CONNECTED LEARNING
WHAT IS IT?
WHY THIS MODEL?
What is Connected Learning?
The Connected Learning Alliance defines connected learning as:
combine[ing] personal interests, supportive relationships, and opportunities. It is learning in an age of abundant access to information and social connection that embraces the diverse backgrounds and interests of all young people.
I tend to define connected learning as:
a new, broad learning model for learning that allows its students to engage with each other no matter where they are in the world on topics that interest them individually. It is a type of learning that surpasses the bounds of the traditional classroom and is based on the shared interests of the individuals. They are able to create a community based on these shared interests and encourage and critique each other’s work, which can later lead to confidence in the subject in the outside world as well.
This model of learning allows online users to explore topics that they may otherwise not be able to explore with people who share similar interests. It allows for collaboration, self-led research, creativity, content creation, along with many more benefits that users gain from becoming a part of online communities. It allows for criticism and support and growth. Through connected Learning "[kids] end up communicating, collaborating and learning how to solve real problems. You learn by doing. People facing challenges often are not alone so if people want to make more resilient communities, we have to make sure we’re always learning" (Baratunde Thurston via an article by Mimi Ko Cruz).
A video on how learning has changed and how that made way for the Connected Learning Model:
Along with their definition of connected learning, the Connected Learning Alliance stresses that this learning model works because of its key elements (some of which I touched on in my own definition):
Sponsoring the interests of youth keeps them involved, focused, and engaged in what they are learning. Being able to share their thoughts and creations with others is allow them to collaborate, give and receive feedback from other members of that online community with whom they share interests. Being a part of online communities with people who share the same interests make it easier for users to feel connected to others and feel as though their work matters. The idea is that these connections allow them to feel empowered and to continue to contribute to and interact with others in the community. It also allows users to branch out and become a part of communities that they may not have the ability to be a part of in the physical world, letting them become well-rounded and multifaceted learners as well.
The beauty of connected learning is that online users are able to explore whatever interests them from anywhere in the world. Dr. Mimi Ito is an expert on connected learning and she says that it is for "everyone, everywhere, anytime" (Ito, 2012). Connected learning allows for learning outside of the traditional classroom. Users can learn from and teach each other based off of their own explorations into a shared topic of interest. With connected learning, anyone can be a student, a learner, an expert on topics that interest them.
Why is it Connected Learning important?
Digital technology allows each individual to approach learning in a way that works for them; in a way that keeps them engaged and wanting to continue learning. This is something that learners do not typically have the ability to have in a traditional learning model.
One of my favorite approaches to integrating technology into education and learning is from a 3rd-grade teacher in South Dakota, Kayla Delzer. Her approach to technology integration into her classroom is to only use it when it actually adds value to the lesson and when her students can learn a concept using it that they couldn't–or not as well–without it. There are two ways that she helps her students learn about the technology on their own that I really love. She recognizes that it is nearly impossible for teachers to learn how to use and teach their students to use every app that is considered educational. Her approach is to give one alternating student the task of learning how to use a new app and teach the class how to use it as well. Doing it this way allows her students to interact with the technology by learning how it works and what functions it serves while also teaching them how to relay that learned information to others by teaching them and helping them learn how to use it. The other way that she integrates technology into the classroom is another Connected Learning kind of approach. She sets aside one hour per week for her students to participate in "passion projects". This is a time for her students to research something that interests them and create a project to share with the class that showcases their research. She says that “it really gives kids ownership in their learning" (Kayla Delzer via an article by Hailey Reissman).
My personal experience with Connected Learning? Is it really beneficial?
I remember as early as middle school, starting to really find a community for myself online. I talk about the platform Wattpad in my podcast on Soundcloud. That website/app is where I was first able to find a space that I was able to share my own writing without being embarrassed or nervous about other people's responses and was able to consume and interact with content created by people who shared my interest and dedication to a craft that I was not exactly experienced in but loved and wanted to get better at. I cannot even explain how amazing it felt the first time I published a story and saw that other people were reading it and liking it and encouraging me to keep writing more for them to read because they could not wait to see what came next. This feeling of support and encouragement is something that I could have only gotten online because I never would have been able to reach as many readers offline as I did on Wattpad.
There were also many times that I asked for advice from other Wattpad writers–some of whom had massive audiences–and they responded and pushed me to keep writing and sharing. They gave me pointers on how to gain more readers and develop my stories to match my thoughts to the writing on the page. As I gained confidence and bettered my own writing, other writers who were new to the platform started to ask me for advice. This type of support and interaction with others is what helped–and still helps–me to become a better writer and editor. It gave me the confidence to continue to explore and refine my craft.
Because of these experiences, I believe that Connected Learning truly is beneficial and can be for anyone, anywhere, anytime.
*Many of the graphics and videos used are from Connected Learning Alliance, which is a great resource to begin with when learning about Connected Learning. Also, all of the graphics are linked to the websites they were obtained from. Feel free to click on them and see what other resources have to say about Connected Learning!*