why networks matter in teaching & learning
DESCRIPTION
Keynote for the PLE Conference in Melbourne, Australia, July 12, 2012.TRANSCRIPT
Dr. Alec CourosPLE ConferenceMelbourne, AustraliaJuly 12, 2012
Why Networks MatterIn Teaching & Learning
#pleconf
me
Last Updated 2006
The Blur
“Web 2.0 tools exist that might allow academics to reflect and reimagine what they do as scholars. Such tools might
positively affect -- even transform - research, teaching, and service responsibilities - only if scholars choose to
build serious academic lives online, presenting semi-public selves and becoming invested in and connected to the work of their peers and students.” (Greenhow,
Robelia, & Hughes, 2009)
Visualizing Learning
Open/Connected Teaching
network mentors
non-credit students from #eci831
20 credit students with 200 ‘official’ mentors
Open Tenure/Promotion App.
“The Open Scholar is someone who makes their intellectual processes digitally visible and who invites and encourages ongoing criticism of their work and secondary
uses of any or all parts of it -- at any stage of its development.” (Burton, G., 2009)
@simonsinek
“People don’t buy what you do. They buy why you
do it.” (2010)
changes in media
mobile
Real World
School World
tools
content
“72 hours of video are uploaded every minute.”
“Over 3 billion hours of video are watched each month.”
“Over 800 million unique users visit Youtube every month.”
“More video is uploaded to YouTube in one month that the 3 major US networks
created in 60 years.”
Free/Open Content“describes any kind of creative work in a format that explicitly allows copying and
modifying of its information by anyone, not exclusively by a closed organization, firm, or
individual.” (Wikipedia)
@drtonywagner
“Today knowledge is free. It’s like air, it’s like water...
There’s no competitive advantage in knowing
more than the person next to you. The world doesn’t care what you know. What the world cares about is
what you can do with what you know.” (2012)
Access to the world’s content anywhere, anytime is enough to create significant
changes in learning.
Engagement, conversation, & transparency around the development & acquisition of knowledge is necessary.
networks
intro to PLNs/PLEs
MYOB Learning
Objectivism
Group growth
(Schwier)(Leinonen)
Individual growth
CognitivismConstructivism
Social Learning
shifts in edtech
PLE: Tools, artefacts, processes, and connections that allow learners to control
and manage their learning.
PLN: The sum of all human/social capital and connections that result from the
development and facilitation of a personal learning environment.
PLEs can be seen as a subset of PLNs.
crowdsourcing
@dlnorman
@giuliaforsythe
@noiseprofessor
@noiseprofessor
@noiseprofessor
@timlauer
@guiliaforsythe
Kindness in Networks
God bless you and your family through this difficult time.
My best attempt, I only removed the tubing, left colors and levels alone. I am sorry for your loss.
I color corrected the skintones a bit as well.
minor lighting, a 6 x 4 crop for printing in standard size &
removed some of the background.
well done fellow redditors !!!!
Fixed the
chair
OK black background gone. Sorry it took so long, had to start over. Thanks again to wahoorob for doing the hard part.
Sorry for the late help. I went for simplicity. Enjoy - and I hope you remember her well.
Crowdsourcing
@shareski
#whynetworksmatter
process
+
@dlnorman
1. collective intelligence
You are what you eat
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brooklyntyger/
My PLN Let’s Me Eat Their Brains
@cfanch
The smartest person in the room, is the room. Dave Weinberger
cc licensed flickr photo by torres21: http://flickr.com/photos/torres21/484675706/
@shareski
@trilia
2. sociality & support
Why Do Students Go to University?
Content
Social Life
Degrees
Support Services
(Wiley, 2010)
Why Do Students Go to University?
Content
Support ServicesSocial Life
Degrees
WikipediaPLoS
OCW
Open Courses
Google Scholar
arXiv.orgFlatworld K
MCSEGCT
ACT
CCNACNE
MMOGsMySpace
Yahoo! AnswersQuora
Skype
(Wiley, 2010)
ChaCha
Badges
@malynmawby
@klhellerman
“... here's the thing: the professional growth couldn't have happened without the personal interaction. It took time to build trust and to get to a place where I could be vulnerable. The random photographs, the silly tweets,
the heated debates, the commentary on music and sports - these all led naturally to professional growth. I went online hoping to share some ideas. Instead, I've
found a community of teachers who I can share my life with.”
@shareski
@thecleversheep
3. expanding community
@elenelli
@hdurnin
@glassbeed
Networks aren’t about the tools and platforms you use, they will change as our communities grow. They are
about connecting with others, developing relationships, supporting and mentoring, sharing, laughing, caring,
encouraging and participating. Educators don’t need to feel isolated in their busy workplaces where transient
conversations occur on the way to class and professional development is difficult and expensive to organise. We
don’t need to reinvent the wheel and feel reluctant to ask for help. Our voices can be heard beyond the noisy and
sometimes threatening atmosphere of the staff room. Social networks matter.
networked learning
@jonmott
This is what I know.
This what I want to know.
Help?
“To answer your question, I did use Youtube to learn how to dance. I
consider it my ‘main’ teacher.”
“10 years ago, street dance was very exclusive, especially rare dances like popping
(the one I teach and do). You either had to learn it from a friend that knew it or get VHS
tapes which were hard to get. Now with Youtube, anyone, anywhere in the world can
learn previously ‘exclusive’ dance styles.”
Nick
MattKirk
the future
@barrywellman
“The developed world is in the midst of a paradigm shift both in the ways in
which people and institutions are connected.
It is a shift from being bound up in homogenous “little boxes” to surfing life through diffuse, variegated
social networks.” (2002)
fixed to place
fixed to person
“The person has become the portal.”
Wellman (2002)
Private Public
Closed Open
Thinning Walls
how are you making learning visible?
how are you contributing to the learning of others?
http://[email protected]
@courosa
Don’t limit a child to your own learning, for he was born
in another time. ~Tagore