Kate's Connectivism Mind Map

My Connectivism Explained

 I keep a "Favorites" list with numerous categories on both Internet Explorer and Google Chrome. It is a dynamic list, one I update every time I am on the web. It is also one I use every time I need to be on the web.  Each of your blog websites is in that list. Each of the more valuable web sites we told each other about during week 2 is also in that list. Other web sites I found since then have been added to that list.  So My Favorites List from Internet Explorer and Google Chrome are prominent features of my mind map.

There are also the people I know or am introduced to, either in person or via the phone or Internet. I learned about a free set of seminars focused on Social networking, one of which was to be facilitated by an old friend of mine that had moved to California. Since I wanted to reconnect with her and find out about how social networking helped build communities and business opportunities, I signed up. I met and networked with several people from downtown Phoenix, students at ASU, one of the anchors/reporters for ABC 15 who is really into Twitter, Facebook, etc. Most of the reporters and anchors on the ABC 15 morning news show all have iPads that they are using throughout the broadcast. Amazing!  Their NOW @ 9 (9 a.m.) is filled with social network posts and information being shared across the city, state, country, and globe. It is one of the more interesting news broadcasts.

Which brings me to an article I read about a teacher using Twitter to keep her students and their parents informed on a daily basis about what is going on in the class, what the homework is for that night, and easy access to her for to a student or a parent? I never thought of using Twitter to create a community and quick communication for a class. It reminds me of when I was growing up in a small town. If I did something an adult disapproved of, my mom knew about it before I arrived home. The "small town grapevine" had ensured she was apprised of the situation. These days, she would have received several tweets instead of phone calls. I also follow President Obama’s White House Twitter group and receive tweets from him and/or his senior advisors on a daily basis. So here we have another part of the Personal Learning Network - Twitter.

So far, I have a mindmap based on the following groupings:.

Social Network

        LinkedIn

        Twitter

        Facebook

        Yelp

        Skype

        Digg

        Classmates.com

        MyLife.com

Hardware

        Acer

        Cannon

        Gateway

        Iomega

        Logitech

        Microsoft (Live Chat Headset)

        HP

        Newegg.com

        Intel

Software

        Microsoft

            Word

            Excel

            Power Point

            Clip Organizer

            OneNote

            Internet Explorer

        Google

            Chrome

            iGoogle

            iReader

            Google Talk

        Evernote

        NookStudy

        Toodledo

        Foxfire

        Adobe

            Acrobat Pro 9

            Acrobat Reader X

            Adobe Digital Editions

            LiveCycle Designers

            Acrobat Distiller

            Bridge CS5

            Contribute CS5

            Device Central CS5

            Dreamweaver CS5     

            Fireworks CS5

            Flash Builder CS5

            Flash Professional CS5

            Flash Catalyst CS5

            Illustrator CS5

            PhotoShop CS5

            Pixel Bender Toolkit

        McAfee

            Virus Scan

            Spyware Protection

            Firewall                                 

            Site Advisor

            Home Network Manager

            Parental Controls

        McAfee Tools

            Automatic Updater

            Quick Clean

            Shredder

            Windows Defragmenter

            Online Backup

            Hacker Watch

            Virus Information Library

            Virus Map

            Traffic Monitor

            AntiSpam

            AntiPhishing

        Stumbler (StumbleUpon)

        GIMP

        CyberLink Power DVD 9

        iTunes

            iTunes Player

            iTunes Store

            iTunes University

            Ping

            Genius

            AudioBooks

            PodCasts

        SourceForge

            Inkscape

            FreeMind

        Digiarty

            WinX HD Video Converter Deluxe

        EgisTech

            My WinLocker

        WinRar

        7Zip

        WinZip

        HyperStudio

        Audacity

Websites

        http://www.edutopia.org/

        http://www.lynda.com/

        http://www.aect.org/default.asp

        http://www.ispi.org/

        http://www.instructionaldesign.org/

        http://nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/bloom.html

        http://t4.jordan.k12.ut.us/

        http://www.youtube.com/

        https://my.waldenu.edu/

        http://act-r.psy.cmu.edu/papers/misapplied.html

http://groups.diigo.com/group/emerging-technologies-in-e_learning

http://www.brainchannels.com/index.html

http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/index.htm

http://teachnet.edb.utexas.edu/~lynda_abbott/cognitive.html

http://www.g2conline.org/  

http://www.learning-theories.com/

http://otec.uoregon.edu/learning_theory.htm

http://www.emtech.net/learning_theories.htm#Dual_Coding1

http://vizthink.com/

http://www.nowhereroad.com/cgl/toc_redirect.asp

http://aace.org/

http://www.connexions.org/

http://www.mywebspiration.com/

http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/

http://pbskids.org/cyberchase/

http://www.nsba.org/

http://www.studyguidezone.com/resource_tips.htm

http://www.studytips.org/

http://edu.glogster.com/what-is-glogster-edu/#one

http://www.crossref.org/SimpleTextQuery/

http://www.davidco.com/

http://www.traffic.com/controller/home

http://www.merriam-webster.com/

http://www.ehow.com/

http://www.spaceflight.nasa.gov/home/index.html

http://www.mapquest.com/

http://www.healthhound.org/

http://www.webmd.com/

http://arizonafoothillsmagazine.com/

http://www.jensenlearning.com/index2.php

http://sunnibrown.com/

http://www.about.com/

http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Social_Constructivism

http://drtae.org/

http://www.wordle.net/

http://universitae.com/

http://www.usability.gov/index.html

Blogs

        http://edge.ascd.org/

http://brains.org/

http://www.coolcatteacher.com/

http://www.radteach.com/

http://help4teachers.com/books.htm

http://edublogs.org/

http://www.iste.org/welcome.aspx

http://www.articulate.com/blog/

http://katelearningtheoriesinstruction.blogspot.com/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

Software and Hardware Support

Cox Communications

Acer Support

Microsoft Support

McAfee Support

Staples

Adobe eSeminars

Television

        HBO Documentaries

Discovery Chanel

Science Channel

PBS

Showtime

History Channel

The Learning Channel

Do It Yourself Channel

Animal Planet

National Geographic

History International Channel

Biography Channel

BBC America

ABC 15

Newsletters & Magazines

Educational Leadership Magazine

Eric Jensen's Brighter Brain Bulletin

Kathie Nunley's Educator's Newsletter

ERN: George Siemen's eLearning Resources and News

ASCD Edge Newsletter

ASCD Express

ASCD Smart Brief

eLearning Newsletters

Learning Solutions Magazine

EduBlogs

Education Week

Digital Directions (from Education Week)

Consumer Reports Magazine and Newsletter

American Spirit (Daughters of the American Revolution)

Books

www.Barnes&Noble.com

ASCD.com

Amazon.com

Bookmans Half-Price Bookstore

Libraries (Local City, County, State)

Communications

Skype

    IM

    Video Calls

    Phone Calls

IM on Facebook

Cox Communications

    Land Phone Line

    VoiceMail

    Broadband Internet

    Email

Cell Phone

    AT&T

Snail Mail

    U.S. Postal Service

    UPS

    FedEx

AT&T

            Cell phone

Associations

ASCD

ISTE

GTD

NAMI

Daughters of the American Revolution

People

Family

Old Friends

Classmates

Instructors

Co-Workers

School Network

Walden University

    Walden University Library

    Walden University Courses

    Walden University Email

    Walden University Book Store

    Writing Center

    Academic Advising

    Financial Aid Advising

    Turn It In

        iTunes University

        Citrix Online

             GoToMeeting

             GoToWebinar

        Lynda.com

        University of Northern Colorado

        Laurel High School

There are also useless information sources that don't really have anything to do with this class. For instance, I just found the link to the wondrous Microsoft Worldwide Telescope that is circling around Mars right now and I can see what they are finding on the ground with those little robot rovers. Or I can find very useful information not really connected to this class: I can use my cell phone to navigate me intersection-by-intersection to where ever I need to go. (I used to get lost and/or take double the usual time to get anywhere.) I can also use that same cell phone to find information on the internet if necessary.

To be honest with you, there are so many directions information is coming and going that I sometimes feel like I am overwhelmed with information. I remember back when cuddling up with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate was the highlight of my day. Now I read my books online, go to school online, shop online, email instead of snail mail, check the weather online, etc. I think I am becoming a part of the Digital Generation. Is that possible or am I just part of the generation adapting to it? I am not sure. I have been working with computers since college in the 1970s. I have kept up with most of the technology as it comes out. I have both a desktop PC and a laptop, both a land line and a cell phone. I watch who is online using Skype and Facebook. One area I do not have in common with the Digital Generation is the love for playing multi-player fighting games online. I prefer games that make me think, puzzles and word games. I am trying to find a way to buy the “Just Dance” game for my son’s Wii. So maybe I am about 75% caught up with the Digital Generation. I think I need this in order to design immersive game-based learning modules for young adults as well as adults. I am hoping when I finish this Masters program, I will be able to do that, and secure a good paying job doing it.

Connectivism

Designing Adult Online Instruction

     I have to say right up front that I didn’t expect to find an article like the following for this week’s topic regarding Adult eLearning. After all, it doesn’t really take place online. It is done is a bar – well, sort of. It does, however, point out very clearly a design instruction that works for adults that are motivated to learn the subject.  It clearly points out what adult learning experiences need to include. See what you think: http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/488/marc-my-words-what-can-we-learn-from-bartender-school- Ok, now that you read Mark Rosenberg’s blog on Bartending School, let’s see if you agree with him about what adult courses need to include.

·        High-level simulations,
·        an interactive student guide,
·        student-created job aids,
·        simple and fun memory aids,
·        substantial realistic practice, and
·        a competency-based assessment.

So what is different from this and the “usual” online classes you take? Maybe the “High-level simulations”? Perhaps the “substantial realistic practice”? The rest is there, right? How do we integrate ‘high-level simulations” and “substantial realistic practice”? I don’t know yet. I still don’t know how to animate anything, except PowerPoint presentations, and those are really simplistic animations.  But I agree that I need to learn and include this ingredient in my class designs.

Now I want to bring into the discussion what I found at the following link provided by classmate Rick Baron last week: Principles for Designing 3D Learning Environments retrieved from http://www.kaplaneduneering.com/kappnotes/index.php/2010/11/principles-for-designing-3d-learning-environments/  In this blog, Karl Kapp listed the following principles to follow when designing 3D learning environments: (I copied these items directly from the blog)

·        Instructionally Grounded
·        Reflectively Synthesized
·        The Experiential Principles
·        Participant Centered
·        Contextually Situated
·        Discovery Driven
·        Action Oriented
·        Consequentially Experienced
·        Collaboratively Motivated

All of these principles are familiar, since they are found in one or more of the learning theories we studied so far in this class. Take the time to read the blog. It changed my way of thinking about how we can include social constructionism in online classes.

     As I watch my son play games online with other players and listen to him talking with them as they play, I realize that they are building community and connecting in a way that is definitely social. My son has problems seeking out and making friends face-to-face. He has a mental illness that interferes with this socially important human need. He has no problem, however, doing this online. I know he is not the only one like this, mentally ill or not. (See the white paper on “Digital Youth Project” (2006 – 2008) at http://digitalyouth.ischool.berkeley.edu/files/report/digitalyouth-WhitePaper.pdf for a more thorough discussion of the research done in this field.) There are several reasons that occur to me why this is so, and they have all been discussed ad nauseum in numerous situations and media. For example, online conversations (without the webcam) allow people to be who they “want” to be instead of who they “are”. It allows you to say things without the usual immediate physical consequences (other than to your character, perhaps). It allows “teens then share their creations and receive feedback from others online. By its immediacy and breadth of information, the digital world lowers barriers to self-directed learning.” (Mizuko, Horst, Bittani, Boyd, Herr-Stephenson, & Lange, 2008) Another aspect of the online environment is that “while adults participate, they are not automatically the resident experts by virtue of their age. Geeking out in many respects erases the traditional markers of status and authority.” (Mizuko, et. al., 2008) The report continues with numerous other findings about how our youth socialize online. However, the fact that adults are not automatically assumed to be experts in the online environment is pertinent to how to design online adult instruction. It can actually be a relief for a person whose job entails being the “go to” person who is expected to have all the answers and solutions. It can also have the opposite affect for adults who expect to be treated as experts regardless of the situation they are in.

     Of course, the readings this week spell out several premises generally accepted when designing instruction for adults. We have Eduard Lindeman who authored The Meaning of Adult Education and inspired Malcolm Knowles to research “the difference between the education of adults and children.” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009). Malcolm Knowles went on to coin the two terms used today to differentiate between adult and youth education: andragogy and pedagogy, respectfully. You will find many of the characteristics Knowles defined as intrinsic to adult education in the list above associated with Principles of Designing 3D Learning Environments: “adults want to have a hand in, be responsible for their own education and their own learning, … bring to the learning process their own life experiences, … are highly motivated by intrinsic factors, such as the need for knowledge and the drive to succeed.” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009)

     We also have Marc Prensky’s influence to the field. He coined the two terms “digital immigrant”, “the group of people born prior to 1970 … [who] were not raised with technology as a primary source of production or information”, and the second term “digital natives” to refer to “those born after 1970, … [who] were raised in a world of technological advancement.” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009). He has also delved deeply into research about game-based learning. I just ordered his books Digital Game-Based Learning, Don’t Bother Me Mom—I’m Learning, and TEACHING DIGITAL NATIVES: Partnering for Real Learning. I encourage a visit to his site http://www.games2train.com/ for an experience in how online games can be incorporated into the educational setting for adults. He has a contract with the Department of Defense (http://www.dodgamecommunity.com/) so they seem convinced he has something worthwhile to offer.

    All in all, I found several new sources of information about adult learning, especially in the online environment, this week (and it is only Wednesday). I am more excited about my chosen profession now than when I first applied to the program. I have the people mentioned above to thank for that.

References:

Baron, Richard. (2011, January 28). Exciting time to be entering the ID field. Message posted to EDUC-6115-1 Learning Theories and Instruction class discussion board, found at http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=4744627&Survey=1&47=7090838&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1  

Laureate Education, Inc. (2009). Malcolm Knowles.  Timeline in the History of Learning. Retrieved from http://mym.cdn.laureate-media.com/Walden/EDUC/6115/01/mm/tec_timeline.html Baltimore, MD: Laureate Education, Inc.

Laureate Education, Inc. (209). Marc Prensky.  Timeline in the History of Learning. Retrieved from http://mym.cdn.laureate-media.com/Walden/EDUC/6115/01/mm/tec_timeline.html Baltimore, MD: Laureate Education, Inc.

Mizuko, I., Horst, H., Bittani, M., Boyd, D.,  Herr-Stephenson, B., & Lange, P., et. al., (2008, November).  Living and learning with new media: summary of finding from the digital youth project. The Digital Youth Project. Retrieved from http://digitalyouth.ischool.berkeley.edu/files/report/digitalyouth-WhitePaper.pdf

Rosenberg, M. (2010, July 13). Marc My Words: What Can We Learn from Bartender School? Retrieved from http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/488/marc-my-words-what-can-we-learn-from-bartender-school-