Module 4: Learning Today Is Like an Ecosystem…

A learner is like an ecosystem. I say learners are like an ecosystem because they form a community of interacting learners and the physical knowledge (tangible or intangible in the form of ideas supported by concrete reasons or simple opinions) that each brings with them. Each element in the ecosystem (similar to individual learners) cannot exist exclusively on its own; a complete knowledge is dependent upon interaction among its members. In learning, it is essential for the people of today to remain current…always keeping abreast of and sharing innovative ideas and perspectives. This is accomplished by a give and take relationship among people and databases which simulates the give and take nature of, for instance, photosynthesis or pollination in our ecosystem.

Connectivism contrasts learning theories that focus on the individual mind and the knowledge/thoughts/ideas that happen to it or are placed in it. George Siemens' theory of connectivism, on the other hand, emphasizes that learning happens through interaction with other people, databases, organizations etc…Individuals are in charge of their own learning and intermingle in a dialogue between various learning mechanisms. Learning is also never complete; there is always some innovation occurring. We, as humans owe it to humanity to try to make as informed a decision as possible; we need to be able to glean through various resources as quickly and efficiently as we can. Our job as educators will be to guide and nurture our students to embrace the reality that, “the ability to draw distinctions between important and unimportant information is vital.” (Siemens, 2005, p. 5)

The article was interesting with regards to presenting learning in a new light. It discussed content we are all aware of but have still failed to usher into the classroom with the enthusiasm it deserves. “Meaning-making and forming connections between specialized communities are important activities.” (Siemens, 2005, p. 4) We have to embrace technology as much as possible so that we can foster within our students the desire to make connections but to also remain cautious and realize the dangers of irrational connections. By irrational connections I mean it is imperative to “evaluate the worthiness of learning something” before committing to its truth value or accepting its connectedness. (Siemens, 2005, p. 3)

The concepts brought forth in the video The Network Is the Learning relates to the field of second language learning in the following way, ESL teachers cannot experience everything their students have experienced or are experiencing but we can look to “web colleagues” from other schools and countries for assistance at any time we need. “The way we are connected to other individuals is largely responsible for our ability to continue to stay current in the field.” (Siemens video The Network Is Learning) I can learn quicker from colleagues on the web than I can by waiting for a book to be published. “The network continually evolves and continually reforms itself.” (Siemens video The Network Is Learning) With students’ needs and technology changing every day we cannot afford to not keep current with the latest ideas or valuable perspectives of others. Would we want our dentist to insist on technology used in the 1970’s or lawyers to refuse to look at how a law has been amended since the 1990’s? Thus, we cannot subject students to only teaching in a manner that prepares them for what happened yesterday. We cannot remain individuals but must participate in the network. Jennifer F.

References:

Siemens, G. (2005, January). Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, Retrieved November 20, 2005
The Network is the Learning (3:14 minutes) Retrieved September 21, 2009.