Connectivism in the Digital World

     With new ways to learn and gain information hitting us from all directions at a fast speed, it is only natural to want to use these new resources (well, some of them). Students take control of their own learning and make new connections with others who will strenthen the learning process (Dembo, S. 2011). When I was in school before technology was so advanced and we had all the tools and ways to use connectivism like we have now, I relied on being able to get to study groups without having many other ways to find information or learn from others. It was just a small group of people who I could brainstorm with. Now, the amount of brains and websites I can learn from is never-ending.
     Out of the many digital tools out there, the ones I use the most are informational websites. Since my time taking classes online, I use much of my time reading articles and finding theories and information to support my claims. This is also how I gain new knowledge when I have questions. However, learning from others on discussion boards is also a way I gain knowledge. I ask others what they think of a topic and with discussion boards, I can get many opinions, facts and theories all at once. Digital tools such as these make learning happen at my pace. And as Dembo states, students take control of their own learning and find the tools and connections that work for them. We are now much more proactive in our own learning instead of reading out of one textbook and all hearing one lecture in a course.
    My personal learning network supports the learning tenets of connectivism by giving me new information and new strategies for teaching, learning and organizing thoughts and theories. For example, recently, I have used new programs and websites that I have not used before but since others have exposed me to these resources I am thinking of ways I can use them in the classroom and then share my newly found resources in my teaching and show my students how they can use these programs in their own learning, such as Jing and Spinscape).  The more ways we can deliver material to students, the more students we will reach and the easier they will learn. Also, if we give our students the tools to take control of their own learning, learning will be fun and exciting. Giving students choices instead of "making" them learn is a much more effective way of teaching.

Dembo, S., (2011) The Networked Student in Plain English Retreived from http://www.teach42.com/2008/12/06/the-networked-student-in-plain-english/ in June, 2011