A Learner is like a cup of coffee

"A learner is like a cup of coffee"

Today learners are very different than even learners of the past. Even as far back as 10 years ago learners were acquiring knowledge differently than they are today. Today learners must connect with people to gain knowledge. Siemens says, “Experience has long been considered the best teacher of knowledge. Since we cannot experience everything, other people’s experiences, and hence other people, become the surrogate for knowledge. ‘I store my knowledge in my friends’ is an axiom for collecting knowledge through collecting people (undated).” (Siemens, 2005). This explains that the basis for knowledge and learning becomes experience, and while one person cannot have every experience they must connect with others to learn about certain experiences and therefore gain knowledge.

Siemens also explains in a youtube video titled "The Change of Nature" the importance of

creating a network. Siemens says, "Knowledge is about the distribution that occurs across an entire network".

He goes on to discuss networking with people to create knowledge. In the 21st century networking has become

simple with the use of computers and the internet. People today are able to network much easier than they were

even just 10 years ago.

I believe the learner is like a cup of coffee because people often connect or "network" over a cup of

coffee. Coffee is something in our world that brings people together. In America people have a hard time

meeting just to talk or "network" (and swap knowledge) they must be doing something else, i.e. drinking

coffee. This gives us a reason to sit down and network with other people.