This week of listening and learning about being “open” regarding education and its resources has been insightful. All pieces connect, relate, and build off of each other; yet, there is difficulty putting all the buzzing pieces together in a short reflection. I am struck by the underlying notion of the social constructivist theory of the value or openness and the learning from it. Siemens (2004) discusses how the theory of connectivitism has “learning as a process that occurs within nebulous environments…not entirely under the control of the individual,” and that learners establish personal knowledge networks of relevant information, resources, and connections. This focus on creating communities of learning makes connectivism a popular learning theory to meet the needs of the 21st-century learner. This is where the value of openness is relevant. Building a “sandbox” of learning, where someone constructs their own learning from the “tools” provided and others in their “community” (van Oosteveen, 2107). As David Cormier and Catherine Cronin mentioned in their symposium presentation (RRU Virtual Symposium, 2017) the pedagogical shift the control of learning to learner. The educational experience is built from social interaction, and cognitive presence, sprinkled with the support and discussion of teachers/facilitators. I appreciate the move toward a learning manager, in a community of inquiry, where the learner is constructing their own knowledge and feeling empowered in their learning. Currently, in the “sandbox” of my classroom, I love the idea of “rhizomatic learning” presented by Cormier. I am working at developing a space, where social interaction and cognitive presence, builds the personal knowledge and learning. Tough to do with teenagers but also a very appropriate time for them to understand how and why they learn. The autonomy of the learner to grow and explore within a safe space, community, is where the “rhizomatic” learner is “capable and spreads on it is own within the limits of its habitat” (Cormier, 2008). A lot to think about …
Connectivism WordleSiemens, G. (2004). Connectivisim. A theory for the digital age. Elearn Space. Retrieved from www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm
Cormier, David (2008). Rhizomatic Knowledge Communities–> Edtechtalk. Webcast Academy. Edblog. retrieved from http://davidcormier.com/edblog/2008/02/09/rhizomatic-knowledge-communities-edtechtalk-webcast-academy/
Hi Bobbi,
I agree, it is a lot to think about.
You mention you are trying to develop ” a space, where social interaction and cognitive presence, builds the personal knowledge and learning” in your classroom, I am trying to build that same sort of environment in my classroom. Would you be willing to share any strategies you have tried?
Hi Steve,
Building a learning environment, not easy is it 🙂 I don’t have any strategies per se, but I use a framework in the structure of my classes. I use a workshop method, not like your carpentry workshop 🙂 but a workshop model for writing and reading (Penny Kittle… amazing educator). I am an English teacher who likes kids to learn, and especially now, there is a lot to be proven for self-directed, engaged, motivated, and the student has ownership over their learning. I structure my day the same every day — reading, write, study, create, share. Sometimes the last three may change in order, but it remains the same. The kids are writing, and I am writing. They are editing and sharing, and we help each better our work — peer feedback, sharing with a peer or as a class. I focus a lot more on what they are doing, learning and produce, teaching mini-lesson and more of them doing, creating, producing, and sharing.
This model allows me to build a social and cognitive presence. They are building on their personal knowledge through scaffolding and a safe place to read/write. The model is the key to my classroom as it puts the emphasis on the student learning. Now, there is more to explore and so with my model, but so far so good. Please share things that you discover works in your classroom, Steve.
Bobbi
Thanks for sharing this technique Bobbi, I am going to try and think of a way to apply this to my class.
I think you’re right that’s rough to try with teenagers, but I envy how much more digitally literate they already are than I was at that age. Informal learning can lend itself to understanding more complex tools, and I think the idea of tricking students into learning has value.
Teenagers are much more digital literate but less digitally motivated?
There is so much information available at their fingertips in a second. Consuming. A shift that I see though is a lack of interest, or the spark of curiosity, in deepening their knowledge and exploring something new, in 5-10 minutes — access is there. The accessibility to information seems to be taken for granted, forming habits of complacency. The phrase “just google” it is one I have to say more frequently… waiting for them to use their vast ability in the digital world. So strange!