Connectivism Mindmap

Connectivism Mind-map               EDUC 7105 – 1                           Module 4                  Cecil Mittoo

* My network has changed the way I learn as I begin to see the accessing of information and the formulation of knowledge as an integral contribution to “connectivism.” I do not support statements because of popularity or because it was said by an academician. But where I have doubt my network enables me to seek out knowledge in the ecology of the environment. From my computer via the internet to the World Wide Web I am able to check and verify information credibility. Information becomes knowledge (processed information within a context) easily accessed for situational purposes. Digital libraries and galleries are not the only source of information. We take for granted the living artifacts that constantly updates in- formation through cognitive awareness of changes in technology and trends. Karen Stephenson in Siemens (2006) espouses: “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.”

Knowledge is distributed, and I am more intent on knowing where to get it, how to assess it for fit, and how to apply it for best results. Kop et al. (2008) acknowledges “Learners may traverse networks through multiple knowledge domains” (p.2). My knowledge network connects with blogs, instant messaging service inclusive of RSS feed for asynchronous collaboration in developing projects and completing assignments. Currently, I have discovered a new addition to my network. http://vital.thirteen.org/vital2td.html is an educational website that enables streaming videos for New York Metropolitan schools. Video presentation can be used as a helpful resource for class motivation, attention and knowledge building in most subjects across the curriculum. Kop et al. (2008) elicits “Nearly all students prefer the help and support of the local or online tutor to guide them through resources and activities, to validate information, and to engage them in the course content which would indicate the need for a localized tutor presence” (p.10).

* My learning is a composite of defragmented information, partial construct of knowledge and experience of my learning community. This knowledge building material I access by several digital tools. I rely mainly on the wiki for developing my course construction and collaborative interaction with my learning community. Siemens (2008) in Kop et al. (2008) notes “Developers of e-learning propose that the increasing influence on the internet and online connectedness of people will have implications for educational practices”(p.9). A digital learning community does not enjoy the connection of all its members at the same time because of members’ professional duty, family responsibilities and social commitment. However, the community learning spirit is still engaged and focused for collaboration asynchronously at best convenient times. The wiki therefore allows for digital collaboration where reflection, questions, comments and critique can be made. Wikis are finding its way across global online class, and as students in their community group become acquainted with its use I believe my knowledge base will be expanded. According to Kolesnikov-Jessopk (2011) “Although wikis, with their collaborative approach and vast reach online, have been around for at least 15 years, their use as a general teaching tool in higher education is still relatively recent. But an increasing number of universities are now adopting them as a teaching tool.”

A Blog is a digital learning tool that I find useful for reflection, defending an argument or critique a work. Within the context of reviews and research, new knowledge is created. The intellectual community and social network can share their views from new co-construct of knowledge. Blogs responses are capable of authentic learning. This allows constructive critique to lend better understanding to issues of concern. Gulati et al. reveals “In contrast to more traditional forums for online discussion, blogs are open to the world to see. This provides visibility for students to share their ideas with the larger world.” Another digital learning tool that has become useful to my learning community is the Google Docs. The digital learning tool allows for live chat conversation with community members. This Google tool is relatively simple to use and allows for synchronous collaboration. It enables the use of folders to organize and present work. It also carries documents and spread sheets. It has digital conversion for all hypertext files to PDF for printing. A great feature of this tool is for users to share working on the same document at the same time. Recently I was able to participate in live chat with my learning community and active learning was experienced with collaborative writing. Hargis et al. declares “Google Docs allows the creation and editing from around the world as long as internet access is available” (p.13).

* Questions are drivers for new knowledge. For my questions, I research content and selected material. This gives me information and data that usually supply possible solutions towards the answer that might be appropriate. Essentially, I feed this information to my social network. My network helps me to define problems. Connectivism enables discussion for questions and answers. There are thousands of network users who invariable can respond to questions and offer workable solutions. Siemens (2004) thinks "Connectivism is driven by the understanding that decisions are based on rapidly altering foundations” (p.4). Having a question stretches my role to reach out to the knowledge environment. Collaborative interaction makes finding answers easier. A library of information from people's experience and literature enable selective answers. I also make use of archives for questions and answers these website include:

(a) www.allexperts.com/ (b) http://answers.yahoo.com/ (c) www.ask.com/ (d) www.justanswer.com/      (e) www.wolframalpha.com/

To obtain answers within a specified parameter questions must be intelligently constructed. Driscoll tells us “…schema-based processing occurs as people solve problems…experts in a domain structure their knowledge in ways different from novices” (p.134). Experts in all areas of education and technology are knowledge base professional people who I keep in mind when I need help with answers.

References:

Kolesnikov-Jessopk, S. (2011). The New York Times: For More Students, Working on Wikis Is Part of Making the Grade. Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/02/education/02iht-educSide.html

Gulati, G. J., Frydenberg, M., Angelique Davi, D. (2007). Blogging across the Disciplines: Integrating Technology to Enhance Liberal Learning: Journal of Online Learning and Teaching. Retrieved from: http://jolt.merlot.org/vol3no3/frydenberg.htm

Hargis, J., Wilcox, s. M. (2008).Turkish online learning of Distance Education: Ubiquitous, Free, and Efficient Online Collaboration Tools for Teaching and Learning. Retrieved from: http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/

Siemens, G. (2006). Knowing Knowledge. Why do we want Knowledge and what do we want to do with it? Hard copy retrieved from: http://www.knowingknowledge.com

Kop, R., Hill, A. (2008). Connectivism: Learning theory of the future or vestige of the past? International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 9(3), 1–13. Retrieved from the Walden Library using the Education Research Complete database.

Siemens, G. (2004). elearnspace. Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age. Retrieved from: http://elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm

Driscoll, M. P. (2005). Psychology of Learning for Instructions (3^rd ed.) Pearson Press, New York

The URLs for blogs that I intend to respond are:

(a) http://ylyonstechnology.blogspot.com/

(b) http://marthathibodeau.wordpress.com/

Collaboration - Human Natural Instinct?

Cecil Mittoo EDUC 7105 – 1 Module 3
Collaboration
My reflection of Rheingold’s (Video 2008) proposal of humans having a basic instinct to “interact and work as a group” depends on the perspective that I will take to give an answer. I will say no from a biological standpoint. I was once told by a minister of religion that the first law of human preservation is selfishness. I believe that humans make use of the environmental offering to ensure their sustenance and selfish ways. Keltner (2012) postulates “Since Plato, we have portrayed the emotions as the fount of irrationality, baseness, and sin. What would the seven deadly sins be without destructive passions? Or the Ten Commandments for that matter?” Man’s possession is linked to his family, and there is selfishness for survival and existence. Discussions and debates do not take away the stain of biology and selfishness. Human actions are believed to satisfy desires. Rheingold’s presentation concluding phrase is “Selfish interest that adding up to more.” Discussion in the Physics Forum (2004) on philosophy espouses “Everything we do is a selfish act. Every decision we make is one we want to make for ourselves. An example of helping an old lady to cross the street notes as an act of having a good feeling about yourself rather than feeling bad not to do it. Many times students tell me that they don’t care when I try to get them focus on doing work. My response is “I care.” But how much impact will my care have when students don't care? Rheingold laments that trust are important for collaboration. If you make me trust you, even by telling me that you care and demonstrating that you care I can adapt to the demands of ecology to work with you. The fact is humans do not think together. You think, I think. There is no mental merging of the psychological and the sociological. In my mind if my intimate belonging must be preserved, even from epistemological ecology, I will give selfishness the first choice of assurance.

Rheingold’s presentation was intriguing informative with emerging technology. How can educational technologist revamp an old education system? To date it is structured on the industrial revolution year planner. We are at a crossroad where cyber technology is shaping our economic growth, and the foundation for support (K-12) is still undecided. Rheingold poised that new forms of wealth is the result of collaboration around enabling technology. I believe technology has imposed its crude capability on humans to cause them to see the need to merge or wither and die. I believe the internet and the World Wide Web have forced humans to collude businesses and commerce in order to maintain a share of the marketplace. Rheingold has used the “Prisoners Dilemma” as an analogy to show that collaboration among individuals or corporation has its foundation on trust. Our concept of fairness in business is influenced by our social institution, but most cultures are about 50/50 in their ideology of fairness. But how do we transfer collaborative effort into learning. I believe learning differences in collaboration will dictate individual’s potential but with trust productivity at best can be realized. The evolution of technology is the driver for collaborative interaction in business and education.

• Responsibility for group learning in constructivism demands experiential building and awareness by the instructor. constructivist learning theory is founded on collaboration and active learning. This ensures co-construct of knowledge from shared experience, knowledge and redefining problems. Davis (2002) believes "students learn best when they are actively involved in the process." Group task must ensure build on learning which also collaborative writing is. Group work must be relevant. This is usually achieved when students participate in study topic design and resource selection. Students’ skills and ability is important to build confidence and background knowledge. This enables cognitive development for difficult, complex and creative thinking. Labor division is a traditional group setting for cooperative group work. Collaborative interaction will allow for shared knowledge in all areas of learning. Group size is consistent with presentation time and difficulty level of lesson. Competitiveness among groups is encouraged with learning challenges in parallel and presentation technology available to all groups. Group dissolving due to group member’s issues should not be encouraged. The constructivist learning pattern is based on both social and academic skill development. The Problem Base Learning (PBL) Plan is ideal for constructivist learning. This adapts learning technology in all areas of planning, research, analysis, develop and presenting.

• The study titled Collaboration Tools, by Lomas et al. (2008) elicits current and future use and development of collaborative learning tools. They note “creating affinity groups on social networking sites like face-book exchanging links over IM conversations, or building group projects in Google Docs. “Millennials” have seamlessly integrated the social tools they use for communication with friends into their academic toolkit…” (p.2). A tool kit is an important resource for apprentices who will later leave the guiding hands of their master craftsman to go out on their own. The competence of using the tools will prove rewarding in their trade. Many students are using Wikis and blogs to extend their learning and share information. Students are being classified as “practitioners” They learn to use technology tools for class work in school. Lomas et al. (2008) espouses collaboration as “The action with one or more people to produce something.” The production of knowledge is their major goals for K-12 learners. Effective collaboration pools collective intelligence that transcends distance and geographical boundaries. Technology tools enable communication from remote places. According to Lomas et al. (2008) the quality of good collaboration tools will (a) promote communication; (b) share a diagram, photograph, paper or similar objects; (c) allows natural interactions; and (d) be easy to use and learn.

References:

Keltner, D. (2012). The Evolution of Compassion. University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved from: http://www.altruists.org/static/files/The%20Evolution%20of%20Compassion%20%28Dacher%20Keltner%29.pdf

Physics Forum. (2004). All acts are selfish in nature. General Discussion › Philosophy. Retrieved from: http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=16855

Lomas, C., Burke, M., Page, L. C. (2008). Collaboration Tools. Educase Learning Initiative. Retrieved from: http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI3020.pdf

Rheingold, H. (2008, February). Howard Rheingold on collaboration [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/howard_rheingold_on_collaboration.html

Davis, B. G.(2002). Tools for Teaching. Collaborative Learning:Group Work and Study Teams. University of California, Berkely. Retrieved from: http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/collaborative.html

Anticipating Module # 3 Response for URLs


(a) http://lauralee7105.blogspot.com/

(b) http://vidamartin7105.blogspot.com/