Connectivism

My Learning Network

My learning network represents George Siemen's Theory of Connectivism because it shows that information is abundant, the network is rich in connections, and the system is complex (Siemens, 2013). 

Before the onset of digital technology, my learning network was mainly comprised of physical interactions.  This included conversations with friends, trips to the library, dinners with my family, etc.  Information was primarily inherited from conversation with others, and (although hard to believe now) if I had questions, I had to wait for the answers.  This period of time also coincides with my youth so it makes sense that most of my knowledge was learned from other people, especially family members and teachers.  In the last ten years my network has changed dramatically.  Digital technology had made information more abundant and available than ever.  99% of the time, the knowledge I seek is only a click away.  Vocal conversations are now at a minimum, replaced by texts and online postings.  While I still have face to face interactions, virtual connections facilitate much of my learning.    

Although I do not like to admit it, I spend a lot of time working with technology.  When I wake up in the morning I watch the local news on the television.  Throughout the day at work I navigate online software databases.  At the gym I run in front of a television screen and at night at home I search websites to find the information that allows me to complete these assignments.  When online, I find Facebook and Wikipedia to be my two main learning tools (when not doing schoolwork).  Facebook assists me for two reasons: 1. It allows me to quickly learn about the lives of those I am connected to and 2. My ‘friends’ are able to share information (not pertaining to them) that they feel others should know.  For example, right now I can log in to Facebook and find out who got married, who had a birthday, who graduated, etc.  Also when I log in, I find my friends have posted interesting articles from around the web.  These posts direct me to information I may never have sought on my own.  It may be a video for a new song or an article about a newly discovered species, either way it is information that is new to me.  I also mentioned that I am a big fan of Wikipedia.  I know that not all of the information on the site is accurate, but nine out of ten times the facts are pretty spot on.  While I do not use Wikipedia for scholarly advice, it is a great tool for basic understanding of various subjects.  The best feature of Wikipedia is that there seems to be an article for everything!  Again, this is a tribute to the abundance of information available in my network.  I use Wikipedia like I use Facebook posts, as a jumping off point.  If a subject seems interesting or I have a question about something then I will read about it.  If I need more information then I continue scouring the internet until I am satisfied. 

The internet, along with cell phones, has made my learning network a lot more complex.  If I made my mind map 15 years ago, there would have been very few and distinct connections.  Now, it appears as though everything is connected in some way or another.  To be honest, I had to keep the map simple or else it would have taken weeks to include every learning connection that is available to me.  I truly exist in a connectivist learning environment because information is abundant, connections are rich, and education is complex (Siemens, 2013).

Connectivism [Online Video]. (2013). [With George Siemens]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_2820276_1%26url%3D.