November 29, 2012

Connectivism and Social Learning in Practice

The social learning theory is the belief that students learn with in a social environment.  I believe this is actually a necessity.   If you think about the environment in which most adults must work, live and function, we are social beings and will benefit when taught ways to work cooperatively from a young age.  With the Web 2.0 and technology tools available, it is easy to incorporate technology into any type of instruction.  However, tools such as blogs or wikis, that are set up to promote cooperative groupings or a social environment are even more effective for grouping. 

The idea of connectivism is based on the theory that learning is made through different types of connections and is something that doesn't naturally exist.  Students that are working cooperatively can make connections with others, thus learning new information.  Social learning tools can also aid in this type of learning because students can be exposed to a wide range of cultures, ideas, and higher level thinking.


References
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connectivism, retrived on 11.27.12.
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3 comments:

  1. AnonymousDecember 2, 2012 at 6:39 AM

    Amy,
    Today may people say "students need to get off the computer and be more social", but I think that social look more then one way. Students today are being social through new technology and connecting with each other and people around the world on a different level. How do we help students connect in person and these new social media tools?

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  2. UnknownDecember 2, 2012 at 8:52 AM

    I agree, in some ways we are becoming more withdrawn, person to person or face to face. Social media tools allow people to express themselves like never before. Of course, just like any other interaction with people, some will use it negatively. I think it's important that we incorporate social media, but also have a balance of student to student interaction so that they are learning social skills as well.
    Amy

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  3. JarvDecember 3, 2012 at 1:02 PM

    Amy,

    I also believe that individuals learn in a social environment and they benefit from collaborating with each other in person or various from of technology. Using technology like blogs etc. can bring life to an exhausted lesson or spark new ideas. My concern is what skills are people lacking because of the technology push? From my experiences, I have noticed the students “hand writing” is getting worse. Just a thought….

    Jeremy

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