While growing up, the learning model most commonly used in my school district consisted of one primary teacher in the elementary grade levels and evolved into a mixture of teachers, based on their specific expertise and subjects, at the secondary level. The structure was primarily centered around the teacher leading the instruction with the students focusing on their lecture and any other related content. In my view, teachers have always been looked upon as the experts when dealing with topics related to personal development and individual education. With the introduction of the Internet into the educational realm, a significant shift in how information is presented has led to alternative means of learning.
As the technology improved and changed the dynamics for obtaining, farming and displaying information, teachers no longer were the sole means of gathering new information. Personal networks developed from teachers, other individuals, websites, apps and other resources. These networks have allowed learning to expand in multiple directions. My personal information network is displayed above. When I first looked at the details, the picture reminded me of a connect the dots picture from a coloring book. Think back and recall how in most pictures, the series of numbers, once connected, would generate a larger more dynamic picture. What started as a series of individual points was transformed into your favorite cartoon character or book scene.
Be definition, connectivism integrates your social networks with technology and information.
Compared with learning from 30 years, resources available today allow for learning 24-7-365. The days of waiting for a specific period and time for learning are gone. Today, I can access my RSS feed to read the latest on iPad integration, access the latest podcast from Fraser Speirs or check the latest tweets from colleagues from around the globe. These tools are readily available and can be customized to meet my own specific needs. Learning has become customizable in that individuals create their own set of objectives, their own coursework and their own time frames for gathering details.
Questions often develop throughout my own learning experience. In days past, I would seek the assistance of a teacher during class or during office hours. In today’s times, I can ask Google or Bing questions or reach out to my network of resources from my Google+ or Facebook community for other individual experiences. In the past questions would pop up while watching a TV show and I had to write the information down in order to use the details for future research. Now, I can ask Siri my question and receive an immediate response. Inquiring minds want to know about information and I want to know now.
The amount of information appears to be limitless and available to us in an instant. There is always the potential for information overload but each person has the ability to stop at a moments notice and come back when ready. I loved connecting the dots as a child. As an adult, I love connecting the dots between all of my available resources. The more things change, the more they stay the same. My education begins with me and I must take the first step to creating the larger picture for my own understanding.
MFABRAMS - ID ARCHITECH
Resources
Description of Connectivism (http://www.connectivism.ca/about.html) Retrieved on November 29th, 2014
