In chapter 2 the authors
define and discuss the three prongs of connected learning communities:
professional learning communities, personal learning networks, and communities
of practice. They also talked about how important it is to have a diverse
network. They provided a lot of data that supports our growth through
connecting with others.
We are going to use the final question in this chapter for our
discussion (print pg 44). Feel free to go to the voicethread listed in #1, but
post your answer here too.
“Our schools need to change. We need to make the classroom a place that is tailored to the way connected learners learn. Can we accomplish that through collaboration and community? Do you believe that to remain effective for today’s learner, we must change the way we teach and the way we learn to provide time for deep conversations and reflection? Why or Why not? And if so, how?”
I have to admit that I find the book and this chapter all a little overwhelming. There is so much informantion to try and grasp my mind around. I do believe that our classrooms should be ever changing to meet the needs of our changing world. Can we accomplish that through collaboration and community? I believe we can but it will take effort and time. I believe it is a continuous learning process and I know in the next chapter we discuss being the learner verses the teacher. However to be a successful teacher we should always be learning and striving to use the latest tools available to us. I believe that through collaboration and community this can help us.
ReplyDeleteI could relate to the part in the chapter about hanging with peers that teach the same area as I do. And it made me think about the times we collaborate with each other.I need to go beyond the local level and reach out globally. I never thought about it until now but I find myself saying "I agree" a lot. I feel like I am opened minded and welcome constructive criticism and suggestions to make my classroom a better learning environment. That is why I look forward to building a professional network that will provide deep conversations and reflections.
I do agree with MaryRose that this chapter had a lot of information and at times it was confusing trying to tell the difference between the different types of learning communities.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that we do need to change the way we teach. It used to be if you wanted to learn you had to travel to a classroom. With the digital age there are so many more options on how to learn. Students no longer need to board a bus and travel to a school to learn. If order to keep our "customers" we need to change and adapt to meet their needs or they will go elsewhere.
Students today are connected to each other through social media.
It is more natural for them to learn in this connected setting than it is for us as adults.
As a math teacher I struggle to hang on to the traditional way of teaching. I've always said "math doesn't change". The concepts and topics might not change, but the way that students learn and understand them change. I am a very independent learner. As a student, I always hated when I had to "collaborate" with others. I wanted to think about the work my way and do it my way. Therefore, it is incredibly hard for me to step out of tradition and start allowing my students to connect and learn together. I agree that it does need to happen, but I know it will be a slow process for me to utilize this in my classroom and for myself.
For those of you struggling with chapter 2, please do not sweat it. Just scan the data and then think about the question. Remember...you won't be tested on content, so just get the gist and move on.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sandy that it is difficult to step away from being an independent learner and to collaborate. As that kind of learner and as a teacher, I struggle with the actual practice of collaboration in learning in a formal setting, because it is then difficult to assess the learning individually. Where does it stop being collaborative learning and start becoming one student relying on another to do the work for both of them? I am all for helping students learn in ways that will work for them, but are they learning how to learn, or how to get someone else to do the work? I think this is an area of connected learning that we need to address with students. Students seem to have difficulty defining what constitutes "cheating" on assignments in general, so how do we transmit the idea of collaboration as a tool for learning where everyone involved contributes to learning?
ReplyDeleteSo, I do agree that we need to change how we teach in order to reach students in a way that will help them connect with the material as well as with each other, but I think that we as teachers will need to be more aware of communicating to students the importance of being learners, not just producers of assignments and answers. As long as students think that their task is to produce answers, the definition is fuzzy for them on what learning actually is. If we are trying to produce learners who will know how to apply "learning skills" beyond a school setting, it is going to require changing not just how we teach, but how we think about teaching and learning.
Great thoughts Nikki!
DeleteI agree that our classrooms should be constantly changing. We have to change in order to meet the needs of our world that seems to be evolving and changing quickly. While the tried-and-true practices of traditional lecture-style approaches to teaching feel safe and comfortable, we may actually be doing a disservice to our technologically advanced students. With the infusion of technology into all aspects of daily life, students are becoming more and more adept at using technology as an educational resource. Rather than being intimidated by the available technological advances, we owe it both to ourselves as teachers and to our students to incorporate these changes into our everyday practices. I think the key to success will be for teachers to keep an open mind and be willing to learn and collaborate with colleagues and experts beyond the classroom walls through classroom communities. This goes for students as well. It’s a continuous learning process for all of us.
ReplyDeleteYes, our schools need to change. I feel like each year I am changing my own classroom. I am trying to make it a place for the digital learner. Can this be accomlished through collaboration and community? Yes, I do think that this is a part of the process of change. However, there are other factors as well. One being time and the other being consistency. Without these, I feel like our students will be short changed when it comes to learning in the digital age. As far as deep conversations and reflection go, I feel that is only part of the solution. Thinking and talking will only get us so far, action is what is needed. One must be willing to take action for change to take place.
ReplyDeleteClosing chapter 2. If you. Haven't commented, please do so as soon as possible.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to teaching today. I go with the mantra "teach smarter, not harder". Yes, I agree that we can and should change the way we teach to accommodate the digital learner, but we must balance the change with the content. I tell teachers to think about what they already teach and to ask themselves how technology can make the teaching easier. We need to THINK about what and how we are teaching rather than THINGING (worrying about the thing/technology we will use). I agree with Danette, when we are consistent in the classroom, our students will learn the content without worrying about the "toy" they are learning on. If we focus on content and improving our teaching, the technology and tools will be less of a hassle as we incorporate them into the everyday routine of our classrooms.