I posted to: http://mikedillon1977.wordpress.com/ and
http://brandylutz.wordpress.com/

Connectivism

How has networking changed the way you learn?
Networking has opened up my learning to a world of new possibilities. No longer should you expect to gain knowledge only from one arena. Most people think you can only learn in a school, at a workplace or maybe even a church, but everytime you interact, there is a possibility to gain some knowledge. It doesn't even have to be with a physical being, a form of technology can provide that same benefit.

Which digital tool best facilitate learning for me?
The digital tool that best facilitates learning for me would have to be, if I had to choose, search engines. They provide you with connections to so much information in which you can choose from. Using these tools, I have found technical information which allowed me to fix my computer and other electronics in my home. I have also used it to locate medical information in research of certain illnesses and found ways in which to deal with them. This is only some of the ways search engines have helped me obtain information.

How do you learn new knowledge when you have questions?
I learn new knowledge when I have questions by my favorite digital tool, the search engine. I normally go to ask.com or google.com to search for information. A lot of information can be retrieved from a search, but the important thing is to make sure the information picked is relevant information for the topic being inquired upon and that the other stuff that does not pertain is disregarded. I also make sure the information is from a legitimate source according to the importance of the reason the information is needed. In addition, prior to getting on the Internet and using search engines, I resort to my family members like my mother and father for their knowledge on things I believe they will be experts on. If they do not know, I could then go to other members of my family and friends, those who I believe can best answer the questions. However, one good characteristic about using the search engine for information is that it is confidential to a certain point. No one knows what information you are trying to acquire.

Blog postings

I posted to the following blogs:

http://lkortecc.blogspot.com/


http://durffsblog.blogspot.com/

http://kat-edtheory.blogspot.com/

Collaboration

Yes, I believe humans have the basic instinct to 'interact and work as a group' as Rheingold proposed in his discussion of the evolution of Wikipedia as a collectively developed encyclopedia. Humans coming together is an instinct entrusted from birth. They naturally gravitate to others for bonding and acceptance. It is only natural that the same need will cross over into the area of work. "Constructivist theory rests on the assumption that knowledge is constructed by learners as they attempt to make sense of their experiences" (Driscoll, 2005, p. 387). Wikipedia as an open forum for people to record what they have learned to through experiences and adjust their ideas by the new material being absorbed is a perfect way for humans to collaborate on an intellectual level. Wikipedia is an open source in which anyone can revise or add information to the data currently on the site, which makes it an ever changing, ever growing piece of work. Driscoll states, "new, particularly conflicting experiences will cause perturbation in these structures, so that they must be constructed anew in order to make sense of the new information" (2005, p. 388).

Constructivists purport collaboration and social blending as an integral part of learning in the constructivist method. "Because constructivists hold to these beliefs about learning and thinking, they emphasize collaboration as a critical feature in the learning environment" (Driscoll, 2005, p. 396). In constructivist theory, every member of the group brings an integral element to the group to solve and pull the puzzle together. Wikipedia allows for this to happen where members of the learning community can help others to learn.