The implications of Connectivist theory are profound for today's teachers because they require a complete rethinking of learning objectives. Whereas Constructivism supports the prospect of planning a relatively linear path to the acquisition of some specified knowledge, Connectivists build webs of learning avenues with unforeseen outcomes.
To some educators, the connectivist approach will appear messy and not conducive to meeting state standards. I can imagine both new and seasoned teachers asking, "How can I teach the required content while my students are busy finding resources to build their 'personal learning networks'?" Of course, this question assumes that the required content is completely necessary.
Yes, it is important to have some content standards, but just how rigid should those standards be? How many American students remember who the Sumerians or Assyrians were? Both groups are typically part of a High School World History curriculum, and probably should be; their contributions to humanity are tremendous. Nonetheless, memorizing that Sumerians invented writing (cuneiform) over 5000 years ago is not as useful as being able to navigate the immense sea of information available to ordinary people in the 21st century.
Educators and policy-makers need to realize the most important learning leads to future learning. The connectivist teacher knows that a lifetime of learning is dependent upon building a personal learning network. Left to their own devices, some students might build supportive, informative networks that continue to grow and open their minds year after year. On the other hand, without assistance, many students may never discover how to build their learning networks and will be trapped within the confines of their innate circumstances. Worse yet, without guidance, some students may stumble unwittingly into a network of ill-doers. Today's world is one in which information is easily disseminated, and those with good intentions do not monopolize the internet. Students need information education more than ever.
When educators are concerned about teaching content, they can easily forget about teaching students. The content should not be the objective; it should be the vehicle. The learning objectives should always pertain to the student's development as a learner. Teachers must introduce content that provokes new thinking and inspires further exploration, because when students learn to think and explore, they can find any content they need. Memorization is nowhere near as important as it used to be. Open a web browser on your computer, or take your phone out of pocket. Type "invent writing" in a Google search, and you'll see why memorizing who the Sumerians were just isn't that essential. What is essential is knowing how to find, evaluate, and create information and media, and hopefully possessing a desire to do so.
Dan, one big piece that I got from the readings regarding Connectivism, is that learning waits until the learner is ready for the knowledge making the learning (connections) more profound. The learner makes greater sense of the material in connectivism because they have had the time to process and are now ready to connect addition material to the process. In constructivism the knowledge is presented with connections on the instructors time table not on the learners process. If the learner missed something along the way in constructivism there is no way to open that void for the learner.
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