Wow and Wonder #2

For this Wow and Wonder post, I will be responding to the article, “Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age“

Wow

Connectivism is a relatively new concept for me. Initially, when I reflected on my own view of learning, I found that my views were more closely aligned with those of behaviorism and cognitivism where knowledge is external and the learning process is believed to be the act of internalizing knowledge. However, as I continue to learn about connectivism, I find myself agreeing with much of what I read. I love the idea of chaos and how “the learner’s challenge is to recognize the patterns which appear to be hidden” (Siemens, 2005) from the meaning that already exists. I think that this is a practical and meaningful way in which students can learn in order to become resourceful life-long learners.

Wonder

While it sounds great in theory, I am curious about how chaos would look in a classroom setting as each group of students is unique and will have their own diverse set of learning needs. Will the chaos be too open-ended and unstructured for certain students? Will students be able to behave appropriately and effectively self-organize themselves in order to use their time wisely with the freedom that comes with the chaos?

Reference

Siemens, G. (2005). Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, 2(1).