Module One Final Thoughts

Three words to Describe my experience to date...(HARD!)
Knowledgeable, Frustrating, Exciting

I have been fascinated by the amount of knowledge I have been able to develop over the past 3 Months, I have to admit at times I have felt quite swamped and overwhelmed by the commitment and focus required to really understand theories and get to grips with different concepts, but that has not damped my desire to know more and keep on top of tasks.

Module one topics give a great basis and introduction to really get the creative juices flowing, investigating web 2 based (task 1) concepts has opened my eyes to the vast array of programmes and how dependant on them our society has become. It has also given me the tools to delve deeper, looking at  human processes whilst using such programs and how this can develop key networks and connections (task 3). Thinkers such as Bourdieu, 1984 discuss how our thoughts and opinions are so heavily influenced by a 'social dominant' in a way we have lost some ability to think for ourselves and  in some situations devise our opinions on what others believe to be correct which coincides with other theorists such as Crotty, M 2005 who states we rely on the larger social processes to develop Networks, which includes our ability to influence and construct new thoughts and knowledge giving us the chance to reinvent 'reality' by individuals acting on their interpretations and knowledge.

Task 2 has made me realise how relevant the process of Reflection is to me and how I use it every single day without acknowledgement. Writing a reflective journal base on several different frameworks (Reid 1994, Jenny Moon, Williams & Cowley 2004) has been really useful in turning experiences into resources, I have been able to look back on previous days events learning, developing and improving from them. Through this process I have found questions and topics developing which I am intrigued to look into in more depth including;

• the significance of a disciplinarian and who takes on this role in certain situations?  
•   Which teaching styles and theories have the most success when applied in my practice, showing both development and may increase the children's learning?
• Children's ability to retain information/ choreography... any possible theories or styles which can encourage this to a better level?

I look forward to taking advantage of Module Two to develop these thoughts further  and see if they could be possible topics for my Personal Inquiry.

Ethical Considerations

Ethical Considerations of information spread through the Media need to be consider in all aspects.

• How accurate is the information?
• How reliable is the source?
• Has the Culture of sensationalising news and gossip become damaging?
• Should we be all more prudent and await a more fuller understanding of facts?  

Two cases which prove the above...

Lord McAlpine deformation case with Twitter and Facebook 2012. 
www.newstatesman.com/business/2012/11/lord-mcalpine-twitter-and-libel-law-facts
Individuals responded to an accidental leak of his name on Television, linking him to Paedophilia. He was quick to refute and proved innocent.  Damages where paid not only by the original leaked source but also by Facebook and Twitter uses who commented and joined in erroneously.

Ian Watkins (H from steps)  2014 www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/25144580
Steps singer Ian Watkins consulted Lawyers after his picture was wrongly published on E! Online in an article about convicted paedophile Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins.

Both wrongly accused and branded due to incorrect sources of information.

3B Theories relating to Networking

There are various theories of how networks succeed which is discussed in two examples that I identify with, those of Connectivism (Siemens G 2004) and Social Constructionalism (Crotty, M 2005).

Connectivism
Referred to as a learning theory for a digital age, the theory seeks to explain complex learning in a rapidly changing social digital world. It states that learning occurs through connections within networks. The model uses the concept of a network with nodes and connections to define learning. Learners recognize and interpret patterns and are influenced by the diversity of networks, strength of ties and their context. Transfer occurs by connecting to and adding nodes and growing personal networks.  According to George Siemens (2004), "Connectivism is the integration of principles explored by chaos, network, and complexity and self-organization theories. Learning is a process that occurs within nebulous environments of shifting core elements – not entirely under the control of the individual. Learning (defined as actionable knowledge) can reside outside of ourselves (within an organization or a database), is focused on connecting specialized information sets, and the connections that enable us to learn more are more important than our current state of knowing. Connectivism is driven by the understanding that decisions are based on rapidly altering foundations. New information is continually being acquired. The ability to draw distinctions between important and unimportant information is vital. The ability to recognize when new information alters the landscape based on decisions made yesterday is also critical."

 Siemens and Downes have experimented with Open Courses and both stress the importance of more open education.

Siemen's Principles of connectivism:

• Learning and knowledge rests in diversity of opinions.
• Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources.
• Learning may reside in non-human appliances.
• Capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known
• Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual learning.
• Ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is a core skill.
• Currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is the intent of all connectivist learning activities.
• Decision-making is itself a learning process. Choosing what to learn and the meaning of incoming information is seen through the lens of a shifting reality. While there is a right answer now, it may be wrong tomorrow due to alterations in the information climate affecting the decision.

I find many of the above principles of the Connectivism theory relate directly to me personally. Even with regards to this course which relies on discussion through blogs, and the use of digital learning to inform my opinions and expand my knowledge. The digital age has opened a whole new concept to learn and develop, no longer do we solely rely on the opinions and comments of one individual, we now have a vast ever expanding supply of sources to view and supplement our knowledge, processing the information as we see fit.
The principle of nurturing and maintaining connections is also extremely current and relatable, developing knowledge in specific areas relies heavily on  the ability and opportunity to ask questions and cast opinions. In order to continually do this connections must by maintained and constantly reviewed. As with a growing flower, with continual care and attention it will flourish and grown, but without, it will wilt and die.

Social Constructionalisum

The theory examines a human beings developed understanding of the world, it indicates that our understanding is progressed not separately within the individual, but in coordination and interaction with other human beings, through resources such as social networking.
The theory explores the ways individuals and groups participate in the construction of their social reality, looking at how we create traditions and norms through creating viral sensations. The ability to reinvent 'reality' by individuals acting on their interpretations and knowledge. Along with our capability to decide for ourselves on how we construct meaning we have the opportunity and possibility to change and shift thoughts and knowledge itself.
The theory clearly identifies the importance of the larger social processes and links in  closely with my blog on the power of the internet in my first tasks.