My network has very much had an impact on the way I learn. Since I have been involved in many types of networks, I feel that I am more equipped at communicating online with a variety of ages. Also, I feel that I am able to gain more information by just reading it than by finding it any other way. I am very adept at finding information online because I have many years of practice with searching for information.
When it comes to the tools I use, I am a big Google fan. I tend to use Facebook to communicate about social events, as well as job offers. I find groups that appeal to me and keep updated through status updates. When I game, I use the World of Warcraft chat to find people to help me with the quests. I use LinkedIn to create connections with people I have or currently work with so that it opens me up to more opportunities. AIM and iChat allow me to communicate with friends, family, and co-workers and to work on projects with classmates.
When I have questions, I turn to Google. I start researching. I, of course, check the credibility of all of my sources, as well. For example, I use Wikipedia, but I always check the resources at the bottom to make sure that where they got the information was from a credible source.
One of the main principles of connectivism is the ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts (Davis, Edmunds, & Kelly-Bateman, 2008). I feel that my personal learning network exemplifies this principle because, by using social networks, I feel that I am much more adept at finding connections than before. Because of sites like Wikipedia, which stress making connections and showing sources from all over the web, I feel that connectivism is much more prominent in this upcoming generation.
Resource:
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
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