Connectivism

Below you can see the connectivist "Mindmap" that shows my personal learning networks that have assisted with increasing my knowledge of instructional design.  As you can see, I have included not only people I interact with on a daily basis (such as my mentor, students and faculty at Walden) but also technological tools I use, conferences and associations I belong to and social networking sites such as blogs and Linkedin.

My network had greatly influenced my learning as I’ve moved into the field of instructional design.  Initially of course, my mentor was the one that first guided me toward the field of instructional design.  I had been working in educational administration and it was this mentor that first taught me about instructional design and showed me that I have a talent for it.  In addition to teaching me many things about how instructional design works and what are effective and ineffective strategies, it was she who encouraged me to take the program at Walden.  My studies thus far have been valuable in helping me learn about the field and has provided me thus far with formal educational training to compliment the experience I have already gained. 

From a digital tools perspective, software such as animoto, prezi and google docs have been invaluable.  Learning how to take things like powerpoint presentations and turn them into videos with narration, animation and other resources has allowed me to learn how to create more advanced and engaging presentations.  Google docs have allowed me to collaborate with faculty members in real time, sharing documents and designing instruction simultaneously.  In addition, although it they are not listed, software programs such as Moodle and Blackboard have been invaluable to my learning process.  Connecting with tutorials and user groups have shown me new and more effective ways of creating instructional activities for diverse learners.

As for how I gain knowledge when I have questions, there are a number of ways I can accomplish this.  First, one of the nest ways I can learn is to engage with tutorials or user groups as a means of finding the answers I need.  I find that I learn best when I have step by step directions or demonstration.  Additionally, my mentor and other staff members I work with are always available to answer questions or provide some guidance and advice.  Again, these connections are imperative in helping me to gain the knowledge I need to be effective as an instructional designer.

I believe that all of these factors support the theory of connectivism.  Without all of these connections in place, I know that I would not have had the opportunities to learn that I have had thus far.  The key of connectivism is learning networks and establishing those networks is how learning occurs.  Through technological tools, conferences and events, discussions with mentors and colleagues and educational opportunities, my knowledge base increases and I become a better instructional designer.