I’ve followed Alec Couros as the massive open online course (MOOC) about educational technology.  The course title #etmooc, which both identifies the hashtag for Twitter importance of connections to the MOOC.  I briefly searched and found information about connectivism, a “learning theory for today’s learner.”

I am compelled as I learn more generally about learning theories.  I am drawn to the situative perspective, which describes how thinking develops socially, and that how knowledge is used is tied to how knowledge is learned.  It is important to learn in meaningful ways that affect our lives.  I think connectivism and the situative perspective are related, and am interested in exploring their relationship by participating in #etmooc.

By way of introducing myself (that’s the first assignment, along with connecting one’s blog to the blog role – note the tag #etmooc to identify this post to the course’s blog aggregator), I’m an online teacher for two awesome courses and a student in the educational psychology and educational technology (aka EPET) PhD program at Michigan State University.

I was a high school biology teacher and soccer coach before joining EPET.  I’m fascinated by educational technology – and technology – and more recently have extended that interest to educational psychology.  I also like soccer refereeing, science, biking, running, and am cultivating a budding interest in sustainability and environmentalism.  And if I could become expert in one thing, it would be programming computers.

By the way, it’s not too late to join up – check it out if you’re interested.