Formative Assessment and Personal Learning Networks

In consideration of what it means to be connected, one has to reflect on one’s own connections and mobile learning as educational methodology.  As part of my own growth, and especially in pursuit of graduate work, becoming more of a part of the learning community fueled my thinking and played a significant role as I determined the future of me as an educator.  After connecting to Alt Schools in California, following Sugatra Mitra on TED and Twitter and finding the awesome Critical Thinking “core standards” of New Zealand and Austrailia, I began to see the benefit of learning anytime, anywhere, in real, global time with the support of peers, tools and mentors connected as needed.  I realize how important it is to move towards mobile learning and “connectivism,” but as I’m trying to put my money where my mouth is the action is harder than the words.  

The Informal Learning Activities Figure (Ally, p. 104 [Patten, 2006]) paints a clear picture of the categories, making it easy to consider the relevance of mobile learning as I observe it in the classroom or in relation to my classes.  Although I’ve tried using “interactive” options, such as electronic flashcards, most students who use it are already inclined to use flashcards.  I encourage “administrative” e-planning tools for executive function support,especially for students with dysgraphia, dyslexia or other challenges with tracking.  I’m so happy when mobile devices become “referential” tools, and I believe the golden ticket is when the devices become “collaborative” for students to work with and learn from each other.
Working through my outline reminds me that I have a long way to go to get students and myself into a fully realized connected learning practice.  I have no doubt they will be able to enlist it as they embrace it, if I can make everything as intuitive as a video game.  Whether going mobile will create the individualized, globalized passionate learning is another story.  I can’t wait to get it together and get moving with the necessary feedback in order to fully realize this goal.