Fitting the pieces together

I don’t feel really that my view on learning theories and styles has changed too much during the time spent in this course. By that I mean to say that the information presented in this course has had significant correlation to my previous studies in education. What was new and different, and has provided for a good deal of self-reflection, is the addition of the role of technology usage in not only my learning, but how it is used and how it can or should be used when developing courses, specifically for adult learners. When paired with specific learning styles, such as musical learning style, curriculum can be tailored to play into a learner’s cognitive strengths, or may challenge the learner to develop new ways of comprehending and synthesizing information.

For my own personal learning preferences, I adapt quickly to new information that contains patterns. As I posted in an early discussion, this learning tendency most likely stemmed from the musical training I received as a child. This habit has expanded to include patterns in science and mathematics, which are subjects that I enjoy and excel at. The expansion came from the recognition of similar patterns into different curriculums with the ZPD and scaffolding. Linguistics is still more difficult for me as it is harder to develop rhythm or patterns in language, without breaking into poetry or song.

Technology is an interesting tool for learning. It can bridge multiple learning styles simultaneously, such as a video clip (visual) with audio (auditory) and closed-captioning (verbal). Different applications such as manipulatives (massive multiplayer online gaming) or discussions can further contribute to a student’s learning by addressing kinesthetic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal learning styles. Technology can also be a hindrance or obstacle for a learner to overcome in the pursuit of knowledge if the technology is unfamiliar or cumbersome to work with. The learner may become frustrated and lose motivation if training, time and reinforcement are not also included in the assignments. As was lately pointed out in the investigations on the Horizon Project, various applications of technology may now or in the near future make learning much less traditional and more immediate and personally significant through the use of smart technology, mobile devices, and semantic-aware applications. Personally, I use technology as an organizational device, to gather and bring order to my communications, applications, research, and work products.

Johnson, L., Levine, A., & Smith, R. (2009). The Horizon Report (2009 ed.). Austin, TX: The New Media Consortium. Retrieved from http://wp.nmc.org/horizon2009/

Lowe, J., & Holton III, E. (2005). A theory of effective computer-based instruction for adults. Human Resource Development Review, 4(2), 159-188. Retrieved October 6, 2010, from ProQuest Central. (Document ID: 842876681).

Ormrod, J., Schunk, D., & Gredler, M. (2009). Learning theories and instruction (Laureate custom edition). New York: Pearson.

My mind map is split up into three main areas, although there could be many more; Information Resources, Interactions, and Applications. This activity was challenging from a strictly organizational point of view, as many aspects of the learning network can be and often are connected in more than one way.

I first gain information from program resources, texts, journals, etc. After processing the information and relating it to my own experiences, I then interact with others about the information to gain their perspectives to add to my own. Taking this large mass of information, I apply it to my different applications either for personal use or for professional use as a classroom teacher. As my student interact with the new information of technology, I learn from their experiences, and return back to my peers to share the information and experiences with them.

Networking and especially digital networking has allowed me to be more efficient in searing for particular kinds of information. Search engines and databases filled with indexed research topics can quickly narrow my investigation to a few key points. It also allows me to more readily seed opinions of others associated with my field of study (either peers, instructors, professors, or industry experts) to meld with my own levels of experience. I tend to learn best through interactive environments, especially with visual representations and quick feedback on replies from peers. Digital tools, such as FlashMedia, discussions, and live chats all help to facillitate thist ype of learning. Whenever my questions are not initally answered, I will either post my questions on my blog, where one of my 'readers' may respond, or I will directly communitcate with one or more individuals whom I know to be knowledgeable in the field.

In looking at the characteristics of connectivism, I would say that my learnign network supports the ideals of connectivism, rather than refuting it. For example, connectivism theory appreciates and encourages the explorations of a diversity of opinions to facilitate learning. (Davis, Edmunds & Kelly-Bateman, 2008). I seek out others' opinions and add them to my own as I learn and comprehend new ideals or concepts. Because of the nature of connectivism and digital mediums, there is also and urge to remain up-t0-date with current events, research, political and popular opinions, and relevant feedback to your own applications of materials. Learning networks rely on new and prompt information to stay current and most effective.

Davis, C., Edmunds, E., &Kelly-Bateman, V. (2008). Connectivism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Connectivism

My Mind Map on Connectivism

I am having technical difficulties imbedding the image to the blog. Here is the link to the map through Webspiration.