{"id":442,"date":"2026-04-19T21:47:23","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T04:47:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0270\/?p=442"},"modified":"2026-04-23T16:00:03","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T23:00:03","slug":"learning-through-connection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0270\/learning-through-connection\/","title":{"rendered":"Learning Through Connection"},"content":{"rendered":"[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Header” _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_width_px__hover=”1080px” custom_width_px__hover_enabled=”1080px” custom_width_percent__hover=”80%” custom_width_percent__hover_enabled=”80%” global_colors_info=”{}” make_fullwidth__hover=”off” make_fullwidth__hover_enabled=”off” use_custom_width__hover=”off” use_custom_width__hover_enabled=”off” width_unit__hover=”on” width_unit__hover_enabled=”on”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ use_custom_width=”on” custom_width_px=”1280px” custom_width_px__hover=”1080px” custom_width_px__hover_enabled=”1080px” custom_width_percent__hover=”80%” custom_width_percent__hover_enabled=”80%” global_colors_info=”{}” make_fullwidth__hover=”off” make_fullwidth__hover_enabled=”off” use_custom_width__hover=”off” use_custom_width__hover_enabled=”off” width_unit__hover=”on” width_unit__hover_enabled=”on”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}” padding_tablet=”30px||10px” padding_last_edited=”on|tablet” padding_phone=”30px||10px”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _dynamic_attributes=”content” _module_preset=”e598b17a-9229-42f6-b238-019d6094332e” header_font=”Vidaloka||||||||” header_text_color=”#161616″ header_font_size=”60px” header_line_height=”1.15em” width=”80%” custom_margin=”||0px||false|false” header_font_size_tablet=”40px” header_font_size_phone=”24px” header_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF90aXRsZSIsInNldHRpbmdzIjp7ImJlZm9yZSI6IjxoMT4iLCJhZnRlciI6IjwvaDE+IiwiZW5hYmxlX2h0bWwiOiJvZmYifX0=@[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_post_title title=”off” author=”off” comments=”off” featured_image=”off” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” text_orientation=”right” text_orientation_tablet=”left” text_orientation_phone=”” text_orientation_last_edited=”on|tablet” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_post_title][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Content” module_id=”content” _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_width_px__hover=”1080px” custom_width_px__hover_enabled=”1080px” custom_width_percent__hover=”80%” custom_width_percent__hover_enabled=”80%” global_colors_info=”{}” make_fullwidth__hover=”off” make_fullwidth__hover_enabled=”off” use_custom_width__hover=”off” use_custom_width__hover_enabled=”off” width_unit__hover=”on” width_unit__hover_enabled=”on”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ use_custom_width=”on” custom_width_px=”1280px” custom_width_px__hover=”1080px” custom_width_px__hover_enabled=”1080px” custom_width_percent__hover=”80%” custom_width_percent__hover_enabled=”80%” global_colors_info=”{}” use_custom_width__hover=”off” use_custom_width__hover_enabled=”off” width_unit__hover=”on” width_unit__hover_enabled=”on” make_fullwidth__hover=”off” make_fullwidth__hover_enabled=”off”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0270\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/252\/2026\/04\/salmonberry-scaled.jpeg” title_text=”salmonberry” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_audio audio=”https:\/\/fv-media-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/kwakwala\/e7601811-dc6f-4e2d-8716-1cc544f18cd6\/kamdzakw.MP3″ title=”\u1e35\u0313a\u0331mdza\u0331kw” album_name=”salmonberry” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#000000″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_audio][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”003e9429-8e11-4d9e-968b-8881092bbf81″ header_2_font=”Vidaloka||||||||” header_2_text_color=”#161616″ header_2_font_size=”40px” header_2_line_height=”1.35em” header_2_font_size_tablet=”30px” header_2_font_size_phone=”20px” header_2_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” global_colors_info=”{}”]\n

Rhizomes, Salmonberry, and Place<\/h2>\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”7262e956-c376-4aa6-9642-c413f71527d0″ text_line_height=”1.8em” text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”13px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” header_font_size_tablet=”55px” header_font_size_last_edited=”off|desktop” global_colors_info=”{}”]\n

During the Virtual Symposium hosted by Royal Roads University\u2019s MALAT\/DipLAT programs, I participated in a range of presentations on digital learning. What stayed with me most were ideas connected to open education, particularly Cormier\u2019s rhizome metaphor of learning (Cormier, 2008). What struck me was not how new it felt, but how familiar it was. My mind immediately went to salmonberry\u2014especially at this time of year, when they begin to emerge and signal broader seasonal shifts.<\/p>\n

Cormier\u2019s concept of rhizomatic learning understands knowledge as non-linear, networked, and emergent. He describes openness in learning as something that spreads and develops like a rhizome, rather than following a fixed or centralized structure. This shifts learning away from hierarchy toward connections and context. Interaction develops knowledge in this sense, and ecology shapes it.<\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0270\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/252\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-23-154313.png” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” alt=”Screenshot of a presentation slide from a virtual symposium featuring a text excerpt on rhizomatic learning, describing it as a networked, non-linear process of knowledge construction associated with Dave Cormier\u2019s theory.” title_text=”Figure 1″ hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″ disabled_on=”on|on|on” disabled=”on”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”7262e956-c376-4aa6-9642-c413f71527d0″ text_line_height=”1.8em” text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”13px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” header_font_size_tablet=”55px” header_font_size_last_edited=”off|desktop” global_colors_info=”{}”]\n

This way of understanding learning becomes visible in land-based systems. Salmonberry, for example, grows in relation to seasonal conditions. In my experience, salmonberry is not just a berry-producing plant, but something that signals broader environmental patterns, with its abundance often understood in relation to the strength of upcoming salmon runs. This aligns with relationships described in Thriving Together: Salmon, Berries and People (The Tyee, 2021), where salmon nutrients support interconnected forest ecosystems. These relationships reflect rhizomatic learning, where the environment shapes knowledge as it develops through connection.<\/p>\n

What stands out to me is how rhizomatic learning and salmonberry knowledge both frame learning as relational and ecological. I understand this perspective as rooted in relationships, place, and direct observation rather than something fixed or isolated. This aligns with relational approaches to knowledge reflected in Indigenous educational frameworks such as the 6 R\u2019s of Indigenous OER (BCcampus, n.d.). It also brings me back to ecological shifts that occur without relational grounding. I began to question whether openness is always positive when it is disconnected from context and other forms of knowledge. This led me to reflect on how mainstream approaches to learning can reproduce non-relational and decontextualized patterns when not accountable to communities.\u00a0In the future, these ideas will make me more attentive to how place and relationships shape knowledge.<\/p>\n

BCcampus. (n.d.). The 6 R\u2019s of Indigenous OER. BCcampus Open Education. https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/openubcpub\/chapter\/the-6-rs-of-indigenous-oer\/<\/p>\n

Cormier, D. (2008). Rhizomatic education: Community as curriculum. Dave\u2019s Educational Blog. http:\/\/davecormier.com\/edblog\/2008\/06\/03\/rhizomatic-education-community-as-curriculum\/<\/p>\n

The Tyee. (2021, May 11). Thriving together: Salmon, berries and people. https:\/\/thetyee.ca\/Culture\/2021\/05\/11\/Thriving-Together-Salmon-Berries-People\/<\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Comments” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ use_custom_width=”on” custom_width_px=”1280px” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _dynamic_attributes=”content” _module_preset=”003e9429-8e11-4d9e-968b-8881092bbf81″ header_2_font=”Vidaloka||||||||” header_2_text_color=”#161616″ header_2_font_size=”40px” header_2_line_height=”1.35em” header_2_font_size_tablet=”30px” header_2_font_size_phone=”20px” header_2_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” global_colors_info=”{}”]@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9jb21tZW50X2NvdW50Iiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiPGgyPiIsImFmdGVyIjoiIENvbW1lbnRzIDwvaDI+IiwibGlua190b19jb21tZW50c19wYWdlIjoib2ZmIiwiZW5hYmxlX2h0bWwiOiJvZmYifX0=@[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”20px|||” custom_padding_tablet=”0px||” custom_padding_phone=”” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|tablet” global_colors_info=”{}” padding_tablet=”0px||” padding_last_edited=”on|tablet” custom_padding__hover=”|||” padding_phone=”0px||”][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ use_custom_width=”on” custom_width_px=”1280px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_comments show_avatar=”off” show_count=”off” _builder_version=”4.16″ form_field_background_color=”RGBA(0,0,0,0)” form_field_text_color=”#161616″ header_level=”h4″ header_font=”Work Sans|700|||||||” header_font_size=”18px” header_line_height=”1.4em” title_font=”Vidaloka||||||||” form_field_font_size=”16px” form_field_line_height=”1.8em” custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”16px” button_text_color=”#161616″ button_bg_color=”#e3e1dd” button_border_width=”0px” button_border_radius=”0px” button_font=”Vidaloka||||||||” button_custom_padding=”10px|24px|10px|24px|true|true” button_text_size_tablet=”17px” button_text_size_phone=”16px” button_text_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” border_radii_fields=”on|0px|0px|0px|0px” border_width_all_fields=”1px” border_color_all_fields=”#E3E1DD” form_background_color=”rgba(26,10,56,0.03)” global_colors_info=”{%22gcid-70e8f1e6-78eb-4f52-a811-0c9b614afdc2%22:%91%93}” button_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off|hover”][\/et_pb_comments][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This post explores rhizomatic learning alongside salmonberry knowledge to examine learning as a relational, ecological process. It reflects on how openness in education is shaped by place, context, and accountability.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":280,"featured_media":459,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-442","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lrnt521"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0270\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/442","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0270\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0270\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0270\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/280"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0270\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=442"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0270\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/442\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":484,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0270\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/442\/revisions\/484"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0270\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/459"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0270\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=442"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0270\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=442"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0270\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=442"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}