Blog Post 6

The Networked Student

In this video, Wendy Drexler illustrates the life of a 21st century student. The school week is modified to 3 days a week in the classroom and 2 days online, there are no textbooks, and his teacher almost never lectures. Drexler then presents the theory of Connectivism. The idea here is that "learning occurs as part of a social network of many diverse connections and ties." Networking is possible through many technological tools that are available. It's important to note, however, that the tools are not as important as the connections made possible by them. In other words, the student is taking control of their own learning by building connections with others.

So why does the networked student even need a teacher? This video actually assures teachers that they still play a vital role in the learning process. The teacher will be acting as a guide. They will be there to help students build their network, show students how to communicate effectively, and how to respectfully ask questions of professionals. The teacher will help the student distinguish good information from that which would mislead them, and also help to organize the information they find.

But am I ready to be a teacher of the networked student? Well, now I'm not so sure. I never really considered the impact of technology in the classroom, but I thought I had a good foundation with technology today. The introduction to EDM 310, however, was a huge wake up call. We are fortunate to have this class because of the direction teaching is heading. I look forward to expanding my knowledge base and sharing what I have learned.

A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment

This 7th grader is extremely organized. I can tell she uses her PLE to its full potential by how easily she navigated through it and how she provided such detailed descriptions for each tool. A few of them peaked my interest. My PLE hardly touches hers though. I like the concept of Symbaloo and would like to begin incorporating that in my PLE.