CCK08 Project - Blog Post 6
Below is a transcript of the preceding Podcast,
provided for your reading pleasure
provided for your reading pleasure
The Education Branch in Alberta develops and mandates the curriculum that is required within a year of study. Alberta Ed, also creates the various resources and assessments, providing support for the instructional endeavors across Alberta. Luckily these resources and assessments, including instructional methods are not mandated, our teachers have the opportunity to employ whatever educational tools, resources, and practices they feel are necessary to assist students in engaging with and learning the material. This freedom allows for the incorporation of new learning models such as Connectivism, however its complete implementation at this time is problematic. In designing units, projects and lessons, Connectivism provides a plethora of resources and people to collaborate with, well beyond the scope of one mere individual. Educators now have access to the creative consciousness that is constantly exploring, experimenting, innovating, and marrying concepts, practical applications, and new technologies into exciting and engaging lessons, allowing students to become active learners instead of passive listeners. Connectivism with technology, is providing global educators new opportunities, exciting approaches, and actual real time collaboration with peers and experts within specific and diverse areas of study. More and more educators need to explore this approach, the opportunities now presented to develop continually new, relevant, and engaging material for our ever increasing global student population cannot be passed up. Though Connectivism will forever alter the approach many educators will take when developing, and enhancing their current lessons, utilizing this theory for the delivery of specific information is fraught with difficulty. At this time, a pure Connectivist approach is not possible, when dealing with middle school students, many inherent roadblocks need to be examined and overcome before the proper implementation and delivery of this learning model. The following are but a few of the concerns that may be be encountered during the implementation and use of Connectivism:
- This approach would require teachers to release varying amounts of power over the instruction of their classes. This is a potentially risky prospect, and would depend on the teachers comfort level with Connectivism and their original ideas and beliefs on education.
- The issue of privacy would have to be resolved, in the Province of Alberta this binds many edcuators hands, in what can and cannot be done legally, and unless the law is modified or new approaches to online learning can occur, this may become the largest roadblock for the implementation of Connectivism within many of our classrooms.
- As well, allowing students the freedom necessary for this approach, exposes them to provide personal or at times damaging information on the web. Just recently a prospective student teacher will not be allowed to complete her Education Degree because of her use of MySpace. This is an example of a supposedly mature adult student, not the middle school students that would be utilizing social networks to enhance their knowledge.
- Students could enhance their research, by accessing various levels of knowledge from fellow students, different educators and experts from around the globe to develop a more complete picture of their area of study.
- These connections with peers, educators and experts, will greatly enhance their knowledge and ability to discover real world applications of the concepts they are learning.
- Industrious teachers could develop group collaboration projects between students in different counties, countries or even time zones.
- And most importantly, students could utilize this model to discover new information and areas of personal interest to develop their desire to learn, helping create the needed skills for their future career paths
Posted by Tom Whyte
