THREE years with Barrie

    As technology is introduced to society, society slowly adapts.  These adaptations lead to innovation, and exploration.  One area that is slowly exploring the technological revolution is the field of Education, however its cautious approach, partly based upon poor and outdated funding models, is hindering our students ability to cope with the digital world they will soon inhabit.  Luckily this model of educational instruction and funding is becoming no longer sustainable, and change is inevitable.

    Connectivism provides one of the many alternatives to learning that Education needs to survive into the next century.  This theory is not a replacement to those that have come before, but an approach to enhance previous theories, taking advantage of all that the World Wide Web and Globalization have to offer.

    As a middle school teacher, I have used this form of learning to educate myself before I knew this theory existed.  My professional development is currently based upon Twitter and many other Social and Web 2.0 services.  Before I was one of one in my school, now I am one of many on the Web.  Providing and receiving knowledge through the networks I have joined and developed.  I have more knowledge and experience at the click of a mouse button than has ever been possible before.  However, it is still necessary to vary the strategies on how I absorb and comprehend information before sharing with others, for each experience and situation is unique.  But as I navigate the ever immersive online world, I realize that I am now one of many nodes quickly gathering and dispensing of the information that I need.  As a highly motivated adult that explores while learning, this method is excellent for my needs, however not every learner is an adult, nor highly motivated.

    So can this theory be utilized for the general masses of adult learners or even students ranging from K-12?  For the most part I think the answer is simple, it already is.  Many adults utilize tools such as Del.icio.us to save their bookmarks and find more by surfing through the social features of this service, proving that learning happens best with a seamless marriage between the living and non-living.  However as an educator I still require practical applications of this theory to the grade levels that I instruct.  At this time, my students are neither old enough to guide their own learning, nor mature enough to stay motivated without instructor lead activities.  Because of this, I see this theory greatly enhancing Adult Education at this time, and maybe utilized for some of the more gifted children in our schools, however this would still be on a limited basis and not for entire units of study.