My Network Connections

I admit that I have come to depend on the Internet to do everything from conducting research to looking for answers to health questions. I find that it is easier to search the Internet for answers, as opposed to calling family, friends or instructors. The Internet has afforded me the opportunity to stretch my knowledge base and learn about things which I would never have taken the time to explore for various reasons. The one thing my husband may say it has done is helped me become a better cook as I connect with cooking experts online while building my repertoire of recipes. I begin preparation of each new recipe by watching a video which demonstrates the steps which I need to take, as well as what my product should look like from beginning to end. As a result, I have learned a lot about food products, cooking temperatures and using herbs to name a few. My use of the network has increased my ability to explore advanced connections of food preparation, as I continue to build my cooking skills.

As a former Special Ed and Social Studies teacher, I would definitely introduce interactive timeline tools and mind maps to my students. I believe these tools will help them organize historical data and to brainstorm about issues which may have caused or perpetuated events being studied. However, the most compelling reason for introducing these digital tools is that they will make inputting data easier for students with poor handwriting, add color, make learning fun, and create enthusiasm for completing assignments with regards to the learning and seeing the connections. As instructional tools, they will help my students construct learning while making connections and building their knowledge base.

Collaboration

I believe the state of human instinct can be rationalized as being tied to trust, familiarity, and predisposition. Using my goddaughter as the basis for my belief, I watch as she uses her five senses to explore her surroundings and the people in it to determine, based on mother's actions, who she can trust and who is if safe for her to interact. Some would say she was acting on basic instincts, but I would venture to say that her initial reactions are a direct response to what she learned through her observation of those she trusts. In addition, I believe that as a result of her interactions with people who shaped her beliefs during the early years, her instincts will eventually take over and become the determining factor as to how she interacts with individuals and groups. Rheingold, on the other hand, would have likened her behavior, as he put it, to that of an innate transaction which was influenced by her social interactions as a result of instinct. Whichever the case, it is clear to me that social interaction is dependent less upon instinct and more upon perception of one's environment, which brings me to my next point.

Rheingold points out that until the invention of the printing press, communication existed within the confines of the family and community which one resided. With the arrival of the printing press as a means of involving others in the daily ins and outs of the world, people became more socially interactive as they were able to sit around and talk about what they read in the newspaper. Hence, the impact of beginning technological devices created opportunities for educating oneself, sharing varying perspectives, participating in cooperative activities and developing extended relationships outside of one's community. As a result, people are better able to construct and build on their ideas and beliefs as they become more knowledgeable about their surroundings through their interactions. This, after all, is the premise behind constructivism which emphasizes that the learner increases knowledge through interacting with others, building on prior knowledge, problem solving, discovery, cooperative learning and problem-based activities. Wikipedia provides an outlet for social interaction and self-interest as individuals who are knowledgeable about the topic have an opportunity to add to this growing encyclopedia. However, I would venture to assert that Wikipedia is less about collaboration with others and more about individual intelligence and notoriety, which brings me back to human instinct and interaction. I believe technology has and will continue to provide a venue for communication; however, the concern I have is that collaboration will be less about intelligible information and more about who can outwit who as seen on most blogs and facebook pages which in my opinion does not contribute to constructive knowledge.



Reference
Rheingold, Howard (2005). Howard Rheingold on collaboration. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/howard_rheingold_on_collaboration.html

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