I’ve stated (many) times that the most significant impact of the internet is the externalization (capturing and recording…and then making available for future analysis) of all aspects of our lives. How much do we need to commit to memory when we can search Google? What does it mean to “know” something today? To have it in our heads? Or to have it at our fingertips? I argue that to know means to be positioned in a network in such a way as to have ready access to what we need in varying contexts. NY Times suggests that we are now in the age of external knowledge and quotes from an Edge article: “Knowledge was once an internal property of a person, and focus on the task at hand could be imposed externally, but with the Internet, knowledge can be supplied externally, but focus must be forced internally.”
Small point that needs clarification – and this short article doesn’t provide it: when I externalize something, it’s information. When someone connects it in some manner, it becomes knowledge. Knowledge is essentially relatedness/connectedness.
-
‹ Home
Contents
-
Categories
-
Tags
Adoption Articles Blogging Classification/Ontologies Collaboration Community Connectivism Content Content Management Copyright/IP/DRM Design Elearning Evaluation/Assessment/ROI Games/Simulations Information Architecture Innovation Instructional Design Knowledge Management Learning Learning Objects Legal LMS Media Networks Open Source Podcasting Random Thoughts Research Resources ROI Search Semantic Web SNA Social Standards Storytelling Teaching Technology Theories Tools Trends Usability Wiki Wireless/PDAs XML
-
Archives
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- November 2006
- October 2006
- September 2006
- August 2006
- July 2006
- June 2006
- May 2006
- April 2006
- March 2006
- February 2006
- January 2006
- December 2005
- November 2005
- October 2005
- September 2005
- August 2005
- July 2005
- June 2005
- May 2005
- April 2005
- March 2005
- February 2005
- January 2005
- December 2004
- November 2004
- October 2004
- September 2004
- August 2004
- July 2004
- June 2004
- May 2004
- April 2004
- March 2004
- February 2004
- January 2004
- December 2003
- November 2003
- October 2003
- September 2003
- August 2003
- July 2003
- June 2003
- May 2003
- April 2003
- March 2003
- February 2003
- January 2003
- December 2002
- November 2002
- October 2002
- September 2002
- August 2002
- July 2002
- June 2002
Blogroll
-
RSS Feeds
-
Meta
4 Comments
more important than the facts-on-hand, are the questions-in-mind which condition us to be alert to the answers we need.
if there is a limit on cognitive space, then best is to have the right questions in mind
Re. “…when I externalize something, it’s information. When someone connects it in some manner, it becomes knowledge. Knowledge is essentially relatedness/connectedness.”
—- Someone just asked me: If information is to pass to a state of knowledge, mustn’t it be first verified, certified, validated? Funny how Wikipedia was my first image to come to mind when I read this…
Thoughts?
Interesting notion, George. I like how the emergence of current technology and all its after effects (increased networks, communications, visual displays, etc) affect our perceptions and need for knowledge. This is good… change is good. I find the notion exciting to ponder and perhaps push the envelope.
However, what about wisdom? Is that not accumulated and internalized knowledge? I don’t suspect one could find wisdom or expertise online, but rather create it through experience and time (with some part supported by technology use). Therefore, I assume in your post you are referring to basic facts when you suggest we can find the knowledge we need through networks. Or find new ideas. Am I reading that right?
Not all information becomes knowledge.
Only is anchor in our brains the information that we do not know and we find it relevant. The rest, simply we discard it.
However, if this information is consolidated, establishes internal relations needed to create a pattern or model that improves prediction of what might happen next and, therefore, facilitates decision-making. This is what Tufte, 1997, calls Knowledge.
The ability to recognize and manage the largest number of these patterns and models of knowledge would be wisdom.
4 Trackbacks/Pingbacks
[...] Tom Werner on January 20, 2010 George Siemens observes that we are in the age of external knowledge, pointing to a New York Times article of the same name, which in turn points to Edge asking how is [...]
[...] } An interesting post on The Age of External Knowledge and the role of knowledge vs capacity to search. Very trusting of Google: too [...]
[...] | Maestros del web Enlace | Age of external knowledge Enlace | What do you think the web will look like in twenty years Créditos de foto | Luc Legay [...]
[...] in these posts. The two posts are Five Ways to Create Spectacular Classrooms by Dean Groom, and Age of External Knowledge by George Siemens. When I read these two posts initially, my thinking was kicked into overdrive [...]