Introduction

Hello, my name is Inez Whipple and I'll be participating in a course from the University of Manitoba called, Connectivism and Connective Knowledge. It's as 12 week course with over 1600 people enrolled form all over the world! What a great opportunity to connect with people and never have to leave my cactus, sunshine and blue skies!

I'll be using this blog to capture my thoughts, reactions, and learning during the next 12 weeks. Here's the course description from the course blog

Connectivism and Connective Knowledge is a twelve week course that will explore the concepts of connectivism and connective knowledge and explore their application as a framework for theories of teaching and learning. It will outline a connectivist understanding of educational systems of the future. This course will help participants make sense of the transformative impact of technology in teaching and learning over the last decade. The voices calling for reform do so from many perspectives, with some suggesting 'new learners' require different learning models, others suggesting reform is needed due to globalization and increased competition, and still others suggesting technology is the salvation for the shortfalls evident in the system today. While each of these views tell us about the need for change, they overlook the primary reasons why change is required.

Information about this course was passed to me by a co-worker and colleague. Hopefully, there will several of us joining the course. What interested me most was the idea of exploring the “transformative impact of technology in teaching and learning.” As an instructional designer of mainly online courses, I’m interested in how we can use technology to increase, not only accessibility to learning, but increase learning itself.

As for what has to happen for me to consider this course a success, two things come to mind. First and foremost, I will need to feel a part of the course, not a voyeur or a wall flower. Most of that responsibility lies within myself, but I’m hoping for some feedback from others so that I can feel a “part of the action.” Second, I need to be able to keep up with the course work. I’m not sure I have the time for this, but I am going to schedule in time during the week so that I can have a reminder to check in and work on being a part of this course.

Random information about me…

I’m an instructional designer at Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona.

I came here to get away from the gray skies and snow in my hometown Reading, Pennsylvania.

I love my job!

My friends and family think I’m amazing because of the amount of technology that I work with. Little do they know…

I work with a relatively small amount of technologies - hardware or software - and there always seems to be so much I’ve never even heard of, much less seen or experienced. I usually end up feeling incompetent at conferences and workshops.

I have a great interest in working with developmental education students.