Week 5: Groups vs, Networks: Collectives and Connectives

Well, as usual I'm a week behind. But last week I finally got the Daily. And I found a post from someone in Heidelberg, Germany,( far away from my rainy Bogotá) Mathias Melcher, and I felt identified with some of his ideas about "Reflecting ? So I posted a comment in his blog http://x28newblog.blog.uni-heidelberg.de/2008/10/08/cck08-week-5-reflections/#comments.
I guess it is more important to find this opportunity to make a connection, to share some feelings and ideas than to be on schedule, sit down and post a reflection. We exchanged 2 or three mails and he sent me the first Daily information about RSS... Hope my blog finally appears on Stephen's site.

About the topic of week 5 , I could say that there are two points of view based on the readings. Stephen considers networks are very different from groups and establish their characteristics http://flickr.com/photos/stephen_downes/252157734/. He foresees the network as the basis for a new type of society and human beings, a more philosophical vision. On the other hand, George sees groups as networks, he didn't believe in clear cut diferences and I would say that he has a broader perspective of "the network" as the underlying structure that provides the foundation for interaction and achievement of goals. I feel that he has a more pragmatic approach. His perspective reminded me in some way of Barry Wellman's article (1996)An electronic group is virtually a social network,
http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~wellman/netlab/PUBLICATIONS/_frames.html,

Another aspect to take into account is the need to establish a structure of trust and solidarity and a delicate balance to acknowledge the human nature and the individual need for recognition.
The type of network that we designed depends on three aspects: level of autonomy, complexity of tasks and task specialization.

Week 3: Networks (1)

I 'm copying here the entry I posted to the Moodle forum because I think it illustrates how this "entity, ME" is trying to learn about networks:

"Hi, George and Margarita:

Well, the amount of new information is really huge and I'm trying to follow the schedule but I'm a week behind it. At this moment, I didn’t have the time to post the ideas for the 3 week. Maybe later I will post them. I’m still reading about networks…As I posted in my blog, http://sonni2007.blogspot.com/ on week 2, I feel the pressure and I’d like to have more time. Although I have experimented with communities, the readings are demanding.
What I have been doing is organizing my ideas in the best way for me to learn. Maybe I don’t make deep reflections, I decided not to participate in the forums, I’m a lurker, I only participate when I feel I can contribute to a positive discussion because I’m in another level: I’m absorbing the information, maybe later I will have time to reflect. I found myself in what I call “input phase”. I would like to take part in the live sessions but at that time I’m working. On week-ends and at night I have listened to some recordings .Something that I do is printing the readings so I can carry them with me and read them ( not online, “stealing” some moments from my work) , because I like to highlight the key ideas or insights that resonate with my own experiences.
Something else I have found myself doing is not following the suggested order and sometimes I have gone back to previous readings because I need change, I got bored if I have to read about the same topic all the time. And let me tell you, that I have started to make connections.
So I usually go to hub, check the information in the course blog, check the activities, print the readings, watch the videos with the presentation for the week. I confess I prefer watching the videos than reading. I love this feature of the course. I found videos adapt better to my learning style.
Margarita, I understand your difficulties if you aren’t fluent in English but I think in this course you have to make decisions and prioritize what is more important for you. How about posting in your blog in your native language? Relax, be patient with yourself and try to learn as much as you can. Hope some of my words could help you and motivate you to continue.
I‘m here for the learning experience, the challenge and the generosity of our facilitators to give us this opportunity free of charge".

Week 2: Rethinking epistemology: Connective knowledge

I' m trying to keep up with the number of readings for this week. So far I have done three and I'd really like to have more time to go deeply into the ideas presented. But that is the current speed of information, I only have time to grasp some ideas, here and there.

The article of Dave Cormier really caught my attention with the term "rhizomatic" which made me go back to those days at elementary school, long, long time ago. Since I didn't remember quite well what a rhizome was , I started by making some searches to really understand the metaphor ( by Deleux and Guattari, 1987) used to illustrate a more flexible approach to knowledge and also how communities develop without having a center, having no hierarchical but multiple horizontal relationships (connections)like the rhizome structure. I also agreed with idea that rhizomes (knowledge) spread, need space to grow and can't be confined to limited spaces (e.g. pots/classrooms )
Traditional conceptions about knowledge, educational systems and universities ( characterized by "arborescence conceptions" with linear and vertical organization) could consider this approach threatening to their monolitic structures.
Well , that's all for now.

Week1: What is Connectivism?(1)

http://elearnspace.org/media/WhatIsConnectivism/player.html

After listening to George’s audio I’ve been thinking that the best way I can help myself understand Connectivism is by summarizing the main points presented. I know that I learn a lot by intuition so I' m going to get the input and ,in due time,I don't know exactly when, the connection will be made and I will grasp the concept of Connectivism which I think I know by experimenting with virtual communities but I can not express right now with words.

Well, there are five principles that conform the foundations of any learning theory:
· the need to externalize to make sense: ways to express ( words, art, tools)
· The need for structures frameworks for sensemaking
· The need to socialize and negotiate around knowledge: dialogue
· The nature of our mind to note, recognize and draw patterns from situations/environments
· The desire to extend our humanity through technology: overcoming our limitations with the use of tools and innnovation.
In Connectivism:

• knowledge is essentially networked and distributed
• the experience of learning is one of forming new neural, conceptual and external networks. “Knowing” is to be in a particular manner of connectedness.
• Learning occurs is complex, chaotic shifting spaces.
• The principles of exploring, interacting with others and building knowledge is mediated by technology.

Week1: Organizing my network...

Well , we're starting second week and I am behind schedule on the first topic: What is connnectivism? Before starting, since all activities are distributed, I'm going to organize the the general structure for me:
Getting started:http://elearnspace.org/media/GettingStarted/player.html (presentation)
The daily: http://connect.downes.ca/
Moodle : http://ltc.umanitoba.ca:83/moodle/course/view.php?id=20
Pageflakes:http://www.pageflakes.com/ltc
The HUB: http://ltc.umanitoba.ca/connectivism
Weeky schedule: http://ltc.umanitoba.ca/wiki/connectivism
Each weeK: Mon-Fri: "the Daily "- Wed: informal discusson and special guests "Elluminate"- Fri:moderate discussion : "USTREAMTV"
Welcome Video : http://elearnspace.org/media/GettingStarted/player/VideoPlayer.html?exUrl=../data/swf/fm_Untitled.swf&exWndWidth=643&exWndHeight=363&exWidth=639&exHeight=359&exDuration=&exPlaybar=false&exAutoPlay=true