Connectivism and its Application in the Digital Classroom

A modern day teacher is like the ingredients in a well cooked meal.  As you can tell, I am hungry, but still a decent analogy nonetheless.  The teacher provides the framework in which the students create their own learning and understanding through connecting to others.  Fresh, organic ingredients provide a much more superb meal, than a frozen dinner that is just heated in the microwave.  The preparer (the student) is the person who has the know how to combine the ingredients and be able to cook them to create a meal that is shared with others. The teacher is the stuff that is needed to create the meal, but the preparer (the students) are the ones who actually put everything together.
Connectivism is what needs to be emphasized in the digital classroom because our students live in a society where rote memorization is not needed.  Our society values a network of learning, where peoples' ideas are shared and learning takes place in the interactions with others.  In George Siemens video, The Conflict of Learning Theories with Human Nature, he relates Vygotsky's theory that 'language gives birth to our thoughts', which is in contrast to most previous learning theories (behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism).  The theory of Connectivism, is a new way to look at learning- not as the learner as an empty vessel but as an operator.  George Siemen's January 5, 2001 article, he clearly outlines the theory of Connectivism and compares that to the previous theories of learning.  As educators we need to embrace this new theory and prepare our students for this new outlook into the learning realm.  We need to teach them the skills that they use for the rest of their life.