Blog Post #7

Part 1
The Networked Student is a perfect video to sum up why we are taking EDM310 at the University of South Alabama. The video by Wendy Drexler talked about connectivism, and how the network student in the video can look or ask other people how they go about handling something and vice versa. Now if someone majoring in education ever asks me to why he or she has to take EDM310 I can show them this video. Hits the nail on the head.

The video depicts how 21st century learning is changing from the traditional classroom setting of a teacher and a chalk board. Information can easily be found on the network as the network student shows, but where do teachers come into play in all this. This is the same thing Dr. Strange is trying to get us to understand the classroom and the world is evolving, and we as educators need to adapt so we can have a purpose in being in the classroom. We as teachers need to accept that time has changed, and we cannot be afraid or stubborn to change with it.

The question that comes from 21st century learning is, Why does the network student even need a teacher? According to Drexler's video a teacher is needed, because he or she can teach the student how to build this network and take advantage of learning opportunities. The teacher can help the student when he or she gets stuck, like Dr. Strange and his lab assistants help us in EDM310. Teachers can help the students communicate properly, like how we are shown to write a post correctly using Writing A Quality Blog Post. I personally like and agree with the video 100 percent.





Part 2
A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment was a good video to show us how a PLE really works, and even a 7th grader can use it or make one. Her PLE is bigger than my PLN, but I'm just getting started with mine. I'm glad Dr. Strange introduce me to PLN, this is really going to help me down the road.

Part 3
Thomas Suarez: A 12-year-old app developer did not teach me anything new, but it help stress the point, like the other videos in this blog, that the information is out if we will only search for it. Thomas Suarez took the initiative and search on how to make an app, and he did it. This video brings up the question again to why are teachers needed.