The Brass Ring

My wife volunteers at a local elementary school where >90% are poor minorities.

There is a huge cognitive context of standards, benchmarks, tests, LMS systems, and published accountability tables. The State has labeled the school an “F” school based on the reading/math scores after the 2nd grade.

Her assignment is to get kids in the 2nd grade to pass the reading test. The teachers ask the students to read a book three times and then go to the computer to take the “test”. If they pass then they can go on to the next book. As a former computer science instructor myself, I appreciate the power of exams to motivate when some would rather play video games. Working hard is a good “behavior”. Yet this is not enough. These 2nd graders just don’t get it.

The small network of a single student working with my wife is a help. She is able to communicate the joy of reading and explains all the concepts the students have no idea about. Yesterday a boy thought a dentist was where you got ketchup (checkup). The students have to be given the possibility of “constructing” their own knowledge but something is missing.

How could Connectivism as a learning theory be of some assistence? I speculate that Connectivist theory would imply that simply expanding networks would help. Reading together in groups. Reading with parents. An on-line book available both at home and school. The Constructivists would then add writing a note(email, twitter) to Grandma. Talking about a book in class. Acting out a scene with several friends. And yes, an on-line quiz would be a chance to see some holes and celebrate. Not all Behavior implies failure.

Just a start. Any ideas?

I find the papers and discussions (eFest) relatively clear. They repeat many constructs that help cement them. Even the network of comments above helps. I jump into this course and long periods of time disappear without boredom. Practically, however, I hop around the learning theories. With my concept maps before me, I’m working on “constructing” ideas that make sense to me. Just the network doesn’t seem to do that for me. The thoughts need to be processed internally. Perhaps then because of my background I look for “cognitive” structures that can transfer and that can be recalled and finally I need to prepare a presentation for schools on the subject where I will be held accountable and paid (”behavior” will be expected). Connectivism seems to relate to new understandings of the brain and new social networks enabled by technology but I can’t yet subsume all the insights of the other theories into the new one.

George Siemens introduction “What is constructivism” helps clarify a few things for me.

Connectivism is more than simple relationships between people using technology but has three levels: 1. The neural network which is how the brain works 2. the conceptual level – how we make networks of ideas and 3. the external or social level – how we learn from each other whether face-to-face or across web laced universes.

This implies a relation between individual reflection and learning community. Several questions come to mind.

1. What would the ideal dynamic between these various levels of connectivity look like? When watching young kids learn (you can see why Piaget would get excited) there seems to be constant action which you know is influencing the reflection and learning which is harder to observe. Does that change as we age or does learning efficacy always imply a fast dynamic between neural and conceptual connections and external connections? (video games)

2. Where do concepts come from? Might this be the strength of “traditional” learning? It can get complex. There are a few books I have read again and again yet when discussed in a social or external environment I wake up to new meanings as if I had not even read the book once.

3. In the chaos of competing information spheres and tools, how do you (should you) select or prioritize? I just can’t seem to understand the sense of Twitter, am mystified by Second Life but really appreciate Aggregators. Why am I drawn this way? How can I (should I) relate to those who live with totally different understandings of networking environments?

This course has already forced me to reconstruct my igoogle and push me into new constructs. Great fun.