My thoughts on Connectivism

My thoughts on:
Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age
By: George Siemens

The “half-life of knowledge” is the time frame from when knowledge is gained to when its obsolete.

The amount of knowledge in the world is doubling every 18 months according to the American Society of Training and Documentation (ASTD).

Traditional education no longer comprises the majority of learning in our world today. Learning now occurs through communities of practice, personal networks, and through completion of work-related tasks.

The most important thing we need to teach students is an understanding of where to find the knowledge they need.

3 Basic Theories that attempt to address how it is a person learns:
1. Behaviorism-Learning is largely unknowable. We cdon’t understand what goes on inside a person’s mind.
2. Cognitivism-Learning is viewed as a process of inputs, managed in short term memory, and coded for long-term recall.
3. Constructivism-We create knowledge as we attempt to understand experiences.

These theories don’t address learning that occurs outside of people, or occurs due to technology.

They also fail to describe how learning happens within organizations or groups.

An alternative theory: Chaos - states that the meaning exists – the learner's challenge is to recognize the patterns which appear to be hidden in everything

The field of education has been slow to recognize both the impact of new learning tools and the environmental changes in what it means to learn. Connectivism provides insight into learning skills and tasks needed for learners to flourish in a digital era.
____________________________________________________________________
I somewhat agree with the theories given. Learning does not occur as much in school as it does out in the real world. You need job training for every new job you take. You figure out technical problems by clicking on the little ‘help’ button on the page when dealing with computers. We need to teach our students critical thinking skills so they will be able to adapt to new situations and figure things out on their own.