Becoming a Network Learner:   Towards a Practice of Freedom Scott Leslie, BCcampus April 2010 Tlt ‘10 - Saskatoon
Why I became a Network Learner
I’ve been online a LONG time
I wanted to understand the Present in terms of the Past
But came to accept that the Network changes things
This change represents both challenge and opportunity
Today’s learner can expect to hold at least 10 different jobs in their lifetime
… may have jobs that didn’t  exist  when they were born
…  live in a world where information grows exponentially
But the network means old constraints are lessened
… it enables “groups of affinity” (or networks) to form
… and enables Network Effects & Virtuous Cycles
Social software is helping us connect
… in ways that scale and better cope with complexity
Finally I stopped worrying & started (network) learning
What is a Network Learner?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwM4ieFOotA
Learning Out in the Open
Authentic / Real World Engagement
Active Production of Learning Content
Truly  Lifelong Learning Environment/Network
Learner’s Own Choice of Tools, Connections & Content
And if we want to be able to teach these learners… From http://www.scribd.com/doc/3363/Dissertation-Couros-FINAL-06-WebVersion
Becoming a Network Learner – The PLE
What is a PLE? “… an overall approach or a set of capacities (rather than a single application or technology). Unlike the current LMS-based institution-centric approach which typically require the learner to enter a single 'location' online to take an online course, PLEs are environments focused on giving learners more control over where and how they learn” – Scott Leslie “ Personal Learning Environments are systems that help learners take control of and manage their own learning. This includes providing support for learners to set their own learning goals manage their learning; managing both content and process  communicate with others in the process of learning and thereby achieve learning goals.”  –  Wikipedia
Attempts to create a single PLE tool…
… but it is best understood as NOT a monolith
Where did PLEs come from Perceived shortcomings in current (LMS-focused) approach to online learning Opportunities offered by new breed of socially networked tools (user-centric design and loosely coupled interoperation) Increased availability of free, high-quality open educational resources Emerging understanding of the different opportunities that networks afford lifelong learning and learners
But they also came out of  actual  practice  http://edtechpost.wikispaces.com/PLE+Diagrams
From http://tesl-ej.org/ej34/m1.html
From http://halfanhour.blogspot.com/2006/10/ple-diagram.html
From http://www.microbiologybytes.com/tutorials/ple/ple5.html
From http://nogoodreason.typepad.co.uk/no_good_reason/2007/12/my-personal-wor.html
From http://www.flickr.com/photos/92632631@N00/2530138127/
Common Attributes – Syndication, Aggregation, Profiles
But what does  MY  PLE look like? From a tool perspective it looks similar to many others But in how I conceive/depict it, I wanted to reflect PEOPLE in my learning network as well I learn with/from different people, often depending on the amount of shared context/trust relationships
ME Friends  & Trusted Acquaintances Edubloggersphere /  Friends of Friends Circles of Trust Blogosphere /  Trustworthy Sources BLOGS SOCIAL BOOKMARKING MICROBLOGS /  PRESENCE TOOLS SEARCH SOCIAL MEDIA SERVICES WIKIS Read each other faithfully Comment on each others blogs Strong conversational ties Follow each other on twitter In each other’s IM clients Read some but not all Find new folks through trusted ones, comments, links The Web Browser The basis for my  ‘ lijit’ searches Technorati /  Other Blog-based search My friend’s lijit lenses Good source for  Google Coop engines Part of my  del.icio.us  network Use “for:” links  to share with each other Given them access  to personal wiki The Almighty Google GReader search Don’t interact with  them in this medium Some will use my wiki Will subscribe to  each other’s feeds & channels Desktop Browser Email client Personal web server Personalized Toolbars, Extensions  Bookmarklets Personal  Media Production  Tools Web-based  Office  Suites Wikipedia edutechwiki The serendipity of tags Some will see  my links through  feed or blog  syndication Public social bookmarking effects googlerank, can establish online reputation Referrer logs  & the power of  positive narcissism The serendipity of tags wikieducator I use and contribute to others’ teachertube Creative commons search engines Flock ‘social’ browser Me.dium extension Trailfire extension OER recommender Create new connections/ build reputation by  using external hosting services for rich media PMOG
Blogging
Blogging Strong conversational ties; Read each other faithfully; Comment on each others blogs Read some but not all; Find new folks through trusted ones, comments, links Referrer logs & the power of positive narcissism Friends FOAF & edubloggers General Blogosphere/Trustworthy sources
Social Bookmarking
Social Bookmarking Part of my del.icio.us ‘network’; Use “for:” links to share with each other Some will see my links through  feed or blog syndication The serendipity of tags Public social bookmarking effects googlerank, can help establish online reputation Friends FOAF & edubloggers General Blogosphere/Trustworthy sources
Microblogging & Presence Tools
Microblogging & Presence Tools In each other’s IM clients Follow each other on Twitter Re-tweets, Crowdsourcing Twitter search; #hashtags Friends FOAF & edubloggers General Blogosphere/Trustworthy sources
Wiki / Web-based Office Tools
Wiki / Web-based Office Tools Given them access to personal wiki; collaborate on Google docs I use and contribute to others’; they use mine Wikipedia cf. wikieducator, edutech wiki Friends FOAF & edubloggers General Blogosphere/Trustworthy sources
Social Media
Social Media Will subscribe to each other’s feeds & channels Create new connections / build reputation by using external hosting services for rich media teachertube The serendipity of tags Friends FOAF & edubloggers General Blogosphere/Trustworthy sources
Search
Search The basis for my ‘lijit’ social searches My GReader search My friend’s lijit lenses Good source for Google Coop engines Creative commons search engines The Almighty Google Friends FOAF & edubloggers General Blogosphere/Trustworthy sources
The Browser Itself
The Browser Itself Flock ‘social’ browser OER recommender extensions Trailfire extension StumbleUpon Zemanta  (semantic recommender) Me.dium extension Friends FOAF & edubloggers General Blogosphere/Trustworthy sources
The network expands with who and how we learn We’ve always learned with others  Yet now we can be apart AND “together” Learn not just “what” but  who and where Help others and be helped by others  we will never know Friends FOAF & edubloggers General Blogosphere/Trustworthy sources Cohort Rest of Institution General Blogosphere/Trustworthy sources
The PLE Redux
Another Cut – PLE as Teaching Environment
Modeling ourselves as Expert Learners
Overcoming the Tyranny of the Now
What have I learned and how? / What do I need to learn?
Need techniques and tools to cultivate… blogs Wikis social media browser search microblogging social bookmarking Meta-cognition Focus Attention Pattern Recognition Reflection Personal  librarianship Bullshit detection Network Awareness Collaboration
We need to add to/in the flow… blogs Wikis social media browser search microblogging social bookmarking Blog as  “ outboard brain” Tag cloud/word clouds across  services Browser history  analysis Concept maps Peer/mentor feedback Recommender  software
The Effects and Benefits of Network Learning
 
Crowdsourcing  and Collective Intelligence
Some CrowdSourcing Anecdotes edtechpost –  Arguments for Fully Open? edtechpost –  Best Loosely Coupled Teaching Examples? Abject Learning –  A Social Layer for Dspace? D’Arcy Norman –  What should I read when I’m offline?
Remix
Anecdote – Matrix of Blog Use in Education
Some Questions to Consider Does this seem plausible to you? In what ways is it disconnected from your current realities/practice? What would your teaching practice look like if it modeled Network Learning? Is Network Learning equally relevant to all disciplines? How can Network Learning co-exist with our existing institutional structures?
Thanks! And Good Luck!
And please feel free to use this if it helps
Photo Credits (unless noted elsewhere) “ Time For Change ” – David Reece “ Should I Stop or Should I Go ” – tatoodejay “ Charlie and many hats ” – jazza2 “ Telephone operators, 1952 ” Seattle Public Archives “ NetApp FAS270 ” -  mondopiccolo “ Time Spiral ” – gadl “ Here is a Scale ” – pierpaolop “ Doyle Spiral+Inversion ” - fdecomite “ Many Hands ” – sad57 “ NYC - Queens - LIC: P.S. 1 - Infinite Affinities ” - wallyg “ I love Web 2.0 ” - rinneniinikoski “ Open ” – slippek “ This is for Real ” Mykl Royentine “ wiki ” - kbaird “ Document vs Web Document ” - Raju Vegesna “ Computer Treadmill ” - djaquay Slide 10, “ Serendipity 2.0: Missing Third Places of Learning ,” - Teemu Arina “ Wisdom of the Crowd ” – Sandra Kemsley

Becoming a network learner - Tlt '10

  • 1.
    Becoming a NetworkLearner: Towards a Practice of Freedom Scott Leslie, BCcampus April 2010 Tlt ‘10 - Saskatoon
  • 2.
    Why I becamea Network Learner
  • 3.
    I’ve been onlinea LONG time
  • 4.
    I wanted tounderstand the Present in terms of the Past
  • 5.
    But came toaccept that the Network changes things
  • 6.
    This change representsboth challenge and opportunity
  • 7.
    Today’s learner canexpect to hold at least 10 different jobs in their lifetime
  • 8.
    … may havejobs that didn’t exist when they were born
  • 9.
    … livein a world where information grows exponentially
  • 10.
    But the networkmeans old constraints are lessened
  • 11.
    … it enables“groups of affinity” (or networks) to form
  • 12.
    … and enablesNetwork Effects & Virtuous Cycles
  • 13.
    Social software ishelping us connect
  • 14.
    … in waysthat scale and better cope with complexity
  • 15.
    Finally I stoppedworrying & started (network) learning
  • 16.
    What is aNetwork Learner?
  • 17.
  • 18.
  • 19.
    Authentic / RealWorld Engagement
  • 20.
    Active Production ofLearning Content
  • 21.
    Truly LifelongLearning Environment/Network
  • 22.
    Learner’s Own Choiceof Tools, Connections & Content
  • 23.
    And if wewant to be able to teach these learners… From http://www.scribd.com/doc/3363/Dissertation-Couros-FINAL-06-WebVersion
  • 24.
    Becoming a NetworkLearner – The PLE
  • 25.
    What is aPLE? “… an overall approach or a set of capacities (rather than a single application or technology). Unlike the current LMS-based institution-centric approach which typically require the learner to enter a single 'location' online to take an online course, PLEs are environments focused on giving learners more control over where and how they learn” – Scott Leslie “ Personal Learning Environments are systems that help learners take control of and manage their own learning. This includes providing support for learners to set their own learning goals manage their learning; managing both content and process communicate with others in the process of learning and thereby achieve learning goals.” – Wikipedia
  • 26.
    Attempts to createa single PLE tool…
  • 27.
    … but itis best understood as NOT a monolith
  • 28.
    Where did PLEscome from Perceived shortcomings in current (LMS-focused) approach to online learning Opportunities offered by new breed of socially networked tools (user-centric design and loosely coupled interoperation) Increased availability of free, high-quality open educational resources Emerging understanding of the different opportunities that networks afford lifelong learning and learners
  • 29.
    But they alsocame out of actual practice http://edtechpost.wikispaces.com/PLE+Diagrams
  • 30.
  • 31.
  • 32.
  • 33.
  • 34.
  • 35.
    Common Attributes –Syndication, Aggregation, Profiles
  • 36.
    But what does MY PLE look like? From a tool perspective it looks similar to many others But in how I conceive/depict it, I wanted to reflect PEOPLE in my learning network as well I learn with/from different people, often depending on the amount of shared context/trust relationships
  • 37.
    ME Friends & Trusted Acquaintances Edubloggersphere / Friends of Friends Circles of Trust Blogosphere / Trustworthy Sources BLOGS SOCIAL BOOKMARKING MICROBLOGS / PRESENCE TOOLS SEARCH SOCIAL MEDIA SERVICES WIKIS Read each other faithfully Comment on each others blogs Strong conversational ties Follow each other on twitter In each other’s IM clients Read some but not all Find new folks through trusted ones, comments, links The Web Browser The basis for my ‘ lijit’ searches Technorati / Other Blog-based search My friend’s lijit lenses Good source for Google Coop engines Part of my del.icio.us network Use “for:” links to share with each other Given them access to personal wiki The Almighty Google GReader search Don’t interact with them in this medium Some will use my wiki Will subscribe to each other’s feeds & channels Desktop Browser Email client Personal web server Personalized Toolbars, Extensions Bookmarklets Personal Media Production Tools Web-based Office Suites Wikipedia edutechwiki The serendipity of tags Some will see my links through feed or blog syndication Public social bookmarking effects googlerank, can establish online reputation Referrer logs & the power of positive narcissism The serendipity of tags wikieducator I use and contribute to others’ teachertube Creative commons search engines Flock ‘social’ browser Me.dium extension Trailfire extension OER recommender Create new connections/ build reputation by using external hosting services for rich media PMOG
  • 38.
  • 39.
    Blogging Strong conversationalties; Read each other faithfully; Comment on each others blogs Read some but not all; Find new folks through trusted ones, comments, links Referrer logs & the power of positive narcissism Friends FOAF & edubloggers General Blogosphere/Trustworthy sources
  • 40.
  • 41.
    Social Bookmarking Partof my del.icio.us ‘network’; Use “for:” links to share with each other Some will see my links through feed or blog syndication The serendipity of tags Public social bookmarking effects googlerank, can help establish online reputation Friends FOAF & edubloggers General Blogosphere/Trustworthy sources
  • 42.
  • 43.
    Microblogging & PresenceTools In each other’s IM clients Follow each other on Twitter Re-tweets, Crowdsourcing Twitter search; #hashtags Friends FOAF & edubloggers General Blogosphere/Trustworthy sources
  • 44.
    Wiki / Web-basedOffice Tools
  • 45.
    Wiki / Web-basedOffice Tools Given them access to personal wiki; collaborate on Google docs I use and contribute to others’; they use mine Wikipedia cf. wikieducator, edutech wiki Friends FOAF & edubloggers General Blogosphere/Trustworthy sources
  • 46.
  • 47.
    Social Media Willsubscribe to each other’s feeds & channels Create new connections / build reputation by using external hosting services for rich media teachertube The serendipity of tags Friends FOAF & edubloggers General Blogosphere/Trustworthy sources
  • 48.
  • 49.
    Search The basisfor my ‘lijit’ social searches My GReader search My friend’s lijit lenses Good source for Google Coop engines Creative commons search engines The Almighty Google Friends FOAF & edubloggers General Blogosphere/Trustworthy sources
  • 50.
  • 51.
    The Browser ItselfFlock ‘social’ browser OER recommender extensions Trailfire extension StumbleUpon Zemanta (semantic recommender) Me.dium extension Friends FOAF & edubloggers General Blogosphere/Trustworthy sources
  • 52.
    The network expandswith who and how we learn We’ve always learned with others Yet now we can be apart AND “together” Learn not just “what” but who and where Help others and be helped by others we will never know Friends FOAF & edubloggers General Blogosphere/Trustworthy sources Cohort Rest of Institution General Blogosphere/Trustworthy sources
  • 53.
  • 54.
    Another Cut –PLE as Teaching Environment
  • 55.
    Modeling ourselves asExpert Learners
  • 56.
  • 57.
    What have Ilearned and how? / What do I need to learn?
  • 58.
    Need techniques andtools to cultivate… blogs Wikis social media browser search microblogging social bookmarking Meta-cognition Focus Attention Pattern Recognition Reflection Personal librarianship Bullshit detection Network Awareness Collaboration
  • 59.
    We need toadd to/in the flow… blogs Wikis social media browser search microblogging social bookmarking Blog as “ outboard brain” Tag cloud/word clouds across services Browser history analysis Concept maps Peer/mentor feedback Recommender software
  • 60.
    The Effects andBenefits of Network Learning
  • 61.
  • 62.
    Crowdsourcing andCollective Intelligence
  • 63.
    Some CrowdSourcing Anecdotesedtechpost – Arguments for Fully Open? edtechpost – Best Loosely Coupled Teaching Examples? Abject Learning – A Social Layer for Dspace? D’Arcy Norman – What should I read when I’m offline?
  • 64.
  • 65.
    Anecdote – Matrixof Blog Use in Education
  • 66.
    Some Questions toConsider Does this seem plausible to you? In what ways is it disconnected from your current realities/practice? What would your teaching practice look like if it modeled Network Learning? Is Network Learning equally relevant to all disciplines? How can Network Learning co-exist with our existing institutional structures?
  • 67.
  • 68.
    And please feelfree to use this if it helps
  • 69.
    Photo Credits (unlessnoted elsewhere) “ Time For Change ” – David Reece “ Should I Stop or Should I Go ” – tatoodejay “ Charlie and many hats ” – jazza2 “ Telephone operators, 1952 ” Seattle Public Archives “ NetApp FAS270 ” - mondopiccolo “ Time Spiral ” – gadl “ Here is a Scale ” – pierpaolop “ Doyle Spiral+Inversion ” - fdecomite “ Many Hands ” – sad57 “ NYC - Queens - LIC: P.S. 1 - Infinite Affinities ” - wallyg “ I love Web 2.0 ” - rinneniinikoski “ Open ” – slippek “ This is for Real ” Mykl Royentine “ wiki ” - kbaird “ Document vs Web Document ” - Raju Vegesna “ Computer Treadmill ” - djaquay Slide 10, “ Serendipity 2.0: Missing Third Places of Learning ,” - Teemu Arina “ Wisdom of the Crowd ” – Sandra Kemsley

Editor's Notes

  • #2 I am truly honored to have been invited to open up this educamp with a talk, though I regret that ME talking AT you is somewhat in antithetical to the dialogic nature of a “camp” session. Were I a better educator, I would have come up with a more effective “intervention” through which we could explore this together. Still I hope you will find this talk a useful starting point for your day and for discussion. Would like to tell you a story of becoming a networked learner A story of Why become a networked learner What a networked learner is How to become one What happens when you learn in an open and networked way I would like to stress up front; this is not intended to SHOW OFF my personal skills as a network learner. The whole point is that I am unexceptional in this, anyone can be a network learner, but it does require a critical engagment with ones’ own responsibility to learn
  • #4 Sent my first email message via land-line connected Vaxen in 1979 from Montreal to Malaysia Remember fondly connecting my 2400 baud modem to our local BBS Was a member of The Well in 1992 Started working in 1993 building Gopher systems, quickly moved on to creating and administering web systems.
  • #5 The growth in the number of people connected online doesn't matter (or that more and more of them have never lived when the Web wasn't around) The growing connectivity (over 50% of the world's population now owns a cell phone) and computing speeds is just an incremental change Web 2.0? Just a bunch of sites done by Mac designers Blogs...whatever, just glorified personal home pages Wikis...yeah, been there, done that
  • #6 And enables us to change how we do things
  • #11 We are no longer bound so tightly by the constraints of having to be in the same place at the same time in order to be “together”
  • #12 In the past or communities were very often communities of proximity, created because of physical or temporal groupings. These are still important. But the network enables other forms of organization, groups of affinity as well as
  • #13 The more people who see your work, the more feedback it can generate; the more feedback it generates, the better it can becomes; the more feedback it generates – virtuous cycles
  • #16 As we go through this talk, while I will highlight the network and various network technologies, the network simply creates the enabling conditions for something truly different. There is nothing stopping us from simply recreating older forms of organization and interactions – indeed that is what the Learning Management System can be seen to have done
  • #18 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwM4ieFOotA by Wendy Drexler
  • #19 Notice that this learners acts of learning, the marks he leaves, by being open, have the potential for others to learn from them, to build on them, to connect around them
  • #20 Learning on the network means greater opportunities for encounters with real practitioners
  • #21 The network learner is actively involved in the production of learning content
  • #22 Learning out in the open is scary, it means constantly showing the world what you DON’T know, showing yourself in a constant state of becoming But is that not TRUE Lifelong Learning
  • #23 choosing learning goals and paths
  • #24 We need to become network learners ourselves, for teaching in a “Networked Learning” scenario is about modeling yourself as a learner, how you yourself engage in the network conversation
  • #26 Truthfully, I prefer the term “Personal Learning Network” over “Personal Learning environment” – it has less of a connotation of a monolithic, focuses less on the tools, more on people. But even it is dissatisfying in that it seems to highlight the individual alone, when instead I think what needs to be highlighted about this process is the autonomy of the individual learner *within* a larger network of other autonomous learners.
  • #36 One of the simplest yet most important things that people often don’t do is fill in the profiles on the various services they use
  • #37 Wanted to reflect why people often term this a “Personal Learning NETWORK” instead of just a “Personal Learning Environment”, that the people, and how we connect with them, are an equally if not more important aspect.
  • #38 I originally called these “Circles of Trust” but I am not totally convinced about this term; “circles of shared context” may work just as well and be a less ‘charged’ term It is critical to note that these circles are not meant to be exclusionary. They are PERMEABLE; people are not kept out, instead the posture is one of always trying to invite others into dialogue
  • #39 “ Blogging” is an activity that includes BOTH writing AND reading blogs. It is conversational, dialogic. To understand blogs as simply online “diaries” is to fundamentally misunderstand them; they are one of the first forms of “networked” writing in which authentic voice can be found But…it is also “just a personal journal” – my ‘offboard brain’. Something that one does first and foremostly for oneself, as a reflective practice, but as it is by nature NETWORK ENABLED, it can benefit from NETWORK EFFECTS
  • #41 Everyone is familiar with the idea of storing their ‘favourites’ or bookmarks Social bookmarks is the practice of storing these instead on the network, where they can be shared and accessed from anywhere If there was only one practice I had to pick to help people start their personal learning environment/network, it would be this; it is simple, something people already do anyways, but the benefits can be immediately seen Many alternative services like diigo, or ones that can even be hosted locally like scuttle
  • #51 Plugins Greasemonkey Zemanta My Examples Context search (build/find new searches with http://mycroft.mozdev.org/ and OER recommender - augment the web with related OER resources - http://www.oerrecommender.org/help/demo.html Finding Books - http://tinyurl.com/6qxu4y WorldCat/Amazon plugin Library Lookup Bookmarklet Using Zemanta to draw in related materials to blog posts on the fly - http://www.edtechpost.ca/readingulysses/wp-admin/post.php?action=edit&post=8 Other Resources we likely won't get time to explore Ubiquity - http://labs.mozilla.com/2008/08/introducing-ubiquity/ plugins like Trailfire, PMOG see also http://8-p.info/greasekit/ for Safari cf. http://delicious.com/nessman/opened_presentation
  • #59 Howard Rheingold - The five key elements to digital literacy are: Attention / Participation / Collaboration / Critical Consumption (Crap detection) / Network Awareness
  • #66 See also http://www.edtechpost.ca/wordpress/2008/06/20/google-coop-on-the-fly/ OER search engine