My reflection on how your connections facilitate learning

I believe online networking has benefited my learning ability because I am able to search for topics faster and specific. For example, online resources like Walden Library, EBooks, Wikipedia and Web Articles are useful ways to gather more information at any time. Rather than going to the library and search though all the books I can found key information right at my figure tips. The social networking of Facebook and Myspace helps me connect with other individuals that I have known in the past and get to know in the present. I am able to build connection with individuals in the same career field and express ideas freely and often.

Digital tools help me learn mostly through hands on activities and visual imaging. I remember ideas that are more visual rather than reading out of a textbook. Online videos and chat rooms are tools that make it easy to build connection between information and individuals. For example, I used the Google web to research online videos that visual explain the material resources in this course. The blog I created for this source provided me a way to express my ideas freely toward my fellow students. The Blog website BlogSpot (www.blogspot.com) is a great resource to for individuals to express their ideas on a variety of topics.

I login in websites like Google groups and chat rooms where I can ask questions about topics I need more explanation. In great detail of the adult learning styles that explain action, experiential, project based, and self-directed learning. Action learning is a great way to use the discussion boards and chat rooms to retrieve quick answers to questions. I build personal connections using Yahoo and Hotmail chat rooms where I can chat with fellow classmates about the week topics. It provided me away to get my questions answered fast.

The online article, Connectivism – Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching, and Technology explained the core of George Siemens’ theory of connectivism with the phases of importance of networks and the use of technology. Siemens stated, “We must create networks which, simple defined, are connections between entities. By using these networks – of people of technology, of social structures, of systems, of power grids, etc – learning communities can share their ideas with others there by “cross-pollinating” the learning environment” (Siemens, 2005, para. 21). I do agree with Siemens because I feel not just one person has all the answers. I am able to gather information from different sources to increase my understanding of the subject. The support of networking drives the discussion of a topic at a faster rate. I used many networking sources because I learn better from online connection rather than in face. Finally, connectivism best explains my learning process because I am able to build connections with information with the use of technology and use diversity networks to gather information.