Connectivism and the ISTE Standards

I think there are few theories that capture the modern learning experience like connectivism does. Kids are now born into a digital age, and they need to make an effort to navigate the chaos that is the modern world. It is not enough to memorize information anymore, because most efforts in doing so will be outdated before the information is relevant. The traits of adaptability, flexibility and dynamic learning styles will help keep students and teachers on the cutting edge of progress and learning. It is an exciting time for the sharing of knowledge, and the pursuit is now closer to riding a bull than it is to building a structure.

Because of this, I appreciate the ISTE standards. They help to give guidelines to the daunting task of drinking from this fire hose of information. My major problem is that the standards seem more like virtues or traits that will help learners succeed, rather than standards in the traditional sense. The thought of regulating digital learning with a standards seems like trying to schedule a wildfire. Perhaps it is just semantics, but more than ever the modern student needs to also learn how to learn rather than simply learning.