How can we influence the educational system in the United States or even our own school district to embrace connectivism? Should we?
"Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual learning". Siemens quote here really grabbed me. I agree with this notion and wanted to reflect upon it.
The traditional (non-networked) classroom has a few devices for connectivity learning.
1. The teacher.
The teacher gives information, asks questions, has the student reflect, and then assesses the information that was the objective of the lesson. This puts all the pressure of learning on the teacher. They are responsible for all of the lesson, all of the teaching, and all of the assessment.
2. The students.
Even traditional schools use the students as connective devices. Group work, team sharing, partner work, etc. all contribute to connected learning. A great teacher an effectively use this for valuable learning. A lot of group work is also wasted and not as effective (we all have seen this right?). As many of use work with each other in the real world, students working together is the 'real world' use of connectivity in the classroom.
3. Other resources.
Books, papers, magazines, tv, etc. are all devices that further create connections to learning. These have varied success rates for students. These also take time to search through or experience to heighten their effectiveness.
In addition to the above mentioned devices, a networked classroom also provides an enormous amount of connectivity learning tools.
4. The internet.
The ability to research and provide connectivity is the inherent purpose of the internet.
- Blogs - students can not only read, but contribute their own ideas
- Facebook - connecting to other learners and people around the world
- Youtube - videos that not only entertain, but provide valuable information and connectivity
- Podcasts - students listen to and can create their own
- Social Media
- and many many more!
The main difference between the traditional and networked classes is that not only are kids excited and interested in technology as a way to learn, but they are DOING something when they are using the technology.
According to the Learning Pyramid below, learners retain at a higher rate when they participate in the learning. When using connectivity learning, you spend the majority of your time in groups, practicing, and (hopefully) teaching others. This is where the learning really occurs. This can also happen far outside of the classroom walls.
Learning PyramidYours,
Aaron
Aaron,
ReplyDeleteI like the Pyramid, it really re-enforces what we are trying to accomplish here. Well-rounded students, teachers, and learning environment. I totally agree that true learning really occurs when we are explaining things to others, I feel it improves retention and makes us reflect on what we already know!
I am a big fan of doing something in order to learn as opposed to learning something in order to do. Projects are totally the way to go. I think, as you reflected, that setting up a successful project (including all the connected learning experiences required to achieve that success) is very complicated but I think the internet and all the various tools we have in the technological realm have given us more ability to do so. My biggest issue is assessment. I fear, as an English teacher, I am always running into issues of assessment. Rigor vs. appreciating the distance the individual student has come. I hate assessment, frankly... I think it stands in the way of everything this unit represents. At least assessment in the traditional sense...
ReplyDelete