Showing posts with label #CCK11. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #CCK11. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Out of week 1 into week 2

I surprised myself by attending Friday's CCK11 live Elluminate session (Sat morn 4am), I am finding that I am getting a lot from joining live. I might even type a comment in the chat roll one day.
There was some great discussion and a couple of points that I want to pick up in this blog (blue text) over the next few entries/posts.

Nina asked Can we apply connectivism in non-technology environments?
This again made me consider my perspective of connectivist learning as the method by which I developed my parenting know how.
Being a first time mum I was 'overwhelmed' at my inadequacies in one moment and then overcome by instinct in the next. There were so many aspects of looking after a tiny baby that I knew I was completely underqualified for....how many parents have been surprised that the hospital allows them to take this tiny human being home to care for it independently - medical care, feeding, sleeping, holding.. all of these skills do not come 'naturally' they are learned.

There are many skills or knowledge that must be known by a parent but soon after the knowledge or learning is forgotten because the sleep issue is overcome then you have to move onto the cause of the wind (or colic).
When it comes to the second time around (next baby) you are a little more relaxed (at least I know I was) but there are many learnings that you have forgotten, now you have more of an idea about who to contact to get an answer, support or advice. You have built a network of experts - probably contained in your head, but you know where to go or who to ask. This practise has been going on for years (and years) with parents drawing on their network of experts to assist and support their efforts in raising babies into toddlers into children.

I believe this is what George Siemens refers to, in his blip tv presentation 'CCK11: Quick overview', as 'connected specialisation' where "A single individual, because of the complexity of the tasks, isnt able to accomplish them on her own, so instead we have to rely on being connected to people who have the ability to amplify our knowledge or at least to make us intelligent in a different way than we are as individuals."

Another example I have been considering, having read many books on wealth building over the years, is the way entrepeneurs build their fortunes when they are not experts in their chosen area/field. Many use the technique of surrounding themselves with the best people in their specialist fields eg. accountants, technicians, advisors/agents. I propose that these are two valid examples of connected specialisation.

With that said I am thinking that the concept of 'connected specialisation' is, in fact, an ancient method of learning however all of the examples provided by George relate to technology in some respect (vehicle maufacturing, flying a plane) so I am thinking back to Nina's original question if connectivism can apply to non-technology environments. I wonder if I am on the right track?.

In my next post I will consider Abdullah's question "what if the network you created provides you with incorrect information", which led to an interesting discussion in the elluminate chat roll about 'enemies in a network'.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Starting Out on CCK11

The decision has been made to commit myself to completing CCK2011, from January 11th. I look at the commitment I have made to my own self-directed learning, which has not progressed as speedily as I would have hoped, but that's okay.

So now I am committing to CCK11 and returning to work in a few weeks. Am I setting myself up for failure...I don't believe so, simply because any amount of 'effort/output' that I put into CCK11 will measure how much I get out of it. The pressure is off, unlike a standard course where I have to get this or that done and submit bits and pieces, with a MOOC I can go with the flow, as long as I put my thinking out there.
Weekly Elluminate meetings - Wednesdays at 4am guest speakers, Friday at 4am faciliators discussion.
I am not soure exactly how many sessions I will be able to participate in (4 am wake ups are not healthy for me) but I will certainly listen to the recordings.

I have done a bit of prep by listening to Dave Cormier's What is .., Knowledge in... and Success in... a MOOC, while I was in You Tube I also checked out George's presentation for TEDxNYED from June 2010.

I commenced the readings for Week 1, about 'Connectivism ?' (the question mark is very appropriate). I thought I had an understanding of connectivism, I read George Siemens' "Connectivism; a learning theory for the Digital Age" and I started to align my experience with connectivist learning/thinking ie. I am considering that the way I learned to be a parent was achieved by connectivism, I am still thinking more about that.
I read Stephen Downe's 'Half an hour' blog which explains his perspective on "What connectivism is" and now I am not so sure I get connectivism. Let me say I really enjoy Stephen's writing because he writes the way he talks and I can hear him saying the words as I read it. Maybe by the time I do some more reading and participate in/listen to the elluminate sessions I'll 'get it' again or maybe not, let's get started, I'm keen.
NB: This blog will not continue to highlight my confusion throughout the course, I just wanted to get it out in the open to start.