will be more successful at
      acquiring additional connections. In a learning sense, the likelihood that a
      concept of learning will be linked depends on how well it is currently linked.
• 

  Tara Parr
  • learning occurs inside a person
  • Personal knowledge is comprised of a network, which feeds into organizations and
    institutions, which in turn feed back into the network, and then continue to
    provide learning to individual.
  • 1 more annotations...
  • • no longer an internal, individualistic activity. How people work and function is
      altered when new tools are utilized
• 

  Lisa Lopez
  • Learning and knowledge rests in diversity of opinions
  • Our ability
    to learn what we need for tomorrow is more important than what we know
    today.
• 14 Nov 09
  

  Francisca Florent

  Learning theory digital natives connectivism

• 11 Nov 09
  

  Elena Delgado

  e-learning connectivism blogs-teachers opencourseware technology

• 09 Nov 09
  

  L Butler

  LTMS525 connectivism

  • Behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism are the three
    broad learning theories most often utilized in the creation of instructional
    environments. These theories, however, were developed in a time when learning
    was not impacted through technology.
  • The need
    to evaluate the worthiness of learning something is a meta-skill that
    is applied before learning itself begins.
  • 10 more annotations...

  • • Some questions to explore in relation to learning theories and the impact
      of technology and new sciences (chaos and networks) on learning:

      
      
      • How are learning theories impacted when knowledge is no longer acquired
        in the linear manner?
      • What adjustments need to made with learning theories when technology
        performs many of the cognitive operations previously performed by learners
        (information storage and retrieval).
      • How can we continue to stay current in a rapidly evolving information
        ecology?
      • How do learning theories address moments where performance is needed
        in the absence of complete understanding?
      • What is the impact of networks and complexity theories on learning?
      • What is the impact of chaos as a complex pattern recognition process
        on learning?
      • With increased recognition of interconnections in differing fields
        of knowledge, how are systems and ecology theories perceived in light
        of learning tasks?

    • Including technology and connection making as learning activities begins
      to move learning theories into a digital age. We can no longer personally
      experience and acquire learning that we need to act. We derive our competence
      from forming connections. Karen Stephenson states:

      
      

      
      

      “Experience has long been considered the best teacher of knowledge.
      Since we cannot experience everything, other people’s experiences,
      and hence other people, become the surrogate for knowledge. ‘I
      store my knowledge in my friends’ is an axiom for collecting knowledge
      through collecting people (undated).”

    • Learning, as a self-organizing process
      requires that the system (personal or organizational learning systems)
      “be informationally open, that is, for it to be able to classify
      its own interaction with an environment, it must be able to change its
      structure…” (p.4).
    • Learning (defined as
      actionable knowledge) can reside outside of ourselves (within an organization
      or a database), is focused on connecting specialized information sets,
      and the connections that enable us to learn more are more important than
      our current state of knowing.
    • New information is continually being
      acquired. The ability to draw distinctions between important and unimportant
      information is vital.

    • Principles of connectivism:

      
      
      • Learning and knowledge rests in diversity of opinions.
      • Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information
        sources.
      • Learning may reside in non-human appliances.
      • Capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known
      • Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual
        learning.
      • Ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is
        a core skill.
      • Currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is the intent of all connectivist
        learning activities.
      • Decision-making is itself a learning process. Choosing what to learn
        and the meaning of incoming information is seen through the lens of
        a shifting reality. While there is a right answer now, it may be wrong
        tomorrow due to alterations in the information climate affecting the
        decision.
    • The starting point of connectivism is the individual. Personal knowledge
      is comprised of a network, which feeds into organizations and institutions,
      which in turn feed back into the network, and then continue to provide
      learning to individual. This cycle of knowledge development (personal
      to network to organization) allows learners to remain current in their
      field through the connections they have formed.

    • Implications

      
      

      The notion of connectivism has implications in all aspects of life. This
      paper largely focuses on its impact on learning, but the following aspects
      are also impacted:

      
      
      • Management and leadership. The management and marshalling of resources
        to achieve desired outcomes is a significant challenge. Realizing that
        complete knowledge cannot exist in the mind of one person requires a
        different approach to creating an overview of the situation. Diverse
        teams of varying viewpoints are a critical structure for completely
        exploring ideas. Innovation is also an additional challenge. Most of
        the revolutionary ideas of today at one time existed as a fringe element.
        An organizations ability to foster, nurture, and synthesize the impacts
        of varying views of information is critical to knowledge economy survival.
        Speed of “idea to implementation” is also improved in a
        systems view of learning.
      • Media, news, information. This trend is well under way. Mainstream
        media organizations are being challenged by the open, real-time, two-way
        information flow of blogging.
      • Personal knowledge management in relation to organizational knowledge
        management
      • Design of learning environments
    • Our ability
      to learn what we need for tomorrow is more important than what we know
      today.
    • Connectivism presents a model of learning that acknowledges the tectonic
      shifts in society where learning is no longer an internal, individualistic
      activity.
• 02 Nov 09
  

  Nazlin Bhimani

  connectivism education learning elearning theory

• 01 Nov 09
  

  Alyssa Ruesch

  connectivism lt learning theory elearning technology collaboration education

  • Behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism are the three
    broad learning theories most often utilized in the creation of instructional
    environments
  • Behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism are the three
    broad learning theories most often utilized in the creation of instructional
    environments
  • 34 more annotations...
  • • Behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism are the three
      broad learning theories most often utilized in the creation of instructional
      environments. These theories, however, were developed in a time when learning
      was not impacted through technology.
    • Knowledge
      is growing exponentially. In many fields the life of knowledge is now
      measured in months and years.
    • Informal learning is a significant aspect of our learning experience
    • Learning
      now occurs
    • personal networks
    • Learning
      and work related activities are no longer separate
    • The tools we use define
      and shape our thinking
    • Many of the processes previously handled by learning theories (especially
      in cognitive information processing) can now be off-loaded to, or supported
      by, technology
    • Driscoll (2000) 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”
    • experiences and interactions with content
    • Behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism
      (built on the epistemological traditions) attempt to address how it is
      that a person learns.
    • Behaviorism states that learning is largely unknowable, that is, we
      can’t possibly understand what goes on inside a perso
    • Learning
      is viewed as a process of inputs, managed in short term memory, and coded
      for long-term recall.
    • Cognitivism
    • Constructivism suggests that learners create knowledge as they attempt
      to understand their experiences
    • Constructivism assumes
      that learners are not empty vessels to be filled with knowledge. Instead,
      learners are actively attempting to create meaning.
    • These theories do not address learning that occurs outside of people
    • They also fail
      to describe how learning happens within organizations
    • In a networked world, the
      very manner of information that we acquire is worth exploring.
    • What adjustments need to made with learning theories when technology
      performs many of the cognitive operations previously performed by learners
      (information storage and retrieval).
    • Unlike constructivism, which states that learners
      attempt to foster understanding by meaning making tasks, chaos states
      that the meaning exists – the learner's challenge is to recognize
      the patterns which appear to be hidden. Meaning-making and forming connections
      between specialized communities are important activities.
    • Chaos, as a science, recognizes the connection of everything to everything.
    • Wiley and Edwards acknowledge the importance
      of self-organization as a learning process: “Jacobs argues that
      communities self-organize is a manner similar to social insects: instead
      of thousands of ants crossing each other’s pheromone trails and
      changing their behavior accordingly, thousands of humans pass each other
      on the sidewalk and change their behavior accordingly.”
    • The
      capacity to form connections between sources of information, and thereby
      create useful information patterns, is required to learn in our knowledge
      economy.
    • A network can simply be defined as connections between entities.
    • Nodes that successfully acquire
      greater profile will be more successful at acquiring additional connections.
    • Connectivism is the integration of principles explored by chaos, network,
      and complexity and self-organization theories.
    • Learning is a process that
      occurs within nebulous environments of shifting core elements –
      not entirely under the control of the individual.
    • Learning (defined as
      actionable knowledge) can reside outside of ourselves (within an organization
      or a database), is focused on connecting specialized information sets,
      and the connections that enable us to learn more are more important than
      our current state of knowing.
    • New information is continually being
      acquired.
    • The ability to draw distinctions between important and unimportant
      information is vital.

    • rinciples of connectivism:

      
      
      • Learning and knowledge rests in diversity of opinions.
      • Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information
        sources.
      • Learning may reside in non-human appliances.
      • Capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known
      • Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual
        learning.
      • Ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is
        a core skill.
      • Currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is the intent of all connectivist
        learning activities.
      • Decision-making is itself a learning process. Choosing what to learn
        and the meaning of incoming information is seen through the lens of
        a shifting reality. While there is a right answer now, it may be wrong
        tomorrow due to alterations in the information climate affecting the
        decision.
    • Within social networks, hubs
      are well-connected people who are able to foster and maintain knowledge
      flow.
    • The starting point of connectivism is the individual. Personal knowledge
      is comprised of a network, which feeds into organizations and institutions,
      which in turn feed back into the network, and then continue to provide
      learning to individual.
• 28 Oct 09
  

  david bonany

  connectivism

• 26 Oct 09
  

  Justin Scoggin

  spectacular article about learning theories in the digital age... a must read for one of the modules.

  connectivism collaboration

• 

  Vahid Masrour

  Connectivism. Enough said.
  
  (amazing amount of Diigo notes and underlines!!!!)

  km learning theory

• 25 Oct 09
  

  Richard Close

  Education method connectivism

• 22 Oct 09
  

  Chris Pultz

  "Behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism are the three broad learning theories most often utilized in the creation of instructional environments. These theories, however, were developed in a time when learning was not impacted through technology. Over the last twenty years, technology has reorganized how we live, how we communicate, and how we learn. Learning needs and theories that describe learning principles and processes, should be reflective of underlying social environments.

  connectivism learning theory technology collaboration community constructivism

• 21 Oct 09
  

  Catherine Lombardozzi

  connectivism definition

  • Connectivism is the integration of principles explored by chaos, network, and
    complexity and self-organization theories. Learning is a process that occurs
    within nebulous environments of shifting core elements – not entirely under the
    control of the individual. Learning (defined as actionable knowledge) can reside
    outside of ourselves (within an organization or a database), is focused on
    connecting specialized information sets, and the connections that enable us to
    learn more are more important than our current state of knowing.
• 

  sheri okland

  connectivism ed728 theory

• 

  Jen Hegna

  connectivism education elearning

• 20 Oct 09
  

  Brenda Sherry

  connectivism education learning elearning technology collaboration

• 18 Oct 09
  

  Susan Nugent

  paper by George Siemens, December 12, 2004
  

  ple connectivism education elearning theory learning technology collaboration community

• 17 Oct 09
  

  Aaron Kokladas

  connectivism education learning elearning theory

• 13 Oct 09
  

  Jeremy Brueck

  connectivism education elearning theory technology collaboration community learning

• 12 Oct 09
  

  Jocelyn Ozolins

  connectivism education technology collaboration

• 10 Oct 09
  

  Heather Wells
• 03 Oct 09
  

  Kim Gabelmann

  connectivism

  •  

    cognitivism
    , and
    constructivism
  •  

    
    
    

    cognitivism
    
    
    ,
    and
    
    constructivism
    
    
    

    are the three broad learning
    
    
    

    theories
    
    
    

    most often utilized in
    the creation
    of instructional environments
  • 3 more annotations...
  • • are the three broad learning
      
      
    • most often utilized in
    • Behaviorism
• 02 Oct 09
  

  Veronika Bown

  connectivism education learning elearning technology collaboration community

  • Chaos is a new reality for knowledge workers
  • “a cryptic form of order
  • 9 more annotations...
  • • n a learning sense, the likelihood that a concept of learning will be
      linked depends on how well it is currently linked
    • Weak ties are links or bridges that allow short connections between information
    • Connections between disparate
      ideas and fields can create new innovations

      • 

        Veronika Bown on 2009-10-05

        I consider this fact very important since we usually tend to have people from the same field and ideas working together...for team work and innovation this should be taken into account
    • integration
    • chaos, network,
      and complexity and self-organization theories
    • Learning and knowledge rests in diversity of opinions
    • Information flow within an organization is an important element in organizational
      effectiveness
    • Within social networks, hubs
      are well-connected people who are able to foster and maintain knowledge
      flow
    • The value of pattern
      recognition and connecting our own “small worlds of knowledge”
      are apparent in the exponential impact provided to our personal learning.
• 30 Sep 09
  

  jennifer verschoor

  connectivism education learning theory cck09

• 29 Sep 09
  

  Tina Boogren
• 28 Sep 09
  

  Victor Hugo Rojas B.

  Including technology and connection making as learning activities begins to move learning theories into a digital age. We can no longer personally experience and acquire learning that we need to act. We derive our competence from forming connections

  connectivism education learning elearning theory technology community collaboration

• 27 Sep 09
  

  D.E. Chase

  connectivism education learning elearning theory technology

• 25 Sep 09
  

  Gurmit Singh

  cc09

  • The health of the learning ecology of the organization depends
    on effective nurturing of information flow.
• 23 Sep 09
  

  Jason Buell

  edutech 21century

• 21 Sep 09
  

  Mary Fitzgerald
  • Learning
    needs
  • Learners as little as forty years ago would complete the
    required schooling and enter a career that would often last a lifetime.
  • 1 more annotations...
  • • know-where (the
      understanding of where to find knowledge needed).
• 

  Ana Loureiro

  connectivism education learning elearning theory collaboration community georgesiemens siemens

• 18 Sep 09
  

  Nate Otto

  George Siemens' paper on Connectivism (the theory of learning)

  connectivism education learning theory

• 05 Sep 09
  

  Christie Sidwell

  learning theory EDG893

• 03 Sep 09
  

  Ed Watterson
  • 

    • 

      Ed Watterson on 2009-09-03

      With such a rapid change in information (the science comment earlier made me think of this) where in a matter of months information is obsolete, what do we define as persistent?
• 

  Kent Allison
  • Management and leadership. The management and marshalling of resources
    to achieve desired outcomes is a significant challenge. Realizing that
    complete knowledge cannot exist in the mind of one person requires a
    different approach to creating an overview of the situation. Diverse
    teams of varying viewpoints are a critical structure for completely
    exploring ideas. Innovation is also an additional challenge. Most of
    the revolutionary ideas of today at one time existed as a fringe element.
    An organizations ability to foster, nurture, and synthesize the impacts
    of varying views of information is critical to knowledge economy survival.
    Speed of “idea to implementation” is also improved in a
    systems view of learning.

    • 

      Kent Allison on 2009-09-03

      As and Educator, I see the management/administration being stuck in an outdated form of leadership, to really move on and expand our knowledge as teachers/learners/community, we need more free thinking from our leaders/admin to push our students into a this new realm of knowledge
    • 

      Kate Matousek on 2009-09-06

      Yes Kent, not to mention the citizens who sit upon the Board of Education.

  • 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. A real challenge for any learning theory is to actuate known knowledge
    at the point of application. When knowledge, however, is needed, but not
    known, the ability to plug into sources to meet the requirements becomes
    a vital skill. As knowledge continues to grow and evolve, access to what
    is needed is more important than what the learner currently possesses.

    
    

    Connectivism presents a model of learning that acknowledges the tectonic
    shifts in society where learning is no longer an internal, individualistic
    activity. How people work and function is altered when new tools are utilized.
    The field of education has been slow to recognize both the impact of new
    learning tools and the environmental changes in what it means to learn.
    Connectivism provides insight into learning skills and tasks needed for
    learners to flourish in a digital era.

• 

  Dawn Lang
  • The final consideration focuses on three epistemological traditions
    in relation to learning: Objectivism, Pragmatism, and Interpretivism

    • 

      Dawn Lang on 2009-09-03

      There are opportuntiies throughout the school day for this construct...I find that primary students so often want to "get the right" answer and I have to model and give them lots of opportunties to share their thinking, to make their thinking visible and how they got there rather than just wanting to zero in on "the answer".
• 

  anthony verbsky
  • ”. Chaos is the breakdown of predictability, evidenced in complicated
    arrangements that initially defy order

    • 

      anthony verbsky on 2009-09-03

      I like the Chaos analogy! There exist symmetry in Chaos! One might actually use a fractal as an example to more clearly explain what is going on here. A fractal can be graph of an chaotic event which displays a very symmetrical solution.
• 

  kelly reseigh
  • 

    • 

      kelly reseigh on 2009-09-03

      At the TIE conference this summer, I think Karl Fisch showed in his new video that a person will change careers 14 times in his/her lifetime. That's a lot of new jobs!
  • 

    • 

      kelly reseigh on 2009-09-03

      This connects to what we learned about TweetDeck. We can easily access new information from other people in an organized and efficient way. Kids today learn more from others than they do from textbooks. We just hope that the information they learn from others is accurate! :)
  • 1 more annotations...
  • • ithin social networks, hubs
      are well-connected people who are able to foster and maintain knowledge
      flow.
• 

  Breann Downey
  • when learning
    was not impacted through technology
  • Decision-making
  • 1 more annotations...
  • • The pipe is more important than the content within the pipe
• 02 Sep 09
  

  Christine Sharp

  Websites for school

• 01 Sep 09
  

  marni gusich
• 

  Marci Boatwright
  • 

    • 

      Marci Boatwright on 2009-09-01

      As teachers, we must model constant learning. This can help students be more comfortable in the technology learning environment
    • 

      kallie leyba on 2009-09-03

      Most teachers are life-long learners, yet many shun new learning of technology.
• 

  Joanne Russum
  • 

    • 

      Joanne Russum on 2009-09-01

      Is this rewiring of the brain necessarily a good thing? Should we worry about how technology is changing thinking, society etc. at times? Is this all a positive change?
    • 

      Breann Downey on 2009-09-03

      I also wonder how technology is impacting students' social skills. Many students are connecting to their peers through technology rather than face to face interaction.
    • 1 more sticky notes...
    • • 

        Carol Ann Sass on 2009-09-03

        Whether it is a good thing or not, if it is happening, which I think it is, than we need to consciously think about its implications for how we will notjust learn, but live. The ability to write modified the human brain. Everything of importance was no longer memorized and passed on by the storyteller/medicine man. The printing press further revolutionized human thinking, by giving us access to times and cultures far different from our own. Now the Internet is not only giving us access but also connecting us in real time.
  • 

    • 

      Joanne Russum on 2009-09-01

      Synthesizing is becoming an increasingly required skill. For the AP Spanish language exam, students must read and listen to texts and use that information to synthesize their own opinions about a given prompt and for many of my students this higher level skill is challenging.
• 

  Leslee Kitzman
  • Learning
    needs and theories that describe
  • 

    • 

      Leslee Kitzman on 2009-09-01

      In my web class, students are given an objective and asked to find a solution that works. There isn't a right answer. They often naturally gravitate to one aspect of web design and through curiosity deepen their knowldege.
  • 1 more annotations...
  • • 

      • 

        Leslee Kitzman on 2009-09-01

        Students often have a difficult time determining which information is most useful or most expedient (or even useful at all). Modelling has been one way to teach them to narrow results of research.
• 

  Susan Erickson
  • Technology is altering (rewiring) our brains. The tools we use define
    and shape our thinking.
• 

  Kiffany Lychock
  • 

    • 

      Kiffany Lychock on 2009-09-01

      We're playing catch-up right now in education, I think! We're getting there, but it's really taken a shift in how we think/teach/learn to embrace/use technology in our classrooms (for some folks, that is!) :).
    • 

      kallie leyba on 2009-09-03

      I agree. How long will it take for education to catch up?
    • 2 more sticky notes...
    • • 

        Kamala Schuster on 2009-09-03

        I agree. I think modeling the use of technology really shows students that you value its use and use it on a regular basis, not just for a particular lesson or project.
      • 

        Kim McMonagle on 2009-09-11

        I agree this theory is so different than the ones I learned for how student learn.
  • Over the last twenty years, technology
    has reorganized how we live, how we communicate, and how we learn.
• 

  Becky Corr
• 

  Kirsten Sola
• 

  Colleen MacIver
  • learning
    as a lasting changed state (emotional, mental, physiological (i.e. skills))
    brought about as a result of experiences and interactions with content
    or other people.
• 

  Herrick F
  • performance
• 

  Jacki Bledsoe
  • In many fields the life of knowledge is now
    measured in months and years

    • 

      Jacki Bledsoe on 2009-09-01

      In the area of science I don't even think it's years anymore. Some discoveries or information changes day to day.
  • Technology is altering (rewiring) our brains.

    • 

      Jacki Bledsoe on 2009-09-01

      Even those of us who are considered Digital natives find ourselves getting "rewired" when a new technology comes out.
    • 

      Kent Allison on 2009-09-03

      I think we can see this in students. I think as teachers we see student motivation related to "gen Y" or some other excuse, but it really stems to these students having been "rewired" very early and we as educators need to recognize this now and "rewire" our teaching to reach the students where they are at, since they will not be coming to where we have been.
  • 5 more annotations...
  • • Know-how and know-what is being supplemented with know-where (the
      understanding of where to find knowledge needed).
    • the value of what is being learned.
    • The ability to synthesize and recognize connections
      and patterns is a valuable skill.
    • Connectivism presents a model of learning that acknowledges the tectonic
      shifts in society where learning is no longer an internal, individualistic
      activity.
    • Connectivism provides insight into learning skills and tasks needed for
      learners to flourish in a digital era.

      • 

        Jacki Bledsoe on 2009-09-01

        Does this also include learning styles? That should still be considered, because not everyone learns the same way even within a "connected" environment.
• 

  Noemi de Grado
  • constructivism
  • learning as “a persisting change in human
    performance or performance potential…
  • 1 more annotations...
  • • Ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is
      a core skill.
• 

  Carolyn Marchant
  • technology
    has reorganized how we live, how we communicate, and how we learn.
  • learners are actively attempting to create meaning
  • 1 more annotations...
  • • the ability to plug into sources to meet the requirements becomes
      a vital skill.

      • 

        Carolyn Marchant on 2009-09-01

        knowing how and where to find information
• 

  carrie ann schmitz
• 

  Amy Osborn
  • 

    • 

      Amy Osborn on 2009-09-01

      I think this was true even 10 years ago when I was going to school. Now I am finding that everyone I know that is just graduating doesn't look at it as a career but as a step to something better. Interesting new way to look at a job.
• 

  Sande Tanner
• 

  Andrea Del Valle
• 

  Cheryl Abla
  • Constructivism suggests that learners create knowledge as they attempt
    to understand their experiences

    • 

      Cheryl Abla on 2009-09-01

      I believe having kids show their learning through projects helps promote constructivism. There comes with this the question, "Where do we get all the grades that need to go in the grade book?" I think the showing what the kids know is far more beneficial than basic recall.
• 

  Michele O'Dell
  • 

    • 

      Michele O'Dell on 2009-09-01

      Brings to mind teaching with the brain in mind.
• 

  Kate Blanas
  • Today
• 

  Jody Papini
  • 

    • 

      Jody Papini on 2009-09-01

      This comment brings a huge challenge to education.
    • 

      Kiffany Lychock on 2009-09-01

      That's why it's so important we teach our kids to be critical thinkers and life-long learners-they have to be able to adapt to new situations quickly!
    • 2 more sticky notes...
    • • 

        Breann Downey on 2009-09-03

        We also need to teach our kids how and where to go, to get the new information that is out there.
      • 

        Ed Watterson on 2009-09-03

        And our staff. This has HUGE implications for the old CDE model of 18hours of seat time for a credit. How do we make what we do more efficient and adaptable?
• 

  Jim Becker
  • theories

    • 

      Jim Becker on 2009-09-01

      uncomfortable educating kids using theories
  • suggests

    • 

      Jim Becker on 2009-09-01

      interesting word choice
• 28 Aug 09
  

  Amy Fuhr

  Diigo Educational_Tool

  • constructivism
• 24 Aug 09
  

  Virginia Barnhart

  connectivism education learning elearning theory

• 19 Aug 09
  

  Steve Lissenden

  twitter learning connectivism theory

• 18 Aug 09
  

  Jenny Hartigan
• 

  Hugo Domingos

  connectivism collaboration elearning theory technology education conectivismo educação

• 13 Aug 09
  

  Mitchell Elliot

  ideaslab

  • Behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism are the three broad learning
    theories most often utilized in the creation of instructional environments
  • “learning must be a way of being – an ongoing set of attitudes and actions by
    individuals and groups that they employ to try to keep abreast o the surprising,
    novel, messy, obtrusive, recurring events…”
  • 8 more annotations...
  • • • What adjustments need to made with learning theories when technology
        performs many of the cognitive operations previously performed by learners
        (information storage and retrieval).
      • How can we continue to stay current in a rapidly evolving information
        ecology?
    • Chaos is a new reality for knowledge workers.
    • Connectivism is the integration of principles explored by chaos, network, and
      complexity and self-organization theories.
    • Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual
      learning.
    • John Seely Brown presents an interesting notion that the internet leverages the
      small efforts of many with the large efforts of few.
    • Realizing that complete knowledge cannot exist in the mind of one person
      requires a different approach to creating an overview of the situation.
    • Diverse teams of varying viewpoints are a critical structure for completely
      exploring ideas. Innovation is also an additional challenge. Most of the
      revolutionary ideas of today at one time existed as a fringe element. An
      organizations ability to foster, nurture, and synthesize the impacts of varying
      views of information is critical to knowledge economy survival. Speed of “idea
      to implementation” is also improved in a systems view of learning.
    • Our ability to learn what we need for tomorrow is more important than what we
      know today.
• 08 Aug 09
  

  Robyn Scanlon
  • Meaning-making and forming connections
    between specialized communities are important activities.
  • a Maricopa
    County Community College system project that links senior citizens with
    elementary school students in a mentor program.
• 07 Aug 09
  

  Emily Pearson

  connectivism collaboration elearning

• 

  John Rodgers

  A nice introduction to connectivism. I think this has evolved somewhat since then, since it appears the use iof verious concepts would apear, at least initially, to be incorrect.

  connecti connectivism learning theory technology web2.0

• 06 Aug 09
  

  Brooks Cole

  hololearning LMS learningtheory pedagogy connectivism holodev e-learning elearning education socialsoftware community learning_theory diigo

• 

  Lori Wilson

  learning education connectivism and

• 03 Aug 09
  

  Christy Tucker

  George Siemens' 2004 introduction to connectivism

  connectivism education learning learningtheories

• 02 Aug 09
  

  Aivar Ruukel

  Connectivism:
  A Learning Theory for the Digital Age
  
  December 12, 2004
  George Siemens

  connectivism learning education e-learning web2.0 community theory

• 29 Jul 09
  

  Karen Stanfield
  • Ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is
    a core skill.
• 

  Kyla Uribe
  • Knowledge
    is growing exponentially

    • 

      Kyla Uribe on 2009-07-29

      ...brings a new definition to our role as an educator and what we teach our kids. We teach them how to filter and how to process and choose what is key. Critical thinking -- redefined!
    • 

      Nancy Wensuc on 2009-09-01

      I agree with Klya. It really makes me rethink my teaching to make sure I think critically as well as asking my students to do the same.
  • nformal learning is a significant aspect of our learning experience.

    • 

      Kyla Uribe on 2009-07-29

      we are truly teaching our kids to be lifelong learners!
• 

  Cheryl Murphy
  • If the underlying conditions used
    to make decisions change, the decision itself is no longer as correct
    as it was at the time it was made.

    • 

      Cheryl Murphy on 2009-07-29

      This can be a very sticky place for students (people) to get stuck. The decision was made, so why revisit it. The consideration of different underlying conditions needs to be considered.
• 

  Eric Woodland
  • Capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known

    • 

      Eric Woodland on 2009-07-29

      Our entire education system cries out against this. How can we set up such a learning environment within our current system of standards and checkpoints (CSAP, anyone?)?
• 

  Jeremy Newman
  • The ability to synthesize and recognize connections
    and patterns is a valuable skill.

    • 

      Jeremy Newman on 2009-07-29

      This applies to social situations.
    • 

      Kirsten Sola on 2009-09-01

      I think this can apply in every subject and learning area... we talk about synthesizing and recognizing connections and patterns in reading, writing, science, social studies, as well as in social situations (getting along on the playground, etc).
    • 4 more sticky notes...
    • • 

        Kiersten Martinez on 2009-09-01

        and the whole learner.
      • 

        kallie leyba on 2009-09-03

        Is this the definition of thinking?
      • 

        Chris Graham-Herring on 2009-09-03

        IMHO, Synthesizing is a talent that with practice can be develeped, but not everyone thinks "synthetically."
      • 

        Kate Matousek on 2009-09-06

        Perhaps this skill is the underpinning of all our other critical thinking skills!
  • The
    capacity to form connections between sources of information, and thereby
    create useful information patterns, is required to learn in our knowledge
    economy.

    • 

      Jeremy Newman on 2009-07-29

      Unconnected info remains an island and if not connected becomes trivial info saved for a gameshow.
• 

  Catherine Beck
  • “learning must be a way of being
  • Constructivism suggests that learners create knowledge as they attempt
    to understand their experiences
  • 8 more annotations...
  • • learners are actively attempting to create meaning.
    • The ability to synthesize and recognize connections
      and patterns is a valuable skill.
    • technology
      performs many of the cognitive operations previously performed by learners
      (information storage and retrieval).
    • If the underlying conditions used
      to make decisions change, the decision itself is no longer as correct
      as it was at the time it was made.
    • The
      capacity to form connections between sources of information, and thereby
      create useful information patterns, is required to learn in our knowledge
      economy.
    • Weak ties are links or bridges that allow short connections between information.
      Our small world networks are generally populated with people whose interests
      and knowledge are similar to ours.
    • decisions are based
      on rapidly altering foundations.
    • Capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known
• 

  Amanda Van Swearingen
  • • Learning and knowledge rests in diversity of opinions.
    • Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information
      sources.
    • Learning may reside in non-human appliances.
    • Capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known
    • Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual
      learning.
    • Ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is
      a core skill.
    • Currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is the intent of all connectivist
      learning activities.
    • Decision-making is itself a learning process. Choosing what to learn
      and the meaning of incoming information is seen through the lens of
      a shifting reality. While there is a right answer now, it may be wrong
      tomorrow due to alterations in the information climate affecting the
      decision.
  • Decision-making is itself a learning process.

    • 

      Amanda Van Swearingen on 2009-07-29

      Having students participate in decision-making is a good way for them to make meaning of knowledge/content through making connections.
    • 

      Kate Matousek on 2009-09-06

      Teaching and modeling the decision making process will aid students in drawing those distictions beween important and unimportant information.
  • 1 more annotations...
  • • Knowledge that resides in a database
      needs to be connected with the right people in the right context in order
      to be classified as learning

      • 

        Amanda Van Swearingen on 2009-07-29

        Without the connections, the knowledge is meaningless.
• 28 Jul 09
  

  Bill Montana

  education connectivism pln

• 

  celeste hodges

  • 
    
    • How are learning theories impacted when knowledge is no longer acquired
      in the linear manner?
  • The ability to recognize and adjust
    to pattern shifts is a key learning task.
  • 2 more annotations...
  • • In a learning sense, the likelihood that a concept of learning will be
      linked depends on how well it is currently linked. Nodes (can be fields,
      ideas, communities) that specialize and gain recognition for their expertise
      have greater chances of recognition, thus resulting in cross-pollination
      of learning communities.
    • Within social networks, hubs
      are well-connected people who are able to foster and maintain knowledge
      flow.
• 

  Kate Matousek
  • Learning theories are concerned with the actual process of learning,
    not with the value of what is being learned.
  • To combat the shrinking half-life of knowledge, organizations
    have been forced to develop new methods of deploying instruction.”

    • 

      Kate Matousek on 2009-07-28

      This is a powerful caveat for today's educators!
    • 

      Kiffany Lychock on 2009-09-01

      That's why it's so important that we push our kids to be critical thinkers and life-long learners--they have to be able to adapt!!
  • 4 more annotations...
  • • We derive our competence
      from forming connections

      • 

        Kate Matousek on 2009-07-28

        Piaget was 'on it' with this-connections continue to be powerful.
      • 

        Michele O'Dell on 2009-09-01

        This is huge for me ~ the ability to make connections to prior knowledge. Each time I study a topic or use an application, I can take expand my learning.
    • chaos states
      that the meaning exists – the learner's challenge is to recognize
      the patterns which appear to be hidden.
    • The ability to recognize and adjust
      to pattern shifts is a key learning task.

      • 

        Kate Matousek on 2009-07-28

        Einstein said that "Imagination is more important than Knowledge"--it fits with this need to adjust to shifts.
    • The starting point of connectivism is the individual. Personal knowledge
      is comprised of a network, which feeds into organizations and institutions,
      which in turn feed back into the network, and then continue to provide
      learning to individual.

      • 

        Kate Matousek on 2009-07-28

        A powerful and exciting challenge for educators.
• 

  Jose Asuncion

  elearning

• 

  Lisa Lipe
  • Behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism
  • Valid sources of knowledge
  • 9 more annotations...
  • • Content of knowledge
    • knowledge is an objective
      (or a state) that is attainable (if not already innate) through either
      reasoning or experiences.
    • These theories do not address learning that occurs outside of people (i.e.
      learning that is stored and manipulated by technology).
    • Connectivism is the integration of principles explored by chaos, network,
      and complexity and self-organization theories.
    • Connectivism is driven by the understanding that decisions are based
      on rapidly altering foundations.
    • The ability to draw distinctions between important and unimportant
      information is vital.
    • Our ability
      to learn what we need for tomorrow is more important than what we know
      today.
    • The pipe is more important than the content within the pipe.
    • How people work and function is altered when new tools are utilized.
• 

  Jan Kempf
  • Learners as little as forty years ago
  • Information development was slow
  • 1 more annotations...
  • • doubling
      every 18 months according to the American Society of Training and Documentation
      (ASTD).
• 

  Sarah Harwood
  • Half of what is known today was not known 10 years ago. The amount of
    knowledge in the world has doubled in the past 10 years and is doubling
    every 18 months according

    • 

      Sarah Harwood on 2009-07-28

      This is exactly why as educators we need to increase our knowledge of the technology available and use it with the kids. We are preparing our students for jobs and technology that have not even been created yet.
    • 

      Debbie Blair on 2009-09-01

      What are people doing to keep up with the new information and new ways to access info? How are there enough hours in the day to keep up with the info out there?!?
    • 2 more sticky notes...
    • • 

        Kamala Schuster on 2009-09-03

        Is it possible to keep up with the information? When school districts change curriculum, it is a long, drawn-out process. Is this article saying that by the time the new curriculum is created, learning and knowledge has changed so much that much of that curriculum is non-applicable?
      • 

        Gurmit Singh on 2009-09-25

        Yes I think so. Thats why the curriculum can be personalised by the learner in connectivism, since the knowledge is 'stored' in the network he belongs to.
        The learner thus grows, and measures him/her-self according to where his/her network is at, as he/she strives to position himself in front of their peers and make meaning by participation in the discourses and practices of his community.
  • The ability to draw distinctions between important and unimportant
    information is vital.

    • 

      Sarah Harwood on 2009-07-28

      This is an important concept that students need to be taught.
    • 

      Karen Stanfield on 2009-07-29

      How do we decide what is important and unimportant. When do we decide that new information alters our landscape.
    • 11 more sticky notes...
    • • 

        Amy Cameron on 2009-09-01

        The ability to draw distinctions between important and unimportant is so vital and a skill that students must be taught.
      • 

        Andrea Del Valle on 2009-09-01

        I think we really have to work hard to teach our students how to do this... most kids classify any education related info as unimportant.
      • 

        Kirsten Sola on 2009-09-01

        I agree with Sarah. When we talk about important vs unimportant in the classroom (in reading and writing lessons etc) it has bigger implications.
      • 

        Sande Tanner on 2009-09-01

        A standard that is universally needed now
      • 

        Kiffany Lychock on 2009-09-01

        Info Literacy at it's best! Our kids need to learn to be better evaluators of information.
      • 

        marni gusich on 2009-09-01

        This is an important concept to teach when we teach note taking. Students need to sift through information and decide what is important and what is interesting.
      • 

        Kristin Bernstein on 2009-09-01

        I agree....This needs to be modeled and directly taught and retaught... with so much information students are instantaneously slammed with ....they need to know how to determine importance in media, text, video....etc.
      • 

        kallie leyba on 2009-09-03

        The difference between important and unimportant changes based upon purpose.
      • 

        Kamala Schuster on 2009-09-03

        This is very difficult for students to learn to do, however. Why is that?
      • 

        Gurmit Singh on 2009-09-25

        what makes teachers assume that they should decide what is and is not important information for students to process/digest? Isnt that to pass exams through drilling 'information'?
        Doesnt this still reflect a behaviouralist approach to teaching?
        How could this characteristic of connectivism be applied to personalise learning?
      • 

        Veronika Bown on 2009-10-05

        The student is the one who decides what is important or unimportant, the teacher tries to give the information that s/he thinks would be good to be considered by the student, but that is also something that depends on what is important for her/him

Public Stiky Notes

• 
  Jim Becker on 2009-09-01
  uncomfortable educating kids using theories
• 
  Leslee Kitzman on 2009-09-25
  lksjdf;lkadfsjlfjs
• 
  Nancy Wensuc on 2009-09-01
  This is kind of new to me with using Technology. I am used to using this in literacy. I really like this!
• 
  Sande Tanner on 2009-09-01
  Why? What is the definition of cognitivism? I used to teach a constructivist preschool, but cognitivism is just a word with cognate as a base so far?....
• 
  Kim McMonagle on 2009-08-26
  i can see how students learn by connecting to other learnrs
• 
  Kim McMonagle on 2009-09-11
  I agree this theory is so different than the ones I learned for how student learn.
• 
  Kamala Schuster on 2009-09-03
  I agree. I think modeling the use of technology really shows students that you value its use and use it on a regular basis, not just for a particular lesson or project.
• 
  kallie leyba on 2009-09-03
  I agree. How long will it take for education to catch up?
• 
  Kiffany Lychock on 2009-09-01
  We're playing catch-up right now in education, I think! We're getting there, but it's really taken a shift in how we think/teach/learn to embrace/use technology in our classrooms (for some folks, that is!) :).
• 
  Sande Tanner on 2009-09-01
  It's kind of exciting to think that htis really is the beginning of a whole new world....we are lucky to be teaching some of it and not looking from the outside...
• 
  Amy Osborn on 2009-09-01
  I think this was true even 10 years ago when I was going to school. Now I am finding that everyone I know that is just graduating doesn't look at it as a career but as a step to something better. Interesting new way to look at a job.
• 
  Kiffany Lychock on 2009-09-01
  I use the school center forum too-the kids love it! Using cover it live is also a great option to connect with them while they're out of the brick and mortar learning enviornment.
• 
  Kim McMonagle on 2009-09-01
  I use my forum on my school center site.
• 
  Kim McMonagle on 2009-09-01
  WHat ways do you connect your students as they learn?
• 
  Jacki Bledsoe on 2009-09-01
  In the area of science I don't even think it's years anymore. Some discoveries or information changes day to day.
• 
  Nancy Wensuc on 2009-09-01
  I agree with Klya. It really makes me rethink my teaching to make sure I think critically as well as asking my students to do the same.
• 
  Kyla Uribe on 2009-07-29
  ...brings a new definition to our role as an educator and what we teach our kids. We teach them how to filter and how to process and choose what is key. Critical thinking -- redefined!
• 
  Leigh Ann Kullhem on 2009-09-01
  This is so true. There is no lag time anymore...people learn and are experts before it is even taught sometimes!
• 
  Gurmit Singh on 2009-09-25
  Yes I think so. Thats why the curriculum can be personalised by the learner in connectivism, since the knowledge is 'stored' in the network he belongs to.
  The learner thus grows, and measures him/her-self according to where his/her network is at, as he/she strives to position himself in front of their peers and make meaning by participation in the discourses and practices of his community.
• 
  Kamala Schuster on 2009-09-03
  Is it possible to keep up with the information? When school districts change curriculum, it is a long, drawn-out process. Is this article saying that by the time the new curriculum is created, learning and knowledge has changed so much that much of that curriculum is non-applicable?
• 
  Debbie Blair on 2009-09-01
  What are people doing to keep up with the new information and new ways to access info? How are there enough hours in the day to keep up with the info out there?!?
• 
  Ed Watterson on 2009-09-03
  And our staff. This has HUGE implications for the old CDE model of 18hours of seat time for a credit. How do we make what we do more efficient and adaptable?
• 
  Breann Downey on 2009-09-03
  We also need to teach our kids how and where to go, to get the new information that is out there.
• 
  Kiffany Lychock on 2009-09-01
  That's why it's so important we teach our kids to be critical thinkers and life-long learners-they have to be able to adapt to new situations quickly!
• 
  Jody Papini on 2009-09-01
  This comment brings a huge challenge to education.
• 
  Kiffany Lychock on 2009-09-01
  That's why it's so important that we push our kids to be critical thinkers and life-long learners--they have to be able to adapt!!
• 
  kelly reseigh on 2009-09-03
  At the TIE conference this summer, I think Karl Fisch showed in his new video that a person will change careers 14 times in his/her lifetime. That's a lot of new jobs!
• 
  Noemi de Grado on 2009-09-01
  It is amazing how much information we can have without leaving our classrooms
• 
  Kiersten Martinez on 2009-09-01
  Makes you wonder about test results.
• 
  Leigh Ann Kullhem on 2009-09-01
  Technology alters the way we think and learn.
• 
  Amy Cameron on 2009-09-01
  I wonder how the rewiring of our children's brains with all the technology that they have grown up with effects their learning and how they learn.
• 
  Karen Stanfield on 2009-07-29
  I would say that learning has always been a lifetime process. With or without technology, all of us are involved in learning and relearning. Technology opens the doors to many more sources of information. How do we help our students know what information is worth learning and holding on to, suspect, bias or untrue. Do they only need to learn what is important to them.
• 
  celeste hodges on 2009-07-28
  Know-where also continues to evolve and requires strong organizational strategies. I wonder how our brain images look when we are researching info on the web.
• 
  Jan Kempf on 2009-07-28
  Formal education no longer comprises the majority of our learning. Wow. . . that is interesting since society seems to be telling us that not only a bachelors degree is necessary. . . but a masters degree is needed too.
• 
  kallie leyba on 2009-09-03
  Most teachers are life-long learners, yet many shun new learning of technology.
• 
  Marci Boatwright on 2009-09-01
  As teachers, we must model constant learning. This can help students be more comfortable in the technology learning environment
• 
  Kyla Uribe on 2009-07-29
  we are truly teaching our kids to be lifelong learners!
• 
  Carol Ann Sass on 2009-09-03
  Whether it is a good thing or not, if it is happening, which I think it is, than we need to consciously think about its implications for how we will notjust learn, but live. The ability to write modified the human brain. Everything of importance was no longer memorized and passed on by the storyteller/medicine man. The printing press further revolutionized human thinking, by giving us access to times and cultures far different from our own. Now the Internet is not only giving us access but also connecting us in real time.
• 
  Breann Downey on 2009-09-03
  I also wonder how technology is impacting students' social skills. Many students are connecting to their peers through technology rather than face to face interaction.
• 
  Joanne Russum on 2009-09-01
  Is this rewiring of the brain necessarily a good thing? Should we worry about how technology is changing thinking, society etc. at times? Is this all a positive change?
• 
  Kent Allison on 2009-09-03
  I think we can see this in students. I think as teachers we see student motivation related to "gen Y" or some other excuse, but it really stems to these students having been "rewired" very early and we as educators need to recognize this now and "rewire" our teaching to reach the students where they are at, since they will not be coming to where we have been.
• 
  Jacki Bledsoe on 2009-09-01
  Even those of us who are considered Digital natives find ourselves getting "rewired" when a new technology comes out.
• 
  Ed Watterson on 2009-09-03
  With such a rapid change in information (the science comment earlier made me think of this) where in a matter of months information is obsolete, what do we define as persistent?
• 
  carrie ann schmitz on 2009-09-01
  I believe knowledge is acquired both through experiences and through thinking and reasoning. I feel that learning to be critical thinkers can increase knowledge and make one look at their experiences through a different light...I am wondering what ways teachers are using technology to help reinforce and foster critical thinking?
• 
  Cheryl Abla on 2009-09-01
  Do you think project-based activities meet this need?
• 
  Dawn Lang on 2009-09-03
  There are opportuntiies throughout the school day for this construct...I find that primary students so often want to "get the right" answer and I have to model and give them lots of opportunties to share their thinking, to make their thinking visible and how they got there rather than just wanting to zero in on "the answer".
• 
  Leslee Kitzman on 2009-09-01
  In my web class, students are given an objective and asked to find a solution that works. There isn't a right answer. They often naturally gravitate to one aspect of web design and through curiosity deepen their knowldege.
• 
  Cheryl Abla on 2009-09-01
  I believe having kids show their learning through projects helps promote constructivism. There comes with this the question, "Where do we get all the grades that need to go in the grade book?" I think the showing what the kids know is far more beneficial than basic recall.
• 
  Jim Becker on 2009-09-01
  interesting word choice
• 
  Michele O'Dell on 2009-09-01
  Brings to mind teaching with the brain in mind.
• 
  Joanne Russum on 2009-09-01
  Synthesizing is becoming an increasingly required skill. For the AP Spanish language exam, students must read and listen to texts and use that information to synthesize their own opinions about a given prompt and for many of my students this higher level skill is challenging.
• 
  Leslee Kitzman on 2009-09-01
  Students often have a difficult time determining which information is most useful or most expedient (or even useful at all). Modelling has been one way to teach them to narrow results of research.
• 
  Kate Matousek on 2009-09-06
  Perhaps this skill is the underpinning of all our other critical thinking skills!
• 
  Chris Graham-Herring on 2009-09-03
  IMHO, Synthesizing is a talent that with practice can be develeped, but not everyone thinks "synthetically."
• 
  kallie leyba on 2009-09-03
  Is this the definition of thinking?
• 
  Kiersten Martinez on 2009-09-01
  and the whole learner.
• 
  Kirsten Sola on 2009-09-01
  I think this can apply in every subject and learning area... we talk about synthesizing and recognizing connections and patterns in reading, writing, science, social studies, as well as in social situations (getting along on the playground, etc).
• 
  Jeremy Newman on 2009-07-29
  This applies to social situations.
• 
  Michele O'Dell on 2009-09-01
  This is huge for me ~ the ability to make connections to prior knowledge. Each time I study a topic or use an application, I can take expand my learning.
• 
  Kate Matousek on 2009-07-28
  Piaget was 'on it' with this-connections continue to be powerful.
• 
  Ed Watterson on 2009-09-03
  I think the second part of carrie's comment is the key. I do not think people are snubbing (I paraphrased) technology - I think they are overwhelmed. Since we know things will become more complex that overwhelmed feeling will rapidly turn to panic.
• 
  kelly reseigh on 2009-09-03
  I agree as well. I know many teachers that aren't even willing to learn. They automatically assume that it's going to be too hard and won't even give it a go. Makes me wonder what they say when their students tell them something is too hard...
  We need to prepare our students for a tech savy world!
• 
  Sande Tanner on 2009-09-01
  Opens many many avenues
• 
  carrie ann schmitz on 2009-09-01
  I absolutely agree and am baffled by those who continue to turn their noses up at technology. It's not going to go away but will only continue to get more and more complex.
• 
  anthony verbsky on 2009-09-03
  I like the Chaos analogy! There exist symmetry in Chaos! One might actually use a fractal as an example to more clearly explain what is going on here. A fractal can be graph of an chaotic event which displays a very symmetrical solution.
• 
  Kate Matousek on 2009-07-28
  Einstein said that "Imagination is more important than Knowledge"--it fits with this need to adjust to shifts.
• 
  Cheryl Murphy on 2009-07-29
  This can be a very sticky place for students (people) to get stuck. The decision was made, so why revisit it. The consideration of different underlying conditions needs to be considered.
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  Jeremy Newman on 2009-07-29
  Unconnected info remains an island and if not connected becomes trivial info saved for a gameshow.
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  Veronika Bown on 2009-10-05
  I consider this fact very important since we usually tend to have people from the same field and ideas working together...for team work and innovation this should be taken into account
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  Veronika Bown on 2009-10-05
  The student is the one who decides what is important or unimportant, the teacher tries to give the information that s/he thinks would be good to be considered by the student, but that is also something that depends on what is important for her/him
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  Gurmit Singh on 2009-09-25
  what makes teachers assume that they should decide what is and is not important information for students to process/digest? Isnt that to pass exams through drilling 'information'?
  Doesnt this still reflect a behaviouralist approach to teaching?
  How could this characteristic of connectivism be applied to personalise learning?
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  Kamala Schuster on 2009-09-03
  This is very difficult for students to learn to do, however. Why is that?
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  kallie leyba on 2009-09-03
  The difference between important and unimportant changes based upon purpose.
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  Kristin Bernstein on 2009-09-01
  I agree....This needs to be modeled and directly taught and retaught... with so much information students are instantaneously slammed with ....they need to know how to determine importance in media, text, video....etc.
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  marni gusich on 2009-09-01
  This is an important concept to teach when we teach note taking. Students need to sift through information and decide what is important and what is interesting.
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  Kiffany Lychock on 2009-09-01
  Info Literacy at it's best! Our kids need to learn to be better evaluators of information.
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  Sande Tanner on 2009-09-01
  A standard that is universally needed now
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  Kirsten Sola on 2009-09-01
  I agree with Sarah. When we talk about important vs unimportant in the classroom (in reading and writing lessons etc) it has bigger implications.
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  Andrea Del Valle on 2009-09-01
  I think we really have to work hard to teach our students how to do this... most kids classify any education related info as unimportant.
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  Amy Cameron on 2009-09-01
  The ability to draw distinctions between important and unimportant is so vital and a skill that students must be taught.
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  Karen Stanfield on 2009-07-29
  How do we decide what is important and unimportant. When do we decide that new information alters our landscape.
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  Sarah Harwood on 2009-07-28
  This is an important concept that students need to be taught.
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  Eric Woodland on 2009-07-29
  Our entire education system cries out against this. How can we set up such a learning environment within our current system of standards and checkpoints (CSAP, anyone?)?
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  Kate Matousek on 2009-09-06
  Teaching and modeling the decision making process will aid students in drawing those distictions beween important and unimportant information.
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  Amanda Van Swearingen on 2009-07-29
  Having students participate in decision-making is a good way for them to make meaning of knowledge/content through making connections.
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  Amanda Van Swearingen on 2009-07-29
  Without the connections, the knowledge is meaningless.
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  kelly reseigh on 2009-09-03
  This connects to what we learned about TweetDeck. We can easily access new information from other people in an organized and efficient way. Kids today learn more from others than they do from textbooks. We just hope that the information they learn from others is accurate! :)
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  Kate Matousek on 2009-07-28
  A powerful and exciting challenge for educators.
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  Lisa Lipe on 2009-07-28
  As teachers of 21st century skills it is important that we know where to locate resources that show us how to keep current on software available to use in the classroom and how to best use it to help our students connect to the world.
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  Robyn Scanlon on 2009-08-08
  It's interesting to note that the Australian government funding provided to improve/rebuild schools came with a condition that schools accept their design building layouts without any input or opportunity to alter a single thing. One has to wonder how much research went into their layouts.
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  Kate Matousek on 2009-09-06
  Yes Kent, not to mention the citizens who sit upon the Board of Education.
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  Kent Allison on 2009-09-03
  As and Educator, I see the management/administration being stuck in an outdated form of leadership, to really move on and expand our knowledge as teachers/learners/community, we need more free thinking from our leaders/admin to push our students into a this new realm of knowledge
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  Carolyn Marchant on 2009-09-01
  knowing how and where to find information
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  Chris Graham-Herring on 2009-09-03
  What happens when you don't know what to seek because you don't know what you don't know? It reminds me of the old adage "those who don't know their history are doomed to repeat it."
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  marni gusich on 2009-09-01
  We need to teach our students how and where to find information. If they do not know something, but they know where to find it, they will be successful.
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  Robyn Scanlon on 2009-08-08
  This brings to mind Will's example of a boy seeking knowledge to build a bowdrill by publishing his video on youtube. He solved his problem, found the knowledge he needed and provided learning for anyone else seeking the same information.
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  Kate Matousek on 2009-09-06
  The audience piece easily done in primary; through class composed journals, plays, videos, web sites and (hopefully) podcasts.
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  Carol Ann Sass on 2009-09-03
  I like how this exercise/assignment is modeling what is being discussed in the article.
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  Melissa Rosati on 2009-09-03
  Writing for an audience and with a relevant purpose is so key in all of this. Writing a paper only to hand in for the teacher to read and evaluate should only be the first step in the writing process. Writing is a way to stay connected and to share knowledge.
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  Jacki Bledsoe on 2009-09-01
  Does this also include learning styles? That should still be considered, because not everyone learns the same way even within a "connected" environment.

Page Comments

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  john bennett on 2008-04-27
  Schools have evolved on a basis that can be described as a silo platform. Whilst schools do share state or national curriculum outcomes/statement they are competitive. They are competitive for content resources, teachers and students. Whilst some privilege schools may benefit many poorly resourced schools do not. This competition maintains the silo status quo. The physical ability to cross pollination will benefit not only poorly resourced schools but also richly resourced schools. To enable a physical capacity to cross pollination requires structural changes in how students enrol, how content is developed and how teachers perceive their roles.
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  gisella paoletti on 2008-06-27
  shrinkink half life of knowledge
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  jacques dubois on 2008-12-15
  les connexions qui nous permettent d'apprendre plus sont plus importantes que notre état actuel de connaissance
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  Jennifer Newberry on 2009-07-28
  This is the goal of education
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  Catherine Beck on 2009-07-29
  Learning cannot exist in a vacuum.
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  Catherine Beck on 2009-07-29
  Instead of teaching information, we need to teach how to find and evaluate information.
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  Catherine Beck on 2009-07-29
  So you really have to expand your personal learning network.
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  Catherine Beck on 2009-07-29
  This describes technology and society too!
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  Catherine Beck on 2009-07-29
  Of course, you have to be able to wade through fact, and others' opinions that may or may not be derived from factual information.
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  Siliceo Bernardi on 2009-08-08
  La importancia de usar la tecnología en pro de la educación y adaptarnos a esos neuvos cambios.
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  Cheryl Abla on 2009-09-01
  Do you think project-based activities provide this type of learning?
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  Kirsten Sola on 2009-09-01
  Rather than "teaching technology", it seems that we need to teach our students how to learn and how to process information so they can acquire ever-changing information. Learning 1 program is not enough... learning how to learn something new quickly and thoroughly is what is critical.
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  marni gusich on 2009-09-01
  Teachers are responsible for nurturing the flow of information.

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