Reflection on Connectivism

George Siemens’ Theory of Connectivism stresses the importance of networks in providing us a tool for continuous learning. We cannot possibly experience everything, and there are never enough hours in the day to prepare every lesson to be the best and adjust every lesson to accommodate the needs of all students. To provide lessons that are engaging and current, I have established a network of sources for information and materials that allow me to continue to develop as a teacher and to offer my students well planned and tested approaches for learning content.
The use of networks allows information to come to me instead of me spending time researching for the newest and latest methods for teaching students. Many of the sources I rely on provide me opportunities to learn new teaching techniques, to hear about other teachers experiences, and to expand my knowledge of technology and science content. By participating in blogs and discussion groups, I am able to get insight from my peers and other professionals. Their perspective and experiences assist me in my development and ability to problem solve.
I find the most useful digital tools to be the web pages that provide experiential lesson for high school science. These plans allow me to have a general format for my lesson, and allow me more time to modify the lesson to accommodate the special needs of my specific students. The Internet is also very useful for locating resources such as video clips or virtual demonstrations to use in the classroom.
When I have a question about the technology or science concept I am covering, I am able to use a search engine such as Google to search for the answer, I am also able to email experts on web pages or my peers for assistance, or I can locate a blog for users of that technology and read how others are using it or how they have resolved issues.
My personal learning network supports the theory of connectivism. I gain perspective and knowledge that allows me to adjust the way I work as I prepare to teach every day. My network has organized itself. I have Google Reader to track postings on blogs I follow, email to receive and store information that comes through email connections, and Delicious to organize my bookmarks for easy access to the web sites I find most useful. By utilizing a network of resources, I am learning on a continuous basis.

Davis, C., Edmunds, E., & Kelly-Bateman, V. (2008). Connectivism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Connectivism