http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwM4ieFOotA target=
1. Share your initial reaction to the networked student concept—My initial thought is that this model is an ideal and would only work with self-motivated students at higher levels of education. It has been my unfortunate experience in my professional life as well as my graduate studies at UCF that the majority of people/students are lazy, seeking to get the grade rather that truly learning and integrating new ideas into their daily lives. Secondarily, being a very rule oriented person myself and always craving specificity and predictability, I have to say that a class as described in the utube video is actually quite scary! To be student or a teacher under that model requires more and takes one beyond the “traditional” rote learning into something else, something less measurable and defined.
2. Note any personal experiences you have with the concepts and the technologies in the video—I can recall several seminar-type classes I took in my undergraduate career through the Honors College that tended towards the type of learning described in the video. The classes required a creativity and depth of introspection by students and teachers alike that were incredibly stretching for me as a student and as a person. However, looking back on those classes, I can definitively say that I remember the life-lessons I learned in those classes far more than any other class I’ve taken (and I’ve taken quite a few classes before and after those seminars!!) and recall the impact those professors made on me personally far more than any of the “substantive” classes I took.
3. Tell us how comfortable you would be in the role of the teacher in the video—I would quite anxious to be that teacher! I’ve been cast in the “teacher” role in my professional life and there is always much more definition and hierarchy involved. I am comfortable within that defined role and the clear parameters of instruction and goal orientation. However, based on my experiences in the past, I can also see the tremendous benefits to the type of consultant role described in the video, where the teachers learn just as much as the students. I’d like to say that if I’m given the opportunity, I would be open to being that facilitator.
4. Note the biggest challenge you see in making Drexler's vision a reality everywhere (based on your readings and your personal experiences)—From a practical perspective, the great technology described in the textbook is simply not available to everyone. Yes, many schools are as networked as the Chapter describes and many students have access to the technology to allow them to become networked with other students. However, that is not so universal, even in this day and age, to assume that all students will have the same opportunities at their fingertips. I think this is the first challenge. I think the second major challenge, based on my own experiences, would be that students are often lazy and motivating them to find the value in the experience as well as obtaining the grade for the class would not be an easy task!
5. Identify one small step that you as a classroom teacher can make toward this vision—since I’m not already teaching, this one is difficult to answer!! I think that the major challenge I have in general is trusting others. My tendency is towards control and micro-managing because I am responsible for the outcome. The ideas put forth in the video for this module is leaning towards a community of trust, mutual respect, and mutual growth. It would be my thought that as a matter of personal growth, I can learn and grow in my comfort level with trusting others to take ownership of their own learning process and to stay within a role of facilitation and mentoring.
Abigail
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Abigail,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your thoughts about the video. It looks as if it may be part of an assignment. Your post came up in my Google Alert for "the networked student".
I'm especially sympathetic to your concerns. I wrestled with the same concerns myself. I view connectivist learning as an inquiry model. Research findings on inquiry learning are mixed. Some studies reinforce your concerns about student motivation. The art of teaching inquiry is finding that perfect balance between freedom and structure. That can be different for each student. Of 16 students participating in this project, 2 were unable to keep up with assignments and daily research requirements. I sat down with each of these students one-on-one to create a schedule for getting back on track. They identified detailed weekly goals and communicated their progress each day. The structure helped them succeed. I saw it as my job to create the environment in which they could be successful. I wondered if a variation of this model would work with younger children. I'm currently conducting doctoral research with a 7th grade science class at PK Yonge School in Gainesville. We are only 3 weeks into the study, and we are providing significantly more structure with the 7th graders than previously with the high school students, especially in setting up accounts and teaching digital literacy and responsibility. The results thus far are promising. While my research is focused on the processes that a student goes through when developing a networked personal learning environment, I also recognize the challenge this poses to teacher roles. I hope that this work will facilitate further discussion on the benefits and challenges of networked learning.
Thank you so much for your post.
Wendy Drexler
Dr. Drexler:
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for taking the time to respond to my posting! Yes, the posting was generated for a graduate level education class at the University of Central Florida in which we are exploring the role and integration of technology into the classroom. I am not teaching in the traditional sense, so I tend to look at things slightly differently than my colleagues!
I wonder, if in your research, whether you have had the chance to include homeschooled students in your research. Having been homeschooled myself, I find the models you describe to be far closer to what I experienced prior to attending public high school.
It is great to hear of your efforts and the results you are seeing and thanks again for taking the time to respond to my blog.
Abigail
Abigail,
ReplyDeleteI'm not working with homeschooled children; however, I completely see the potential for networked learning in that environment. I'm interested to watch how networked learning, virtual schooling, and homeschooling start to converge in the near future. It's an amazing time to be in education.
Best to you,
Wendy