The opening session to the 2007 Online Connectivism Conference
just concluded and my head is spinning (In a really good way). There was so
much investment in this room, over 190 participants in the Elluminate session.
The message board was rolling, the discussion thought-provoking (even if,
especially with the differing opinions), and my hands couldn’t keep up with my
thoughts!

I came away with a number of things that I need to think more about:

• The importance of the relationship of context to
  information, knowledge and learning.
• The continuing geometric explosion of information in
  both pace (sum of knowledge doubling every 18 months) and breadth means
  that we need to puruse less linear perspectives on how learning and
  what  knowledge mean to those of us involved in education, but more
  importantly what it means to our learners both present and future.
• Monolithic institutions such as government and higher
  education require large forces to affect changes in their culture. Are the
  changes that are presently occurring in these areas a result of our
  connected culture?
• How we facilitate bidirectional communication across
  distances has changed dramatically in the last century in both modality
  and in speed.
    letters -> telegraph -> telephone -> radio -> cell
  phone -> Internet
• Impact on authority – This is changing our concept of
  trust (verification, digital savvy) and requires an approach using a
  critical eye as opposed to open acceptance.
• A sea change from knowledge as product to knowledge/knowing
  as process
• Our current web environment is cultivating an architecture
  of participation powered by network effects (the strength of the
  community).
• And yet the sheer abundance of information creates its
  own problems – we’re drinking from a fire hose!
• George identified three means to accommodate the flood
  of information:
• Increase human capacity (evolve bigger brains)
• Increase technological capacity (via bio-augmentation)
• Increase procedural capacity (employ network
  intelligence)

The driving question for many of us
attending the Online Connectivism Conference is:

What is
connectivism and how does it apply to education?

Please check it out. Better yet, join the Moodle
and dive into this community of practice! We look forward to learning with you!

This is food for thought… And I’m starving!

[tags]occ2007, connectivism, siemens [/tags]

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