Connectivism
7-A-3 Responding to Connectivism
This assignment is the blogical response to a portion of the con-side of the Connectivism Wiki page.
To be honest, I’m not sure I have a have a firm opinion about connectivism as a learning theory yet. The arguments put forth by both sides make compelling reading. At this point, I’m willing to admit, “I don’t know”.
On one hand, I can see where Siemens is going as he places the changes in technology into modern context. I agree these changes need to be assessed as they alter the way we live, communicate, and (yes) learn.
On the other hand, I can understand the reservations of critics. Connectivism can be a way of looking at how we acquire new information, but does it explain how our brain processes and assigns meaning to information? I’m not sold it is a learning theory.
Would the description of connectivism as a pedagogical practice be diminishing? In my mind, no. Whether it is a learning theory or a curriculum model, is an argument for people who aren’t busy teaching students. I consider connectivism (as learning theory or curriculum model) to be a compelling argument for adding Web 2.0 tools and techniques into the classroom. At the end of the day, I want to use what I can to help my students grow and understand the world around them. Certainly, connectivism has given me some new ways to think about what is the best way to teach.
2 Comments