I find it interesting that the idea of Rhizomatic Learning is giving so many people fits. Much of the learning we do as social animals is done in ways such as this, but informally. We learned how to speak by observing and interacting with many sources. Few of us were raised by English professors and yet we did fair enough in learning to speak English (those of us who are native English speakers). One may point to imperfections in common spoken English. However, if we see the true goal of speech as understanding and being understood, instead of demonstrating ability to flawlessly follow rules, most of us have effectively learned language.

As a psychologist intrigued by “social media” and frustrated in the prospect of studying any current trend within the research and publication timeline, your post struck a chord. I may not be able to assert specific facts about [Instgram] with the confidence that comes of having a ready list of articles about [Instgram]. Regardless, there is much current knowledge out there. The canon comes from what we already know about how humans function (cognition, emotion, learning, ect). The resulting opportunity is far more difficult and exciting than merely parroting the words of others providing one has developed critical thinking skills. We just need more “experts” to put ego aside and embrace it.

Finally, as it relates to the classroom, it is up to the teacher to find the right opportunities at the right level of challenge to use Rhizomatic learning or any other modality. Our future citizens will need the ability to critically sort through endless information eventually anyway.