Learning to Change, Changing to Learn: The Power of Networked Learning

Over the course of LTT, I have been learning about the importance of building one’s personal learning network. I have come to the realization that as teachers, we need to be networked so that we can lead our students into a networked environment. So much of a teacher’s work in a “traditional” classroom setting is done in isolation; I know that there is amazing teaching and learning going on all the time behind the doors of my colleagues’ classrooms not just in my own school, but in the district, across the country, and around the world. Not so long ago, there were very few opportunities for us as teachers to effectively and efficiently share ideas; the odd Pro-D Day, workshop, learning team, conference, professional newsletter, etc. The choices were limited and limiting.

I have been working on building and extending my learning network by exploring more blogs related to education and technology. I am excited and inspired by the wealth of relevant, interesting information I have found; the challenge is to sift through and determine what is of true value and importance to me. As Nicholas Carr discusses, the ability to scan and browse is as important as the ability to read deeply and think attentively. I can see how Carr suggests that skimming is becoming an end in itself, our preferred method of both learning and analysis. I suppose that the old adage of finding a happy medium prevails, in this situation as it does in so many. Using my personal Netvibes page to organize and manage my blog following is the first step I am taking to make the whole process less overwhelming. I would like to continue to explore more ways to “manage” networked learning, to make it a seamless part of my professional practice rather than an “extra” or an “add-on.”

Crap Detection

As I read Rheingold’s article and watched his vlog post, I found myself agreeing with many of his points; we need to equip ourselves and our students with 21st century literacy skills, and we need to move towards a culture of collaborative inquiry. At the end of the article, I found myself thinking, “So who is this Howard Rheingold guy again and what makes him a leading expert on crap detection?” I guess the case he made for thinking critically about the information you consume really hit home; I quickly took a glance at his bio and website, and saw that he has diverse experience and background as an author, editor and professor.
By encouraging students to ask questions and think like detectives, we can begin to develop students’ abilities and habits to critically filter the information they find online; the challenging part is to make this really matter to them. Do the nine-year olds in my Grade 4 class really care if their research on John Cabot is entirely accurate, or would they rather just find an answer, any answer, to their research questions? Perhaps I could use a site like martinlutherking.org, mentioned by Rheingold, to design an initial introductory assignment on crap detection 101.

Connectivism

George Siemens and Stephen Downes raise some thought-provoking ideas and discuss some key issues that are changing the way we teach and the way students learn today. The ideas of connectivism and the network model of learning are more relevant now than ever due to the ever-expanding array of technology that makes it easier, more efficient and more productive to learn from and with a network. Certainly, I agree with Siemens’ assertion that learning is not about stuffing knowledge into the minds of the learners; rather, as teachers, we need to focus more on developing the skills of our students to seek out and create knowledge for themselves through such means as dialoguing with experts and working with colleagues. In other words, we need to train students to become responsible participants of learning networks and to recognize that knowledge is bigger than what can be contained in any one individual’s mind.

Will Digital Storytelling Increase Motivation and Engagement for All Learners?

As I began my foray into digital storytelling with my Grade 4 students this term, I took some time to assess their existing knowledge as well as their attitudes toward writing. What do they already know or think about digital storytelling? Will it have an impact on their motivation and engagement? What do they feel they need support with? I posed three questions to the students to get a sense of this. The questions were:
- What does “digital storytelling” mean to you?
- What makes a good story?
- What do you like/dislike about Writing Workshop?
Student responses were open, honest and informative. I wonder if and how their ideas and attitudes might shift after their experience with digital storytelling.