In my last entry I promised you media safe lessons in an easy-how-to-do-it form, and I will get there (i.e. to the step-by-step instructions), but you have to wade through a bit of impassioned rhetoric first. For today’s lesson is about constructivism/connectivism and blogging. And how you can use blogging to learn about yourself and the world around you.
As far as I can understand, constructivism/connectivism is a learning method, which stipulates that we best acquire knowledge as a result of attempting to understand our own experiences. Further, it is possible to use this learning method to create learning networks. One of the simplest ways of doing this is by blogging.
Over the last years I have been trying to practice this type of learning method in a research project. We work with teachers and students from grade 1-13 in various schools. Helping them to discover constructive and creative uses for digital media. If I were to sum up what this method envisions, in twenty words or less, it would be that the best way to learn about something is to be a participator rather than an observer.
An important aspect of connectivism in context to blogging is the marvellous process of creating learning networks. Blogging offers us a slow, organic, human way of learning about ourselves, our world, and a bit beyond. Taking one step at a time. For we, undeniably, do learn best by slowly connecting the dots rather than attempting the quantum leap method.
The way to create your own learning network using blogs is as follows:
1. Find your starting point. In most cases this is a blog that you find personally interesting, intellectually stimulating, or just plain fun. The place where I would start, if I were starting out today, is here. This is a list of authors/bloggers, from just about every walk of life, who write well. (Even though my written English has sorely deteriorated over the decades, I do like to read proper English). Click on the bloggers name and bookmark the site.
2. Click onto the page regularly; if not daily, one or two times a week. In order to get excited about blogging you have to experience the immediacy of the medium. In much the same way it is necessary to check your email inbox regularly to experience the immediacy of emails versus letters.
3. See whether, over a period of time, you are sympathetic to the blogger’s ideas and style of writing. If so, keep it. If not trash it, and find another blog more suited to your interests.
4. Try to discover an interesting next “dot” in your learning network. Most bloggers place links in their blog entries. These links are often the source of their information or just something interesting that underlines their ideas. The chance of finding something informative and interesting behind these links is high.
5. Be a participator (beginner). Write comments about the entries you find interesting. Nearly every blogger spends much time and effort writing blog entries. What really makes a blogger excited is not to receive praise or criticism, but to receive well presented praise or criticism: e.g., I really found your ideas interesting because…
6. Be a participator (advanced). Write entries for the Red Tent Blog. If you have an idea or story or opinion just write it down and send the text to virtualredtent@yahoo.com. I will guarantee that you will know more about blogging, the motivation behind it and the enthusiasm of those who do it, by taking just one step.
7. Feel free to skip steps 1-5 and go directly step 6. The fun about blogging is that anyone, that means you, can just jump in feet first if you so choose.
As far as I can understand, constructivism/connectivism is a learning method, which stipulates that we best acquire knowledge as a result of attempting to understand our own experiences. Further, it is possible to use this learning method to create learning networks. One of the simplest ways of doing this is by blogging.
Over the last years I have been trying to practice this type of learning method in a research project. We work with teachers and students from grade 1-13 in various schools. Helping them to discover constructive and creative uses for digital media. If I were to sum up what this method envisions, in twenty words or less, it would be that the best way to learn about something is to be a participator rather than an observer.
An important aspect of connectivism in context to blogging is the marvellous process of creating learning networks. Blogging offers us a slow, organic, human way of learning about ourselves, our world, and a bit beyond. Taking one step at a time. For we, undeniably, do learn best by slowly connecting the dots rather than attempting the quantum leap method.
The way to create your own learning network using blogs is as follows:
1. Find your starting point. In most cases this is a blog that you find personally interesting, intellectually stimulating, or just plain fun. The place where I would start, if I were starting out today, is here. This is a list of authors/bloggers, from just about every walk of life, who write well. (Even though my written English has sorely deteriorated over the decades, I do like to read proper English). Click on the bloggers name and bookmark the site.
2. Click onto the page regularly; if not daily, one or two times a week. In order to get excited about blogging you have to experience the immediacy of the medium. In much the same way it is necessary to check your email inbox regularly to experience the immediacy of emails versus letters.
3. See whether, over a period of time, you are sympathetic to the blogger’s ideas and style of writing. If so, keep it. If not trash it, and find another blog more suited to your interests.
4. Try to discover an interesting next “dot” in your learning network. Most bloggers place links in their blog entries. These links are often the source of their information or just something interesting that underlines their ideas. The chance of finding something informative and interesting behind these links is high.
5. Be a participator (beginner). Write comments about the entries you find interesting. Nearly every blogger spends much time and effort writing blog entries. What really makes a blogger excited is not to receive praise or criticism, but to receive well presented praise or criticism: e.g., I really found your ideas interesting because…
6. Be a participator (advanced). Write entries for the Red Tent Blog. If you have an idea or story or opinion just write it down and send the text to virtualredtent@yahoo.com. I will guarantee that you will know more about blogging, the motivation behind it and the enthusiasm of those who do it, by taking just one step.
7. Feel free to skip steps 1-5 and go directly step 6. The fun about blogging is that anyone, that means you, can just jump in feet first if you so choose.
lilalia 
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