Nocking the Arrow

When venturing out to world wide web, do we view the various landing points as tools or places ?   Many people consider Google search as a tool, but Twitter as a place. The key difference being we typically associate places as locations of social interaction and contribution. We establish residency by leaving traces of our identity behind as we move point to point. The longer we stay, and the more we engage with others, the further we move away from the visitor role towards residency. A few months ago, I wrote about mapping  Internet usage based on the research of White and Le Cornu . I found this mapping activity to be personally enlightening, and it also helped me have focused conversations about the places our learners are most likely to interact and share. Dave White explains visitors and residents are not separate classifications but rest on a continuum to help explain how people use the web and where places of engagement are likely to occur. The Internet mapping e...

"Fragmentation of information requires that we weave together elements into some coherent framework."  -  George Siemens At a recent teachers' workshop, I asked the attendees to shout out their favorite digital learning tool. " YouTube !", " Pinterest !", " Twitter ," Google Plus !", " Flipboard !". The answers kept coming. I then asked people to stand up if they used three or more of the shouted responses. With half the attendees standing, scattered throughout the room, I asked them to huddle up with me in the middle. The purpose of this activity was to demonstrate George Siemens concept connected learning centers (CLCs). The Internet and learning networks allow us to access information and resources from a variety of places. Knowledge attained from a variety of information sources is fragmented. Modern learners create centers to add coherence and meaning to information. These centers are simultaneously social and technic...

In typical fashion, Will Richardson gave me things to think about, along with a reading assignment. Last week, he shared this gem from George Siemens . In his post, George explains why he is changing his thinking about educational technology.  "... educational technology is not becoming more human; it is making the human a technology.  Instead of improving teaching and learning, today’s technology re-writes teaching and learning to function according to a very narrow spectrum of single, de-contextualized skills." - George Siemens Without a doubt, my personal learning is constantly supported and enhanced by connected, mobile technology. The Internet, and all that it has to offer, feeds my curiosity, and keeps me informed. Technology helps me be a better learner. Using it makes me smarter. Additionally, technology has connected me to thousands, dare I say millions, of people. These connections provide information, resources, perspective, compassion, criticism, and fello...

Do you really need a learning management system?   Who needs a digital portfolio?   Are e-portfolios past their educational used-by date? These are examples of posts discussing the merits of tools used to manage and organize evidence of learning. A few months ago, I discussed the value of every learner having their own domain on the Internet. Autonomy, creation, and self-organization of information were key aspects of my position. However, a few readers asked, "where's the scaffolding and structure?" With divergent opinions being shared I want to clarify my thinking on web tools, and their purpose. I want to create a focus, or a center , for the fragments of information made available through my network. According to George Siemens, an expert on socially networked learning and  connectivism , information fragmentation contributes to a lack of coherence and understanding.  "Fragmentation of information requires that we weave together elements into some type o...

"In the abundant world in which we now find ourselves, transformation in schools must be about empowering learners to organize their own learning and about delving deeply into the subjects that interest them, to live on a “perpetual learning curve.” Those are the skills they need to be successful learners in their adult lives. The emphasis shifts from knowing to learning." -  From Master Teacher to Master Learner , Will Richardson Here is my visual interpretation of what Will Richardson calls  the perpetual learning curve of the modern learner.  I have no scientific basis for this graphic other than the influence of co-learners ( PLN contributors ) like Will Richardson , Jackie Gerstein , Jon Andrews , Aaron Davis , George Siemens , Yong Zhao , Stewart Hase ,  Alan November , and many others. Observations and Experiences - Stewart Hase states, "Learning is intrinsic to the learner. Every brain is different as a result of experience. People are nat...