Blog Post #6

The Networked Student

Wendy Drexler's The Networked Student video is all about how a student uses the connectivism to learn about American Psychology. According to the video connectivism is "learning that occurs as a part of a social network of many diverse connections and ties and made possible through various tools of technology." In a way this student is learning similar to the way we are in EDM 310. The student has no textbook nor lectures, but the student is responsible for using technology to learn and discover information. In EDM 310 we do not have class lecture nor a textbook. We are given instructions and must feel our way through the projects and assignments, we are learning to be self-taught.

The first time I viewed the video, I focused more on the video as a whole and what the big idea behind connectivism was. The ideas behind connectivism intrigued me and I thought it would be a useful tool for all grades in some capacity. I also think that it is an important took to learn in order to go on and be successful in college and in life. Connectivism teaches students to be self-taught and self-motivated learners. There is not more of what Dr. Strange calls "burp back education." Students must explore the resources that are readily available to them through the internet and technology. By teaching students this method of learning early on, I believe students will be more prepared for college and life in general. Life does not come with a textbook and neither do most jobs. You have to be a life long learner that is willing to research information. By starting students early and introducing them to this idea of teaching, they will become more self motivated to learn by the time they are in high school.

The second time I watched the video, I had the question: "Why does the connectivism student need a teacher?" in mind the entire time. The answer to this question would be to facilitate and guide the students. Students are not going to enter school knowing how to search the internet and find valuable information on a topic that is credible. Students need to be taught how to use the internet and all its resourcefulness. They also need accountability to double check that the work they are doing is accurate. If teachers can begin teaching students the ideas and concepts of connectivism at a young age, then their skills will grow and develop as they move through school. They will have a better ability to take advantage of all that it is worth.

A Seventh Grader's Personal Learning Environment

The seventh grader in the video did an excellent job at creating their own personal learning network. The only thing I would have done differently is not had personal and school related tiles on the same tab. In the program, Symbaloo, you can have different tabs. I have one dedicated to Teaching and Education and another one for the sites that I visit on a frequent basis for my own personal research and use. I am a very organized person and like to have things categorized so that is why I would have it broken down further. Another difference that I noticed I have done differently is that the seventh grader had more links to searches through google scholar and other search and research engines. Because I am using my personal learning network for a different purpose, I tend to have tiles that link to useful blogs of other teachers; as well as, links to technology tools and resources I can use. I enjoyed watching the video and seeing how each person uses the same tools differently.