Module 5 Reflection

     For me, this course was a revelation. It was my first formal introduction to educational theory. I went in expecting the material to be bone dry. In this respect, I was pleasantly surprised. While I still consider some of the principles presented overcooked and complicated. The precepts behind the principles are sound and common sense based. I’ve gained a great appreciation of the teaching process, which was something I didn’t have before. Most importantly, I’ve learned about Connectivism.

     I am exclusively self-taught. I didn’t succeed in college my first go round because frankly, I couldn’t be bothered to show for class. Despite that, I am completely suited for independent distance learning. I am happiest when I am self-teaching. Before this class, I considered what I did unique and not suited for a classroom environment. What I’ve discovered is that I’m actually on the cutting edge of learning theory.

     I do wonder though where Connectivism would be without the advent of social media. One of the things I have left to research is when the theories of Connectivism were formed. (after or before My Space) Social Media, I feel, has made a big splash in the education world, but it is important for educators to know that such networks already existed prior to the internet. This, in my mind, lends greater credibility to the theory. Before the internet, there were bulletin boards where people would log in to and exchange information. Sociability and informational exchange are nothing new, but Connectivism theory adds an important ingredient to the mix; one of viability.

     This viability component represents a vital portion of the theory and I was glad to see that one of the roles of the educator was teach the students how to determine viability. Being married to a brilliant journalist who has been blogged out of a job, I can appreciate the necessity of a litmus test for each node. There are a great many brilliant individuals supplying the internet with amazing information. Unfortunately, there are an equal number of individuals flooding it with poorly researched, poorly written content. For Connectivism to function, learners must know the difference between the two. I recall in my first semester of distance learning being part of team writing a paper. One of my teammates actually used Wikipedia as a source. I nearly swallowed my tongue. He clearly had not been taught the difference between a viable source and a corrupt one. Because the internet is such an integral part of today’s learning environment, these distinctions must be made early and often in the education process.

     Lastly this class has given me a lead for my doctoral entrance paper. Part of the application is to have a paper published in an education journal. Heretofore, I didn’t feel as if I had anything to contribute to the education community. I am, after all, and Engineering Instructor at a nuclear power plant without a degree in education, however, I now believe I can contribute to the dialogue. Where I may not be completely immersed in the education world, I do know computers and computer games. I plan on combining this knowledge with my new found knowledge of Connectivism to move the process forward. The principles of Connectivism dovetail nicely with gaming principles. Together, I think, they can move things forward to create a more intelligent next generation.

Module 4 Reflection

     It comes as no surprise to me that new learning theories have emerged following the advent of new technologies. Just as movable type and the printing press changed the way knowledge was preserved and passed, so too has the computer changed the way we as a species store knowledge and subsequently make that knowledge available. Extending the print metaphor, consider a hard cover text versus a digital text. Any parent has seen their poor child laden with backpack dutifully trudging off to school like a dough boy in a 1950’s movie. Six classes, six text books each 2 inches thick, the poor child is carrying half a case of printer paper with them everywhere they go. Contrast that with a child with digital text books. They’re skipping off to school with an iPad and a lunch bag. Each student carries the same amount of information (more if the iPad is loaded with a dictionary, thesaurus and Strunk & White) however one student is much more comfortable in their task. Additionally, the student with the iPad has the ability to search through the text via word or phrase. Suddenly information becomes more readily available and the extraneous is removed.

     This is why new learning theories are emerging. It is not that the old theories don’t still hold. They have their place in the modern classroom and those without sufficient technology still can benefit from them, but children and students have changed. They play differently. They learn differently. Most children today know how to type despite the fact that they’ve never taken a formal typing class. They’ve gotten so good at things that most touch type their cell phones when sending text messages. They’re blessed with an amazing sense of curiosity and believe almost anything is possible specifically because they’ve learned that they can find the answer to anything with a few mouse clicks. Clearly, learning theory must evolve to take advantage of the talents they’ve taught themselves.

     As to my own classroom instruction, I’m using the tools of technology in other ways. As an Engineering Instructor one of my tasks is to teach the Engineering staff at the plant how to troubleshoot. That is how to find which components in a given system are faulty when that system is not performing properly. The methods range from analyzing electrical circuits to taking readings on those circuits and processing the results. Obviously my students won’t be allowed to work on plant equipment just to learn troubleshooting skills. An equally vexing problem is the fact that these circuits, when energized, have voltages on them four times the normal household voltages, which of course presents an electrical safety concern. I am in the process of working around that by developing a computer simulation with virtual plant equipment and virtual test equipment which will allow the engineers to test their theories without being exposed to 480 volts. Prior to this simulation, all engineering learning on the subject was theoretical and paper based. Emerging technology has given me the ability to extend this exercise, and while they are still linear learners, The technology will make them better equipped to perform their tasks in the plant.

Module 3 Reflection

     Moments of clarity do not occur often, but I believe I’ve had one. For my entire time in the EDTECH program, I’ve been pondering why teachers have such difficulty fully utilizing technology within their classrooms. Let me preface this by saying that I am not a teacher. I am an instructor at a nuclear power plant. Therefore I approach the problem from a slightly different direction. Having said that, I find the nuclear power industry encountering the same issues with technology as their academic peers in that the industry wants to put technology into classrooms, but is at a loss when attempting to utilize that technology to its full capability.

     Initially, I thought the issue was due to a lack of training. My reasoning lead me to believe that if teachers and instructors could only be educated on the capabilities of the technology, they would join in a giant Huzzah and then go off and do great things. During my second semester in the program, I found it was more than that. Educators, I found, were less computer savvy than I had first thought. True, there are some exceptions, but quite often my peers in the program admitted that their students knew more about the tech in the classroom than they did. Therefore, it wasn’t just a lack of knowledge of the tech’s capabilities, it was a user issue.

     Then, during the past summer, I encountered a new term, Digital Native. Digital natives are those individuals who have never known life without widespread technology and the internet. I admit to having not previously considered changing generations and how being born into a world where every bit of information known to human kind was at the tips of your fingers would change perceptions, but what fascinated me the most about these individuals is that they actually learn differently than those who were born in earlier times.

     At first I thought the author ought to have his head examined. “Learning is learning,” I thought, but recently, during my moment of clarity, I’ve discovered this to be exactly true and that it’s me who also learns like a digital native. Classical learning and learning theory is a linear process. When a teacher assigns Chapter 6 of a text, the student opens their text, reads Chapter 6 front to back, and then presumably answers test questions based on the reading; start at the beginning, end at the end, nice and neat, very linear. I, in my second go round in education have not done that. It’s partially due to time constraints and partially due to the fact that I wish to avoid the spinach of articles and prepositions and go right to the dessert of cold hard facts. I study by scanning the chapter and then searching for specific terms to focus my attention. This type of learning is known as hypertext learning. It is how digital natives learn best.

     In my opinion, this is where the breakdown in the classroom occurs. Most teachers in the classroom are not digital natives. Moreover, they may or may not have been required to have computer courses in their pursuit of an education degree.  Thus most educators are rudimentary computer users, but more importantly, they are linear thinkers still trapped in a “Read Chapter 6” world.  The learning theories they’ve learned and adopted were created early on, and their application of those theories has always been of a linear nature. To be sure, the tenets of these classical learning theories still apply. A digital native will seek the praise of mentor as much as a student of the 1970’s. However, to fully utilize technology, the classroom needs to be set free and students need to be trusted to find their own information. Considering the evolution of distance learning and the increasing cost of sending students off to a brick and mortar university, learning by Google may become the norm and not the exception. Educators need to be shown and understand how their students learn best and then trust those students to do the right thing.