Monday, November 30, 2009

Connectivism ...an experience!!

Blogging to connect…
My first experience on hand external learning…Although I am a very outgoing and people person I find myself so alone in this course. My panic button is on high alert. Because I am a little wonderer and explorer, I decided to have a different blogfrom the rest of my peers but that didn’t work I need to be connected with fellow boggers to be seen and heard.

Thanks to Skype I made contact with my peers! Makiko, Jadene, and Emma . I am not forgetting you Sharon who enlighten me by posting comments on my other blog. I must say I learnt so much from my little wonder that I can now apply to this journey. I finally decided to wonder-off and join the crowd. Wow I finally felt home when I saw that I have followers and I am able to comment.

My reflection:
Dont be so surprise that there will be one of my kind in your classroom we do exist.
We can no longer personally experience and acquire learning that we need to act. So... 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).”

When knowledge is abundant, the rapid evaluation of knowledge is important. Additional concerns arise from the rapid increase in information. In today’s environment, action is often needed without personal learning – that is, we need to act by drawing information outside of our primary knowledge. The ability to synthesize and recognize connections and patterns is a valuable skill.
What do you think?
Cheers
Mary-Ann

8 comments:

  1. Hi Mary-Ann,
    I agree with you. In order to keep up and progress, so that we can offer our students the very best effective pedagogy, we must have networks and partnerships with fellow professionals and the like minded.

    I did a course called 'Networks and Partnerships' where we were to learn the importance of these, but, I must admit that it is not until I started E-learning that I truly understood just how deprived we will be if we don't develop these connections.

    I hope that teachers will eventually be connected though the internet and share their knowledge and resources, reflecting and critically analysing each others work, until we end up with a reliable resource to improve our teaching.

    I see people trying but the current ones online are still to broad (imo) to be useful and easily accessible. It is only a matter of time though I think.
    Very interesting Blog! Thank you,
    Sharon.

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  2. Hi Mary-Ann,
    Are you aware that you have your moderation set so that posts must be approved before they show up? I just thought I'd point it out in case you hadn't realised.
    Regards,
    Sharon

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  3. Thanks Sharon,
    I did that course too ...Network and Partnership It was one of my favourite. I excell on that subject thanks to my peers. I owe it to my unimates which until now we still get in contact. I strongly believe that to excell in anything we do we need to be able to reflect and ask ourselves..."What can I learn in this experience"instead of complaining.I am now beginning to enjoy this course.
    Cheers
    Mary-Ann

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  4. Thanks for the reply Mary-Ann,
    I have heard that they have replaced 'Networks and Partnerships' with a different course now. I wonder if the new course still addresses networking and partnerships?
    I agree with you. I hardly knew anyone before I did that course and I have also maintained contact and friendship with my group.
    Regards,
    Sharon.

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  6. Hi!
    You are not alone, Mary-Ann!! I think many of us are facing fun, enjoyable but difficult learning journey of this course. It is OK to use other Blog tool, there are always some sort of wall in front of us as I now face with difficulty of adding MP3 sound file to Slide Share!! Let's support each other to go through this coming assignment!

    Regards
    Makiko

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  7. Hi Mary-Ann,

    I have been struggling also with completing this course at home by myself. I think that struggle comes from being a people person and needing that personal contact with others. About half or more of the courses i will take for my university program are by distance education, so it is very helpful to have forums to talk to other students.

    Connectivism is wonderful, being able to discuss learning material, assignments and concerns through forums and other ICTs. This enables us to think in more depth around a question or theory before we respond, producing a higher quality of collaborative learning.

    I think I will be using a lot more of the discussion forums in my other distance ed. courses from now on.

    Thank you,
    Liisa

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  8. Hi Liisa,
    Because everyone is busy these days we just have to make way to be heard.
    One of the trend--- is 'informal learning' is a significant aspect of our learning experience. Formal education no longer comprises the majority of our learning'. It is scary but true that we are now learning through variety of ways – through communities of practice, personal networks, and through completion of work-related tasks.

    So much theory about it we have to open our eyes. A prep student will know things that we haven't heard of yet.I think that is why we are now call as a "Learning Manager" not so much the teaching but managing teaching ( Am so glad because as a teacher they/we dont have all the knowledge to pour to the students.
    Cheers
    Mary-Ann

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