A response to Life Cycle of Connectedness

This is my response to Jenny’s wonderful post on Life Cycle of Connectedness.

Jenny, I feel sorry that your mum’s connections are waning at all levels. Also, it’s sad to lose a close colleague. The appearance on Facebook may be an honourable way to keep those pass away a good memory though.

Your mention of the different stages of connectedness life cycle often happen in communities. My observation and experience is that some people would choose the community which would meet her continuous needs, at different times, though sometimes some others would just gradually “fade” away from being an active networker to the peripheral (as legitimate peripheral participant) to eventual “withdrawal”. When there is a renewal of interests or something that is exciting “offered” by the network or community, then some may be drawn back as rekindled networkers of the community.

Would this depend on the context and the “stage” of the community? Such pattern of life cycle may appear different when it is relating to religious community, where it is not sparked by interests (only), but by faith, belief, and love. A sense of helping and loving each other in an altruistic manner is an inner call, from most religions. Would this pattern be reflective of how we meet new acquaintances or friends in the real world, or even in the digital world?

Connectivity: can it die? May be physically, but not spiritually… as people always would be in remembrance of the friendship formed. Once a friend, could be a friend forever, that Utopian state of friendship that is embraced in one’s heart.

Thanks Jenny for your inspiring post.

3.0 and Connectivism

Enjoy this…3.0

What does it mean to us?

Learning and Research in Digital Networks and Communities

Enjoy this Tinkering as a Mode of Knowledge Production.

What are the implications of such mode of knowledge production for the individual and communities?

A Response to Jenny’s Openness and Research

In response to Jenny’s great post on Openness and Research

Hi Jenny,
Great that you have summarised what we (you, Matthias, Roy and I) are up to in the research project. If you think it is appropriate, would you mind posting your post onto our Ning Network at http://connectivismeducationlearning.ning.com as well? 

I agree with your views that research may need to be conducted with a certain degree of “openness”. I think it is not just to ensure the validity of the research, but to ensure that any data collected from respondents are kept in confidence.

Researchers are also required to conduct themselves in a professional manner – (a) by preventing and minimising any risks that may be associated with the research process, in order to protect the confidentiality and interests of the stakeholders (researchers, respondents, and even the instructors), and (b) by behaving in an ethical manner throughout the process.

Like you, I am still pondering on how “open” it should be when it comes to learning and research projects in professional communities or social networks.

As for some professions such as lawyers or doctors, a breach of professional conduct could lead to litigation, especially if it is relating to some complaints or serious misconduct that may be due to the negligence or ignorance of the professionals, or the copyright (or copyleft) issues arising out of the research practice.

Besides, in a global network and community ecology, I think it may be especially difficult to come up with some agreed protocols on learning and research, that relates to the professional standards.

So, I share your interests in raising those questions.

Renewed thanks Jenny for this great post.

John

Celebration of Community on ConnectivismEducationLearning and a Happy Valentine’s Day

It has been around 4 weeks since this community on ConnectivismEducationLearning was set up on 20 January 2009.
We have 49 members in this community to-date. We should be proud of ourselves in having such a growth within a short time. And we hope our presence will bring in new hopes to the building of global communities for life-long educators and learners.

We are also greatly honoured to have George Siemens, Stephen Downes and Terry Anderson being part of our global community.

We have some community members introducing themselves, and sharing their visions and missions. There were also some discussions amongst us on various topics on Connectivism, education and learning.

Some videos, slideshows that relate to Connectivism, network learning and Personal Learning Environment have since been added to this network. I hope you like them. You are welcomed to add any videos/slideshow of your interests here.

There have also been some interests in research as indicated by various members.

In view of the coming Valentine’s Day, may I wish every member of our Community to have a Happy Valentine’s Day tomorrow?

You are warmly welcomed to send a short message of love and friendship to each other. Your partner or kids wouldn’t be jealous on this as you could show him/her my request here! And I am sending each of you this Valentine’s love

This is your community of learning, sharing and research that care for each of you, by yourself and amongst yourself.

So, enjoy, have fun and you are welcomed to share with us your interesting story of love on Valentine’s day. Even a short anecdote, message or blog would excite each of us. That fire of passion will continue to burn!

Looking forward to enjoy our Valentine’s Day. Where is your heart of love? He/she must be someone close to you. I could see you smiling

What we could learn from Connectivism? Connections with the community

Great to learn that your community (by Keith Lyons) is so committed. I hope every one is well. And with the support of so many other enthusiastic volunteers in the community, I am sure that your community would be able to overcome the threats of fires.

This also brought me back to my memory on community service. 

When I was in my early twenties, I participated as a volunteer in the Community and Youth Office, part of the social welfare department in the government.  I was elected as the Vice Chair of a Volunteering Association called Dawn’s Association after a series of events were organised and run for the poor families in a community (with a few thousand people).  Our Association was made up of youth volunteers between the age of 17 to mid 20’s. We organised game stalls, cartoon shows, visit to soft drink company, picnic during a summer vacation for the young kids of poor families.  On one occasion, whilst I was leading the kids to a picnic, I witnessed one of the most memorable incident on our way in a coach.  I noticed a small kid (may be 7-8 years old) was really enjoying his ice-cream cone.  After a while, I was surprised to find that he has finished eating it without any wrapper left behind.  Oh dear!  The kid has eaten the ice-cream cone with the paper wrapper. On the same occasion,  I noted another kid dropped his red-bean popsicle on the deck of the coach, but he immediately picked it up and continued eating it without any hesitation. 

What was the lesson I had learnt? Kids of a poor background needs education, or at least they need to learn about what is edible, and the health, hygiene and safety aspects!  Besides, they need strong support and care of peers and adults  throughout their early stages of development in the community.  

Everyone needs such support through social networking, and learning could be greatly enhanced through those valuable connections.  And that’s education!  And we could then be able to better understand each others’ needs through the networking processes at this digital age.  

In our community, we need to support the poor and disadvantaged too, just like the kid’s example, so they could live with pride, confidence, and decency. 

Are we all born with compassion towards our fellow citizens?  How could we show such compassion towards our community?  Is it through our continuous involvement in our community?  

So, I  echo with Keith on the needs of building our community, to make it  a better place for everyone to live in.  Social networking and education are just like the two sides of the coin.  They work side-by-side. 

Are these also the result of valuable connections – to the community?  Does what you give and contribute to the community make a difference?  Is it the learning we share through Connectivism?

We are already witnessing all these community building through our blogs, networks – and the New ConnectivismEducationLearning network as well!

Hoping that we will continue our contribution to the community through our wonderful acts of love, care and support.