A Learner is Like a Cellphone

A learner is like a cellphone, continually evolving and reforming.

Every time I go into Verizon to pick out a new phone, there are dramatic changes to the "latest and greatest". My immediate reaction is "Wow! This phone can do so much, it makes mine look like garbage!". Then I take a second and think about how impressive it is that technology has come this far in no greater than two years (the lifespan of just about every phone I have gotten). 

The folks involved with designing and creating cellphones knows that their job is never done. There is always more that can be added, flaws that can be tweaked, and ideas that did not stick. Even before a new cell phone is released, they are working on creating the next best.

This idea of continually evolving and reforming cellphones is similar to the major understandings of Connectivism, as explained in the video The Network is Learning. The article Connectivism: Learning theory for the Digital Age demonstrated the theory of connectivism by the understanding that "learners create knowledge as they attempt to understand their experience".With the introduction of heaps of new technology, a new learning trend has been created which is based off of social interactions. Through these conversations, readings, and videos networks are created in which ideas are shared. They are composed of people from many different fields, or even the same field, but they all bring new insight, experiences, and ideas which help others in the network learn. If we are not continually learning through out network, we may become obsolete, as the video pointed out.

Just as it is required for Verizon to continually update their "latest and greatest" cellphone in order to stay in business, it is necessary for networks to continually evolve and continually reform.