Exploring ning.com

This is my dream website for a Spanish class!! It includes all aspects of culture, pop music, videos, weather reports in combination with classroom assignments, new vocabulary and links to classroom grades!! The students seem to be actively involved in creating this page, so I am guessing it is from a high school level class!! The content of this page is inspiring for a "tech-wannabe" like me!! WOW!

Professionally, I could use this group to model my own site & it encouraged me to include new things on my current wiki space!! I like the idea of the cartoons describing reflexive verbs on the left margin of the page & think I might add a similar assignment on my current class's wikispace! My students would have to find pictures of Spanish/Hispanic foods & define them "en español!

http://espelec.ning.com/

Check this page out if you are intrigued!! ¡ Es genial!

A leaner is like...A graphic organizer!

After an analysis of the following videos, The Impact of Social Media on Learning and The Network is the Learning, by George Siemens and the article Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age, also by Siemens, I have observed the following about connectivism and learners today. A learner is like a graphic organizer. In this analogy, the learner to compared to a way to organize thoughts and ideas before writing. Through this organization, many conclusions can be developed and distinct connections can be made. These connections can often lead to learning and an increase in knowledge in both a field of interest or more abstract topics.

The theory of connectivism encourages the use of technology to increase the knowledge and understanding of learners and people in general in today’s society. Through the use of wikis, blogs, and social networks as sources of new, more current knowledge, learners can set up unique “webs” of information to help enhance their comprehension of new theories, research, or topics. A graphic organizer is also a web of ideas that connect or separate ideas or facts; hence the connection to today’s learner.

“Computer networks, power grids, and social networks all function on the simple principle that people, groups, systems, nodes, entities can be connected to create an integrated whole. Alterations within the network have ripple effects on the whole,” (Siemens, 2005). Like a graphic organizer, once a new arrow, or section has been created, the overall knowledge of a learner or the main ideas of a graphic organizer can be altered. These alterations spread quickly to other members of these spaces and therefore can drastically affect the thoughts of a very broad community. As stated in the video, The Network is the Learning, George Siemens quotes “there is an exponential effect when adding a node to a network,” (Siemens, 2007). This exponential rate of spreading information provides learners of all ages the opportunity to continually grow within their fields; however, it is important for learners of all ages to realize how quick these changes are occurring.

In conclusion, connectivism provides an instant connection to knowledge and further knowledge in the field of study of many learners! This new technology encourages learners to stay connected and create their own method of organization to remain current. A graphic organizer is a helpful tool to organize thoughts just as a blog, wiki, or social network is a great way to organize new knowledge or opinions.

References

Siemens, G. (2005, January). Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, Retrieved January 26, 2009.

The Impact of Social Media on Learninghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grI_h88vs3g&feature=PlayList&p=3E43054A8703F57A&index=3 Retrieved January10, 2009.

The Network is the Learning http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpbkdeyFxZw&feature=PlayList&p=3E43054A8703F57A&index=4 Retrieved January 26, 2009.

Top Three Ways To Use this Blog

A blog could be used in the classroom to promote many different aspects of a successful class. For instance, a blog could be used to promote communication among students, promote practice in an unique way and finally, to promote a sense of community among the students in the class. Communication would be evident through discussion questions where students would post their opinions or answers. Practice could include examples of classwork that could be completed at home or links to practice games or activities to be completed as extra practice or homework. Finally, a sense of community would be evident if pictures of class activities were posted or examples of student work were on display on the blog.