Connectivism Explained…by its Practitioners #CCK11 #edchat #ELTchat #ukedchat #education #esl #elearning #lrnchat #edu #Obama #efl #esol #ell #TESOL #IATEFL #elt #whataconcept #egypt #Teachers #news

Shelly Terrell, the video Producer (Credit: Shelly Terrell - Twitter pic)

How many people do you know, who know, how an internal combustion engine works? I will be honest with you. I haven’t a clue, and this diagram doesn’t do much for me, either.

Now, if my ability to drive a car depended on my understanding this, then I’m certain I would work harder to improve my understanding. The good news for me is that I don’t have to do that.

I get in the car, put the key in the ignition, turn the key, and the car works. I drive off happy as can be, to whatever destination awaits me.

Internal Combustion Engine (Credit: How things work)

Practitioners of connectivism have also done something similar. All around the world, we are connected, interacting, doing global conferences, sharing information and resources, inspiring one another, helping one another to achieve incredible results, and most importantly, making the learning experience absolutely enjoyable for our students. We know this because they tell us so.

Today, a member of my PLN, a new member, Tracy, whom I have known for only the duration of this course, #CCK11, for about a month now, shared a video with everyone in the #CCK11 PLN. The video, extraordinary in its scope, dates back a full eleven (11) months.

You see how that works, right?

1. Aggregate
2. Remix
3. Repurpose
4. Feed it forward

Tracy was simply feeding the video forward, sharing the resource that she had come across, freely, without a thought to what was in it for her.

To me, the video is incredibly valuable. Why?

I consider it one of the best explanations of how connectivism really works that I have come across. It shows the perspective of the practitioner, and we look also “through the eyes” of students, the learners.

No words are spoken, it’s “Show and Tell”, eloquently displayed, and I am left with no doubt in my mind. The video is “Silent Thunder”, “Dry Rain”, “Icy Hot”, a perfect storm on a beautiful sunny day.

Shelly Terrell, the video Producer (Credit: Shelly Terrell - Twitter pic)

Am I contradicting myself, bu talking of opposite states as if they were natural occurences? No.

I’m pointing to the pure power that would be present in such circumstances. The explanatory, expressive power of the video is undeniable.

After watching the video, you will know what Practitioners of Connectivism do, how we, “turn the key”, in the internal combustion engine, so to speak, of the English Language Teaching profession.

As Montell Jordan sang in his song in yesteryear, “This is how we do it”.

Without further preamble, I give you, “Connectivism…as explained visually by its Practitioners…”