Learners are like octopus
monsters with long, soft and flexible tentacles. Although the octopuses in my
analogy might be quite different from the real natural creatures. I imagine
that the tentacles are hollow inside, open-ended for two-way communication, unlimited
in quantity and can be any length so that they may reach anything in any
distance. Every time a learner is exposed in an environment, he/she reaches to
everything possible around and learns things from any source through their tentacles
as well as influence other octopuses interacting with him/her.
Technology, or
other cultural artifacts may facilitate the process by lengthening the tentacles
to reach things far in the distance or space or improving the quality of
tentacles’ two-way communication and influences. In the online lecture, the concept of connectivism identifies the
learning process on three levels, biological, cognitive and social, all of which
can be realized by the enhanced tentacles. As the knowledge information is
increasing exponentially in today’s world, strengthened tentacles are the new
way of learning.
The article is
quite inspirational to me, since the fact that we are learning about learning shows
the meta-function of learning. By reflecting on how we learn things, we may dig
deeper into how we as teachers may provide what students need to learn. The
author said that the traditional methods of studying the process of learning
focus only on what happens inside learners; they “fail to address learning that
occurs outside people.” Like tentacles, right? We need to examine more on how
tentacles contact with tentacles from other learners and how they form a
network from which all octopus can suck or share knowledge. The network is what
the author refers to as the “small world”.
As I continue to
think on my analogy, I would like to emphasize that the tentacles are not artifacts
themselves (such as technologies) but integral parts of the body. Where are the
technologies? I believe they are the power that enable the tentacles to get
long, short, and straightforward or take a detour to another destination. They enhance
the connection and make it as varied and full of possibilities. For example, if
there were no internet, I would never have learned about the United States, and
I would never have the opportunity of being here and writing this article. The
technology magically lengthens my tentacles and create more sources for me to
learn.
Your explanation of the virtual tentacles as " hollow inside, open-ended for two-way communication, unlimited in quantity" covers many of the essential features of the theory of Connectivism. Your thought that "We need to examine more on how tentacles contact with tentacles from other learners and how they form a network from which all octopus can suck or share knowledge" describes a personal learning network very well. All learning theories are just that- theories, but each one adds to our understanding of how we "learn".
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