Connecting with Connected Learning
According to aresearch synthesis report of the Connected Learning Research Network, connected learning is “socially embedded, interest-driven, and oriented toward educational, economic, or political opportunity.” In an attempt to make learning more effective, students are allowed to explore their interests in a more freeform way with the connect learning model than currect curriculums often allow with their required lessons that often don’t interest as many students. From my personal experience, the connected learning model sounds extremely effective to use as it will allow students to find their interests early on and possibly start to like going to school. By allowing students to more bradly explore their interests in school earlier in life, it means that they can become more knowledgeable about the topic earlier on as well and connect with their interests in a more effective way. It makes it a lot easier for people to connect with others also interested in the same thing.
The idea of connected learning seems to be very promising even if putting it into effect may take time and effort, but it seems that it will be very rewarding if done successfully. Compared to the learning model that is implemented now, it sounds like something I wish was put into effect before I had gotten to college. It allows people to feel more comfortable in their respective fields by helping them to connect more within them both with the knowledge and other people in it. Overall connected learning is a learning model that would be allow for a more productive and unified society as it allows for all kids to have equal opportunities to explore what they enjoy and less time is spent teaching them a standardized curriculum that they’re not as interested in.
In an interview with Mimi Ito about connected learning, an interesting point she brought up was how most of the learning people do doesn’t happen in the classroom. People are so used to believing that professionals are the teachers of the world and forget that the people around them can also teach them things that may actually interest them more. The internet is also a resource that can just as easily teach people about a topic, it just takes more effort to go and find that information themselves rather than just listen to a professional who already has all their information together to teach to others. It’s a matter of making connections to learn instead, and not just focus on a select few being knowledgeable about the topic. The point stands out to me because that is how I thought, associating learning with professionals and thinking about how I can learn from the internet or others around me just as easily. It’s hard for people to remember that they can learn from more than professionals, that they can go out and learn even more especially things they are more specifically interested just with a little bit of effort.
The connected learning model offers an interesting idea for the school system to be switched to. Personally, it sounds like a significant improvement from the school system now where many students don’t enjoy going and often times struggle due to the digital divide making it harder for some students to keep up with everyone else. While I don’t see a system-wide change being able to happen anytime soon to teach with this model, I hope at least some of the things that the model recommends doing instead can at least be implemented into the system now to help improve the school system as a whole.
