Module 4: MindApp

Networks have provided me with information that I may have not known before creating them. Learning in these networks have given me knowledge that may not have been attainable prior to being part of that network. These networks are supportive to the role I take whether it be wife, mother, sister, counselor and vice versa.
I acess these networks via face to face, technologically such as mobiles, e--mail, video conferencing, threaded discussion. Time zone issues with friends/colleagues have become less of a nuisance with technology. These networks have changed my personal learning by making it easier to access them via the use of technologies. The most impressive way I have been influenced is that I can obtain information via the internet 24/7. If I do not know something, I just use a search engine to access thousands of virtual sites that become my learning ground.

Module 3: Constructivist and Collaboration

I do believe humans are creatures of habit and social beings so in a sense yes we do have some basic instinct to belong to a group and we thrive on the attention others can provide for us. I also feel that up to this point students have been taught to also be individualistic, work alone and we are tested on what we know compared to others. This is a major problem and concern I have with public schools. Here we are told collaboration will be what is required and vital of the future and of our next generation but yet the way we learn is rooted in learning textbook facts and what one can regurgitate.

Technology has the abilities to propel students into the 21st century with the availability of blogs, wikis, RSS feeds, workflow mgmt tools, doc sharing, doc conferencing, social networking, video conferencing, presentation sharing, organization mgmt tools and a variety of workplace platforms just to name a handful. All of these aide in facilitating collaboration among individuals and varied groups. These applications are set up in which it makes learning easy enough through self direction requiring interaction and eventually mastery which are constructivist learning principles.