Heli on Connectivism

Three weeks have gone and I want to write somethig about my studies. I just listened to the Friday Discussion and almost could follow it This is a good way to practice my ability to use English. Perhaps it is my point during these weeks. I know the concepts and I can follow discussions.

It is a great/ enormous job to integrate these studies to my earlier knowings. Something will happen until 3 months – has something happened already? I am not sure. I am an experienced teacher an I can easily follow tht stucture and possibilities of this course. I can choose and I know that it is Me who have to choose, not facilitators. The responsibility is all mine. We have been brought together for studying. Course is stuctured but it is flexible enough. This is a great challenge and has immersed me in a way that astonishes.

I can also follow some differences between George and Stephen and I learn from both of them. I had seen the difference in the point  ”individual – system” before the discussion. Our facilitators are a good model for discussion  without changing opinion to the same direction. Diversity is OK. There is enormous diversity in CCK08 students, its is not possible to follow but it is a source of learning. I enjoy it (if only I could express myself in English…) .

My focus is in learning: what is happenig in human learning? Networked learning is something that I have to know and explore more. Knowing is distributed but it is still an individual who has the brain and the ability to learn. Is there any shared processes, really. I have a shared life process with my husband and a shared process to develope work with one or two or three people. We influence each other. I can see roles and perhaps levels but the process is dynamic and it is hard to capture – and why should I? It is living, isn’t it?

Today I learned that collaboration is not a good concept, its doesn’t say much. Until this day I considered it as a beautiful concept, suitable to many contexts (oh, it is only that: suitable).

We have been asked to write about our position on connectivism: it is just what I have to do. Wise facilitators we have - I agree with this assigment.  I have to make a map or presentation of my way in  order to participate and give something to somebody during this course. I am/feel  lucky to be here!

Today I have spent time in reading CCK08 recent blog posts and I have linked some of blogs in my blogroll. I must have a home here, go to other rooms without Daily or Moodle. If someone doesn’t want to stay in my blogroll, so let me know and I’ll take you off. I selected the blogs that I felt that … blogs were written by living persons that I would like when meeting them. You told honestly about your thoughts and experiences and I appreciate it.

There was still another lady without name, so I link her here (so I don’t forget her).

The theme of this week is networking – and I am doing it, I suppose? Step by step…

It is Saturday and very beautiful autumn in Finland but I am sitting in my working room (at home) with my computer and listening to Elluminate Live! academic sessions – and I like doing this. It is quite possible to follow the conversations, even jointly by hearing and by reading short chat comments. There is a whiteboard to write and so on. I have to participate next time ( not at three o’clock at night but in the evening time).

I am learning English and I am testing my  thoughts in my mind. I love the orientation of this course: this means testing all kinds of perspectives and NOT finding only one of thousands possible truths. I really enjoy.

What are my own interests? I have to concentrate on this question – so that I can choose the ways to participate. Time is limited and this studying is a freetime hobby to me. I want to understand learning as a phenomenom better : what role the mind plays and different knowledge sources. It is very complex.

I have seen many interesting blogs that I could follow and I linked some blogs here in my blogroll. I have to study RSS feed more, and Delicious: how to use them during this course (and generally).

Learning produces new needs to learn! Technorati, Twitter, Pageflakes and so son. But first I will go to walk out and enjoy beautiful colourful trees in Finland just now. See you all in the course ( I feel that I am a member of CCK08 network).

I thought to take a break today because I am a little bit sick and I have to rest. But here I am, anyway. I changed the image holder (of this blog) and now I feel myself to be at home here. The photo is mine and I can see that all from my window …

Yesterday I planned my work schedule and I found that everything happens in autumn. I have deadlines all the time. I thought that I can take this interesting course because I am a part-time worker, but I am not ! So I have to do my best, I suppose that many students have the same situation. It isn’t useful to complain.

I like the way George Siemens and Stephen Downes  are running this course – it is just like I have done when being a facilitator in an intensive period online (with peeii). Today they gave statistics about participating, just like I took pictures in Blackboard.

I enjoy my passive participation here, anyway. But I am too tired to write about “what is connective knowledge” today  and I don’t force myself. I read the article of Knowing Knowledge digital book about Schifting and the pictures are more beautiful ( I have black-and-white print). But nothing to add to that today.

I am astonished that I came here today. Well done, me.

I did not proceed to our first assisgment last week, so I have to continue in this theme. Developmental psychology is my nearest subject and I prefer experiental learning theory – it deals with the whole person (emotions, cognitions, experiences, even unconscious events in th mind).

A year ago Stephens Downes had a video lecture to Kuopio SMOOT (Social Media and so on) and I liked his concept “free learning” and his slide about individual’s choice- indentity and creativity. I made a model today that reminds SD model very much. I have to begin from individual learning. Here you can see my model:

(Edublogs seems to work very nicely today, the picture came at once.) I know that situations are very complicated when people work together. So the model must be developed further – but I have time.

Choice -identity- creativity are my first concepts and perhaps empowerment tells that all? We are having a world-wide-participants-empowerment during this Connectivism and Connective Knowledge course…

Our first assignment is to define “What is connectivism?”  This is not a simple question . I listened to George Siemens’ audio lecture and liked it. But the problem is not solved at all. Nobody knows how learning is changing .. or is it changing? Perhaps its is only our concepts or understandings which are changing.

I try to express the situation with my photos: connecting photos as a metaphor of change.

So what is happening to us? All my energy went to building up the gallery,  I will try publishing.

I did it my way.  Some day I will use the concept map, not yet…

I am in the very beginning of a new world wide course “Connectivism and Connective Knowledge” which I noticed last week and I began my studies yesterday.

Now I try to answer the questions

1. where are you form: look ABOUT page – I also located myself on the Google map and it was corgious to see all the others – This is a GREATpossibiliity to study together

2. I am really interested in this course: I suppose that best will be to get experience of this all, take part in this. I am  interested in human learning and development – I have always been (and I have age, I am not young any more). I read George Siemens’s Knowing Knowledge” and liked it. Now I can consider what do I like .. what do I mean “liking”.

3. I have to

• a) refresh my English, it is my favourite problem
• I have to read more, I  printed this week’s articles and I begin to read at once. I suppose that concept maps will be a good method.. I have to think in my mind and share my thoughts all the time
• I must be brave and participate ( I have thoughts that I can’t do this, but I do not listen those voices – I say to myself that I can and I will – I will to learn more!)

4. More about me? I have studied psychology and I know all learning theories. My workplace in teacher education for adult people coming from different areas, occupations, orientations – it is a fine place to develope oneself. I love online teaching because it is flexible and I can meet my students individually.

It is fine to begin this course – I feel very excited …!

This is the very beginning of my new blog. This is my first blog in English. I will do my best to participate in an international world wide course..