21st Century Learner
Today, I read A Learning Theory for the Digital Age by George Siemens. It was a very interesting article where I mostly enjoyed the comparisons between learners today and learners in the past. A learner today is like a doctor. I believe that the reason I came up with this analogy has a lot to do with the fact that I have been watching the TV show Grey's Anatomy for a few months now. When you think about doctors’ offices and their equipment 20 years ago, it must look very different from the ones we see now. There is a lot of new information, illnesses/treatments have changed over the years, new treatments are in effect, and there is a lot of digital equipment they are making use of in order to diagnose and treat patients. When I think back on my times as a middle school student, I cannot see a smartphone, iPad, computer, kindle, social networking sites, smart boards, online blogs in my room or classroom. I do remember a lot of books and notebooks. The way learners acquire information has tremendously changed.
Siemens states that experience has long been considered the best teacher of knowledge. Since we cannot experience everything, other people’s experiences, and hence other people, become the surrogate for knowledge. This is where I should emphasize the significance of our networks. In today’s world, we are all connected to each other through technology and learn from each other constantly. A doctor should constantly update themselves in their fields, be aware of developments, attend conferences, talk to other doctors about their experiences so that they don’t miss anything important that would leave them behind. We learn not only from our experiences but from many sources. Siemens elaborates on this in his video the Network is the Learning where he says that the particular network I create is what enables me to stay current in my own field. Today people connect with each other in numerous ways. It is very easy to keep in touch with people from other cities, countries and even the far away ones. We should make use of this in the best way possible.
A really great analogy because if doctors don't keep up with their field it can be detrimental to their patients the same way not keeping up with new theories can be the same for our students (ok maybe not deadly, lol). But you are right, the stakes are high when you consider that not taking advantage of the latest in thinking can have long-ranging impacts on lives. It is great that you were also able to link your thinking to something in real life i.e. Grey's Anatomy.
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