I believe that technology and the multiple ways we share and access information has had a direct effect on how we process information.  Today’s adults are a unique group of learners.  We were the first generations to have a personal computer in the home.  We also were one of the earliest generations to experience the evolution of the personal gaming systems, audio devices, and a vast number of other technological wonders.  Today’s adult has grown accustomed to the bombardment of information and have developed skills required to filter, process, store, and recalling it.

This realization of how technology has effected adult learning has allowed me to reflect on how I personally learn.  Looking at the different networking and research tools I use on a daily basis, I see how they overlap and intertwine to lead me to have a more complete understanding of the concepts I am learning.  I have broken my learning into three distinct types of learning; Gaining Knowledge, Organizing Knowledge, and Reflecting on Knowledge.  However, you will see how the tools that I utilize in one type of learning often is used in another.  The tools are multifunctional and the learning is continuous.  I do not clearly move from one stage to another, but move fluidly between each until I have connected enough information to master the knowledge. 

For example when I encounter a piece of information which I possess no prior knowledge, I often begin by doing a search using Google Scholar.  I also look through the blog posts that I have stored in Media Fire to see if any of the blogs I follow have mentioned the new concept.  I can pose questions regarding the information I found on my Twitter account if I need more clarification or examples of how the knowledge is applicable in a real work setting.  Once I feel I have some basis of understanding, I will post a message in the discussion board for my class or respond to a blog post utilizing the information I found through the blogs or other research.  I often will ask clarifying questions so that I can adjust any misunderstandings I may have.  I can organize my thoughts using FreeMind or a simple mind map in Word that I then share on my own personal blog.  Based on the comments that my readers leave, I can again adjust my perspective on the new information or add to the information that I have.  As I gain new knowledge, I am constantly organizing, reflecting, and adjusting my learning to master the concepts necessary. 

Changes in my network of learning resources has greatly effected how I gather and retain new information. Clarissa Davis, Earl Edmunds, Vivian Kelly-Bateman explain why today’s learners are forced to process information in a completely different way when they state in their online article, "technology forces the 21st century learner to process and apply information in a very different way and at a very different pace from any other time in history.  As a result, the span of time between learning something new, being able to apply it, and finding that it is outdated and no longer useful continues to decrease" (Davis, Edmunds, Kelly-Bateman, 2008). Any individual that has owned the latest television, gaming system, or basic coffee maker has experienced this when the newer, better version comes is released making whatever version they purchased obsolete.  As a learner, I no longer can rely on one source of information, because the likeliness of that information being outdated is too great.  I must analyze my sources, seek verification, and at the same time realize that the information I am gathering could quickly change.  Today’s learner must be more flexible and more aware of how their knowledge has a shorter expiration date.                                                         

Davis, C., Edmunds, E., Kelly-Bateman, V., (2008) Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Connectivism