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. 

Curate or bookmark? How will you organize your information?

There are various resources out there for organizing information. The two that I'm looking at are Diigo and Scoop.it!.

Diigo is an alternative to the traditional bookmark bar that inhabits the top of your browser window if not blocked. Diigo's appeal is in the fact that you can add multiple tags to organize the pages that you like and that you can access your saved material on any computer with an internet connection. You can group the sites under named lists as well. It also allows you to add comments for yourself and followers about the webpages, and in return, you can see the same on the peoples pages that you follow and add comments to their links. Another great feature is the ability to leave sticky notes or highlight on the webpage itself. If there is a certain feature you would like to keep in mind or a feature that you would like to avoid, you can make a sticky note that will pop up when you go to those sites and on your home page where the links are saved. Same with the highlight feature. The highlight feature comes with a few different colors, so hopefully you'll be able to highlight what you would like despite the word/background color. My favorite feature is that of the chrome extension. It adds onto your toolbar and it only takes one click to save the website and add descriptions/tags. It is super convenient to use when the extension is enabled. Like everything, there are some downsides. There are no suggestions for sites based on interest, so it's based purely on the sites that you go to. You can look at the sites that friends have saved, so it's an alternate to suggestions.

Scoop.it! is a different way to organize information via "curation". While not tag specific, it is organized under a group heading (My curated topics). You then "scoop" websites that you want to add to the groups that you have made. It allows you to connect up with your social media sites (facebook, twitter, linked in) so you can share your "scoops" with the followers on there. The nice feature that scoop.it! has to offer is it's suggested pages area. Once you "curate" a topic, it will offer suggestions to add to it. The topics I started offered up about 100 suggestions each. You can also just add websites that of an interest that you find as well. Again, everything has downsides. The button that exists to quick add is not an extension, so unfortunately you have to have your whole bookmark bar visible to use the Scoop.it! add button. It's more of an annoyance that a true issue, so if you are a person that doesn't mind having their bookmarks visible, then the button is fine for you. You also can't comment on the links that others have posted, but you can "thank" them for it and share the item, commenting that way. There are no tools to highlight or mark notes to yourself about the sites that you "scoop" other than the initial comments that you put about the site.

If I had to choose between the various sites, I would go with Diigo. While it isn't super flashy, it has a really easy user interface. It's extension button makes it just as easy to save a site as the traditional bookmarking star does, and you can access the information anywhere. The post it and highlight features are also a nice touch. I don't mind that sites aren't suggested because I usually get annoyed when a website keeps suggesting things that I should like. I can do the Google search on my own. While Scoop.it! does off the curated groups, I can achieve the same effect with the lists. The multiple tag option that Diigo offers, and the breakdown of said tabs, is a option that I don't get with Scoop.it!. I will definitely continue to Diigo for it's user friendly and innovative features.

The modern classroom: Utilizing technology in an increasingly technological world

As the picture on the left depicts, many classrooms are moving towards using the various forms of technology available; from Ipads and other tablet devices, to smart boards and other interactive boards. So, why are the various forms of social media so important to use in classrooms? How can devices such as cell phones be utilized for learning instead of hidden away? The following videos examine these increasingly important questions.


The video Social Media Revolution (2011) gives a variety of statistics about social media that may be shocking to some. Essentially, it shows the role that social media plays in our lives, from keeping connected with friends to making/breaking relationships, and beyond. One such statistic is that "If Facebook were its own country, it'd be the world's 3rd largest." If teachers are able to harness the fact that social media plays such an important role in students' lives, it can be another outlet for growth and presentation of materials for a classroom setting.

Another video is Classroom of Tomorrow (2012). This video demonstrates some of the ways that various devices can be utilized. Everything from personal smart phones to tablets, they are utilized to perform different functions like helping with a presentation, finding out information, and recording different activities. Since most students, not all, have smart phones or some smart device, why not utilize that students love to use in a classroom setting?  I think that this video also shows the lack of human interaction that can result from an overuse of technology as well. A careful balance has to be set-up, and the teacher would be responsible for maintaining that balance.

Ultimately, technology is the wave of the now, future, and beyond. If teachers of any discipline can tap into the learning potential that these devices provide, the impact in learning could be great. The jobs that current and future students will have will require extensive use of technology, so exposing students early not only can benefit them in the immediate classroom, but also help their futures. Word to the wise though, make sure to maintain a healthy balance between technological and human interactions.


Here are some more ways that technology can be used in a classroom setting:

Blogging as a classroom tool

Part of teaching is coming up with creative ways to engage students in the lessons that you are teaching, while at the same time upholding the learning standards. Technology is moving to the forefront of the educational experience, so it is important to keep up-to-date and utilize it in the classroom when available. I will focus on how blogging can meet the LOTE NYS standards, but these concepts can also be applied in an ESL classroom.

The power of having a voice in one's own learning is irreplaceable experience. This is why blogging is such a valuable tool. It is a creative outlet regardless of the content required, and allows for a certain amount of freedom. It can be used to create or reflect on certain lessons. In an L2 classroom, it can be used in a variety of ways to meet a variety of checkpoints under Standards 1 and 2 based on the NYSED:LOTE Standards. The standards of reading and writing and effective communication  are easily met if a blog lesson is correctly set up. 

One way that blogging can be utilized in the upper levels can be in regards to reflecting on readings that are done. This gives students the chance to articulate their thoughts, add graphics, and other information to back up their thoughts. This is also a great opportunity for those students who hold back on sharing their thoughts in class for whatever reason. It’s an alternate outlet for them to express said opinions, providing an area for their thoughts to be heard. This can be done for individual reading assignments, so students are continually producing language and finding their voice. It allows creativity in the fact that it is the students’ opinions on a certain topic. Expressing an opinion definitely falls under Standard 1:

·       READING & WRITING are used in languages other than English for the purposes of socializing, providing and acquiring information, expressing personal feelings and opinions, and getting others to adopt a course of action.

Another way that blogging can be utilized, is when learning about a specific cultural phenomenon, reflective blogging occurs. Even in an L2 classroom at the lower levels, students are constantly learning about various cultural elements of the language that they are learning. For example, the differences between schooling systems. Even in the beginning L2 levels, a reflective blog can be started. If your students don’t possess the language abilities to blog in the L2, they can still reflect in English. Without the understanding of the culture they are learning, the language becomes almost meaningless. This falls under Standard 2:

·         EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION involves meanings that go beyond words and require an understanding of perceptions, gestures, folklore, and family and community dynamics. All of these elements can affect whether and how well a message is received.

Welcome!

Technology has and will continue to evolve as time goes on. Therefore, it is up to those who are educating students (of any age) to make lessons relevant and useful for students' futures. This means that integrating technology, when available, into a classroom is essential. It is possible to add it in regardless of content area. As I am a foreign language and special education teacher, I will mainly be focusing on various technologies that can be used in those settings, although I will also post things I find useful for other content areas as well.

Some links that I find useful or at least interesting for use are:

Spanish: http://www.senorwooly.com/
              -Some content is free to use, but you can also get a subscription for full access to the videos and materials.

History (or anyone who wants to make a timeline): http://www.dipity.com/
             -It's free to use and you can customize your timeline to your liking or have students create their own.

Core Subjects: http://www.flocabulary.com/
            - Unfortunately a lot of the content on this site has a cost, but it incorporates rap/hip hop music with content. There are some videos that you can view for free, but not a lot. They offer material for: Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, Science, and Vocabulary.

Enjoy!