Thoughts on Networked Knowledge Activities (W6)

I read the draft chapter for "Social Media for Active Learning" and wanted to use this blog post to reflect on it. As I was reading through the chapter, I was reflecting on how strongly I am partaking in each of the knowledge activities (NKA) this summer. Specifically, in terms of the classes I am taking (EME6414 and EME5250).

• Collect: Right now, I wouldn’t say I’m actively collecting resources for my classes. In previous semesters, I was more intentional about saving articles or bookmarking helpful tools. This term has felt different, maybe more focused on participation than resource-gathering. I suppose our first assignment in EME6414 involved collecting observations from online communities, but it didn’t feel like collecting in the same way the NKA framework describes.
• Curate: This is just beginning to pick up. In EME6414, I’ve started curating resources for our upcoming project, and in EME5250, my group and I are curating articles for our collaborative assignment. I’ve definitely had to weigh what’s worth including and what doesn’t serve the purpose.
• Share: My gut reaction to this was to say I haven’t been sharing anything. The more I thought about it, though, I definitely have been through the discussion boards and participation activities in my classes. I’ve shared resources and other articles that I’ve found interesting in my studies. It might not be public sharing in the traditional sense, but it’s still knowledge being exchanged within our learning spaces.
• Broker: At first, I didn’t think I had done any brokering, but the more I reflect, the more I realize that my blog post on open education could count. I took what I was learning in EME5250 and introduced that conversation into the EME6414 space. Taking insights from one context and making them useful in another is all what brokering is about.
• Negotiate: Negotiation has absolutely shown up, especially during group work. In EME5250, my team had to talk through a few different directions before landing on our project idea. It wasn’t just about agreeing; it was about working through ideas together and recognizing different perspectives.
• Construct: Oh man, has there been construction! Between blogs, discussion posts, project proposals, and the major assignments still to come, I’ve been deeply involved in constructing knowledge. It’s felt productive, though a little overwhelming at times. It’s clear that these activities are shaping not just what I know, but how I learn.

Reflecting on these six knowledge activities helped me realize that I’m more engaged in networked learning than I thought. Even when it doesn’t feel “active,” there are layers of interaction and participation happening in the background. Though this summer has felt fast-paced and like a bit of a grind, I am actively participating and learning new things. Sometimes, in the rush of it all, it doesn’t feel that way. Taking a step back like this, though, reminds me that meaningful learning is happening.

What about you? How have you been partaking in the NKAs?