My network hasn’t changed the way I learn. Most of how I learn is still reading and writing. I don’t sit in a lecture or sit down and discuss topics with classmates or professors. I have asynchronous discussions which, while very different for me a “face-to-face” native , not a digital native, has its advantages. It allows more time to collect your thoughts and compose responses. My network has vastly expanded my access to knowledge as well as the views and opinions of many from around the world.
But it also has disadvantages in creating a feeling of strong “connection” with a learning community. It is odd to me Siemens and Downes chose the term “connectivism” for their ideas about learning. Not seeing or spending time in the physical presence of classmates and professors creates, for me at least, a much less connected feeling in comparison to my land-based undergraduate and graduate experiences.
The digital tools that best facilitate my learning are a word processor and the virtual library at Walden. A word processor, for those who never had to use a typewriter, is such a time saver. It also makes it much easier to organize and reorganize my thoughts within a document. The Walden library makes scholarly research so easy.
I recall spending hours and days in the “stacks” at the Penn State library during grad school hunting down articles. Culling through almanacs filled with abstracts you might find a few articles that fit your research topic. Then you traveled to the stacks to find the journal. I can’t tell you how infuriating it was to find numerous time that the journal issue I need had somehow sprouted legs and walked off from the shelves!
When I have a question that needs answering I access that information online, either through research articles, blogs, wikis or books. I must say I don’t like reading off a computer screen and usually print out (sorry trees) or purchase hard copies. As far as learning it, which I am assuming means to store that information internally so that it informs my actions and thinking,
Wow Scott!
ReplyDeleteI'm very sorry that you feel so, is it fair to say, disconnected? I guess I might have a different view of being able to connect due to my health. If I didn't have the Internet and tools like Twitter, Second Life, Facebook, and more, I would have surely gone crazy! These tools let me connect with people with similar interests without having to leave my house or somedays my bed.
I do also have to say that my PLN is amazing! I've been connected with a great group of people and when you connect with people, amazing things happen! My roommates at NECC were from New York and two parts of Nebraska. We met online and chose to room together to keep travel costs down. Then, while there, we connected with even more of our PLN and had an AMAZING time! Sometimes our online connections become face to face, making it even more powerful.
I used to think that I learned nothing from my pln on twitter. BUt here are two blog posts in which I talk about all the cool stuff I learned in a short amount of time on twitter: http://tipline.blogspot.com/2008/04/tips-twenty-five-minutes-on-twitter.html
ReplyDeletehttp://tipline.blogspot.com/2009/06/great-deal-and-more.html
I hope you don't give up on it too soon.
I have to disagree. My network has changed the way I learn a great deal. I like you would print or read material to gain knowledge. Now instead of searching endlessly for project ideas, I ask my plurk community for advice frequently. In return I offer links to resources that I create or find useful for other teachers. You must give a social network a chance for about 3-6 months before making a final judgement. But during those 6 months,you must reach out to connect too. I am rmom352 on twitter and plurk, join us!
ReplyDeleteBrad
ReplyDeleteWell apparently you and I are the only dinosaurs left! I loved two parts of your blog post.
First, you gave a pro and a con. I agreed with your pro - that this asynchronous blogging, etc. gives us thoughtful reflection time to compose a response. I think that thoughtful reflection time is invaluable.
Yet I also highly respected your feeling of disconnect in a "connected" world. Certainly when I met you at the residency, it made a huge difference for me. I can now really relate to you, your writings, and your thought process. If a picture paints a thousand words, then for me, a face-to-face encounter paints a full picture of a person.
This brings up a whole new can of worms. When we read something, do we read it as the writer intended it, or do we read it the way we interpret it? (Some may argue if that matters.) This I think may also be a pitfall in online relationships and perhaps the ammunition of online predators.