Connectivism: Where for art thou?

      I'll admit it.

      I read, "Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age," by George Siemens, and had no idea what I read. So, I read it again, and yes, again, albeit faster and in more of a skimming fashion. I just couldn't grasp what the article was trying to tell me. Most of the time, I'm pretty good with keeping up and understanding technology, eventually; but sometimes the psychology and advancement theories play havoc with my brain cells. This time it did, indeed. I was trying to wrestle with the author's integration of connectivism with the well-known basic theories of learning in his article.

      After reading the article multiple times, and going on a hunt for additional information, I think I have it all put together now, and an opinion of my own. I don't think the author is trying to integrate and build upon, but rather redirect completely. I think the "Big 3" have concepts that are still valid in this day and age. I think integration is the key, not a total revamp.

      I found this blog that helped sort out some of my questions. I agree with this guy and he better articulated his thoughts than I could: https://dvandyke.blog/2017/06/29/week-1-connectivism-iste-standards/.

      It is true that schools are slow to move into the digital age. I think Common Core has done a mediocre job of integrating technology into the standards. Since these standards were created a few short years ago, in the middle of the digital age, it is a surprise that they're not technologically inclusive. The push is still to have students do things with paper and pencil, (while learning Google Apps on the side) and while I believe it is valuable for them to know this "old-fashioned way," we also need to allow our classrooms to step into the 21st Century, and the only way that is going to happen is to have state and Common Core Standards embrace technology. No, I don't think moving to computer-based testing was an embrace of technology for Common Core. Schools were ill-prepared for that at the time, (https://www.dailyrepublic.com/all-dr-news/solano-news/education-news/schools-lack-technology-to-effectively-administer-new-tests/ and it seems that there has been no real sense of urgency since then to fully engage with technology; although, since the time I wrote the linked article above in 2013, schools have since acquired Chromebooks, or the like.

      In a nutshell, someone needs to come up with a new learning theory that will pique the interest of "the powers that be" and that theory needs to be a mix of the old liberally smothered with the digital age in order to mesh with the ISTE standards. I do believe that the older learning theories have much merit but moving these theories into modernity is something that should be on more people's radar.