A learner is like a boa

After reading the Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age , the image of the boa appeared in my mind.  I remember in the first Chapter of <the Little prince>, it is said: “Boa constrictors swallow their prey whole, without chewing it. After that they are not able to move, and they sleep through the six months that they need for digestion.”  However, the smart learners know how to digest from the big food, and make the best use of it. The learning process is like the process of digestion the knowledge.

Referring to the conclusion in the article:

“Our ability to learn what we need for tomorrow is more important than what we know today. A real challenge for any learning theory is to actuate known knowledge at the point of application. When knowledge, however, is needed, but not known, the ability to plug into sources to meet the requirements becomes a vital skill. As knowledge continues to grow and evolve, access to what is needed is more important than what the learner currently possesses.”

As in the explanation of connectivism in the video What is connectivism, "the experience of learning, is one of forming new neural, conceptual and external works, when facing with the significant changes of knowledge, building and creating are crucially aided through technology."

In this fast developing era, learners are faced with the explosion of information, while how to pick out the most useful one, and how to update the latest knowledge is an ability to learn as well.  While the network technologies are eagerly to be learned to face with all these learning needs, and aid greatly the learners to "digest" well all the knowledge they need in deed.