Connectivism is built on the principal that knowledge exists in the world not in the mind of one individual. I chose to reveal my mind map to show how this principal relates to the knowledge about technology and how I apply this knowledge. When gathering information what comes to my mind is collaborating with the experts in my field. I have had such a great learning experience working in a learning community, I decided to build on this experience by relating to other learning communities in the content area in which I teach (4th grade math). The insight that I have gained from others is priceless. Like students we sometimes feel intimidated by our peers and don’t communicate openly with them.
What digital tool best facilitates learning?
The digital tool that best facilitates learning for me is Wikispace. This tool is very motivational for all learners due to the fact that individuals learn so much from each other. This has given the students in my math class the ability to respond to their peers using their language. My class includes students with poor writing skills and they are very hesitant about writing. Twenty-first century education is challenging all teachers to meet the students where they are. They live in a digital world and we must make learning digital. They are learning to respond to their peers by adding comments as to how to work a problem and what part of a problem was most complicated for them. They are even able to reveal the part of solving the problem they still don’t understand. This has been a great instrument for me being a veteran teacher. It allows me to critique their work without a verbal comment but by using a written remark. I have become a big fan of wikispace and so have my students. My colleagues in the workplace are seeing its benefits as well. We used it wikispace to express our concerns Teacher Keys because we did not have time to meet f2f. When using wikispace you are also working with individuals that you are not familiar with except through written communication.
How do you learn knew knowledge when you have questions?
When I have a question I can always use Google and find the answer and this is how knew knowledge is learned. Google is a great search engine for finding trustworthy and suitable articles. This also allows you and other individuals to be sincere with their opinion about the subject matter at hand. It also increases collaboration efforts. This makes learning motivational and challenging. It also promotes critical thinking skills. According to Siemen we bond and bring together numerous elements and creative ideas and activities continually influencing our perception and awareness. (Simen, 2006, p.35)
Reference
Siemens, G. (2006). Knowing Knowledge. Copyright 2006 by George Siemens. Used by permission.
Shirley,
ReplyDeleteYou mention that your school used a wiki to communicate with one another regarding the implementation of Teacher Keys. Who facilitated this project and how were you expected to respond? Were there specific requirements, was it mandatory for all employees?
Additionally, how did you teach your students to use the wiki? Did you do a step by step tutorial type lesson or did the students learn on a trial by error basis?
Great Post!
~Laura
Shirley,
ReplyDeleteI like your approach to your mind map, making Google the center. The way you have used wikis with both students and your colleagues sounds interesting. I think that this shows the versatility of wikis and how they can be used in a variety of ways by a variety of people.