Blog Post #6

The Networked Student

In The Netwoked Student the narrator introduces connectivism, which is a theory that presumes learning occurs as part of a social network of many diverse connections and ties. This system is where the students do all the research and teach themselves. I do not agree with this method at all. I understand that students need to learn to use technology, but it should be limited to what they use it for.

I feel like connectivism should be taught in a class and only used in that class. If other teachers want to use the system, it should be limited to projects that they have to do and submit online, but I strongly believe that it should not be used in all classrooms. This video is supporting a system that some may call the "future". I am looking forward to the advancements of technology in the world, but I am a firm believer in paper and pencil and that students should still learn to use them. If students lose sight of the basics of life.

The video also makes a point to answer the question "why would we even still need teachers?", for us, and they explain that the teacher would be used to teach the students how to use the system and authenticate the material they get out of it. If the teacher's only use is to explain how to use this system, then wouldn't all the teachers be teaching the same thing? Why would a history teacher need to take all of history classes in college if all she is going to be doing is teaching the children how to use the internet to find information and authenticate it? It is pointless for the different fields to have to take all the classes that pertain to their field if they will all be doing the same thing. I do not agree with this system and I will not be using it in my class. My students will use pencil and paper at school, and I may assign a project that they have to use this system and talk to each other out of school and turn it in online.

PLN

In the video, A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment, the students presents how she uses her PLE. She shows past projects and where her future assignment are such as homework. She says that she likes the system and that she feels like she has more freedom. I like these types of programs, but I do not think they should be a part of every aspect in the schools. The students should have to write on paper sometimes and they should have to turn in work that the have written down and taken time on. If all we use are computers and the newest technology in schools the students will get to where they rely on technology for everything and not know how to do it themselves. The future generations should always be taught to write with paper and pencil and look up information in real paper books. If students become completely relied on technology and what if one day all the computers crash? Do you cancel school because none of the students laptops or tablets work? No, you pull out pencil and paper and you keep teaching the lessons the way they are supposed to be taught.