Connectivism and Collaboration: The classroom of tomorrow

A learner is like an ever growing plant. There are the roots that every learner has, but you don't always know how they are going to form, what they will look like when they bloom, or how big it will get. A learner can keep acquiring new knowledge everyday, forming new ideas and applying them. As a leaner, it is important to connect with other like-minded people and continue to grow and acquire. That is where the concepts of connectivism and collaboration come into play. Connectivism is the idea that learning does not only happen within oneself, but though connections to other people and their ideas. Collaboration is working together to grow with the people that you connected with. George Siemens explore these concepts further. 

In the article Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age by George Siemens, he states that  "Connectivism is driven by the understanding that decisions are based on rapidly altering foundations. New information is continually being acquired. The ability to draw distinctions between important and unimportant information is vital." With technology developing and changing at an alarming rate, knowledge is more accessible and plentiful. Without the ability to distinguish between the important and unimportant information, a learner can become overwhelmed, regardless of the network the connect with.

In the video The Network is the Learning, George Siemens states: "The network that I create when I follow the writings of an individual...that particular network that I create, it is what enables me to  continue to stay current in my own field, and just with the trends that are occurring in the rest of society as well." Staying current is the utmost importance in the field of education. Educating the leaders of the future requires the teacher to be relevant so that students can be prepared for whichever situations they might be put in. That is why a teacher must network and connect to stay relevant. In addition to connecting, a teacher must incorporate technologies that promote connectivism and collaboration in the classroom setting. Students will need to acquire this skill early on in order to be successful.

The social networking site Maestros de Español provides a platform for Spanish teachers from all over, the chance to connect and share ideas. The site itself just requires a yahoo email, but to join is free and open. The pages that it has are clearly labeled along the top of the page for easy access. It provides links to various items that would be useful for the classroom, a countless number of files that have games, songs, etc., discussion posts, etc. The resources that a Spanish teacher would be able to use in their classroom setting, but is also a place for teachers to share ideas and collaborate as a community. This is one of the networks that I shall immerse myself in. Going back to what George said, this is one of the ways that I will try and stay current in my own field.