My Personal Learning Networks / ED 7714: Week 5

Note: This post is delayed. It's from ED 7714 Week 5 (and wrote it but forgot to publish!)


Below is a "Mind Map" of the Personal Learning Environments that I will be using. I anticipate that this list will grow as I become aware of everything that is available.

• 
  

Reflections on PLE's: Peer Review / ED 7714 Week 6

Part of connected learning is having the opportunity to see what others have accomplished and learning from them. I wanted to see how other people organized their Personal Learning Environment and I found Laurie’s visual representation on her blog, “From the Pit” to be very helpful.

While my PLE chart covered some of the same categories as Laurie’s (family, social, education,) Laurie included more detail, which made me realize that my sources of learning are more varied than I originally thought. In particular, Laurie had a section for offline learning networks. I realize that I learn a lot from others in face to face settings. In particular, my collaboration with colleagues is often done in person. I definitely want to acknowledge the importance of personal relationships in my PLE.

I would also add a category for my classes at UNH. My coursework is definitely enriching my own learning. Laurie also included categories for multimedia, blogs and Google which are all important ways for me to assimilate, curate and share knowledge. Lastly, I loved that Laurie had a category for books, which as an English teacher, will always remain an important source of learning for me.

Seeing the PLE’s of others is an important source of learning. One of the major themes of New Literacies is the importance of sharing and collaborating in order to maximize our own productivity. I thank my colleagues for the opportunity to learn from them.

Connectivism: How Do We Become Curators of Information? (ED 7714: Week 4)

The Reading for week 4 deals with the theory of connectivism.

My Networks

Technology has changed the way that we learn because it is impossible to keep up with the volume and pace of information which is available to us. As a result, according to the Connectivism article on Elearnspace, we need to be able to “make connections between specialized sets of information.” Also, since information is constantly changing, knowing how to find and evaluate information is more important that what one actually knows at the moment.  

The volume of information is what leads to the idea of being a “curator” as discussed in the YouTube videos by Steve Rosenbaum and Robert Scoble. Rosenbaum refers to the “data overload” and an “avalanche of data.”  He talks about the need to filter the information and “embrace clarity.” Scoble reinforces these ideas, although the amount of data that he filters seems overwhelming to me! I think what both men are saying is that it’s impossible to take in all of the information. We need to be “human filters.” That implies filtering what we pay attention to. In other words, don’t attempt to follow everything; create your own banks of information.  Choose who you follow carefully. Also, pass on, as in the form of retweets or likes, what you think is worthy for others to see.

We’ve been talking about the idea of creating Personal Learning Networks, which I see as a place to find and share information that is important to us. This is a form of curating. The truth is, I have only just begun to think about how to organize and make sense of all of the information which is out there. At times, I find the amount of information daunting, so I am looking for the best way to sift through and filter what I read.

I feel like I’m still trying to find the best way to curate, but for now I’m most comfortable with Google+. In particular, I think the communities are a place to start, especially to facilitate my integration of technology into my instruction. I’ve joined a few communities and I will look to them for ideas. I also hope that as time goes on I will share my ideas with them. In addition, I am investigating other communities which will be helpful.

Google+ Communities

I also am eager to use Twitter more. Robles advocated Twitter as one of the best sources of information. As we have learned, Tweetdeck helps to filter that information. As Robles said, I need to figure out who to follow. I’m still working on that. Honestly, I haven’t used Twitter much before, but I want to become more comfortable with it as I develop my “online identity.”

Tweetdeck

The Internet has definitely become “the dominant text for our generation” (O’Byrne). We must develop the ability to find, evaluate, filter and share the information that we deem important. As always, the traits that will help us to be successful are persistence and flexibility.

PLN's: Teachers, Students, and Pinterest

Following up on Wagner’s article on PLN’s, Will Richardson, in his YouTube video, emphasizes the need for teachers to create and participate in their own PLN’s so that they can effectively instruct students in using online networks safely, ethically, and effectively. He points out that kids are using networks for socializing and finding information, but they can be used much more productively with the proper instruction. As he says, PLN’s are the way the world is going.

On a final note, I had not thought of Pinterest for a PLN. I’ve used Pinterest as a class advisor to create invitations and centerpieces for the Junior Prom. However, I will now think of it as a site with much more to offer. I will look to Pinterest for all kinds of ideas and will not hesitate to post ideas of my own.

Personal Learning Networks: Powerful Learning

I just finished reading “Personal Learning Networks for Educators: 10 Tips” by Mark Wagner. When I create lesson plans, units and write curriculum, I search the Internet for examples and helpful information. However, until I began taking classes in the UNH program and reading articles on digital learning, I never realized the powerful impact that online learning communities could have. Dr. Wagner emphasizes the need to make a commitment to a personal learning network. Being committed involves not just asking for information, but sharing and dialoguing with other professionals. I plan to spend some time researching the various networks, but the one I am most eager to start with is google+. I have joined several communities and I look forward to investigating them further. I think the theme of “play” which we have discussed for the past several weeks applies to the idea of PLN’s. As an educator, I need to take some time to learn what’s out there and see what will work best for me.


One other point that I agreed with on Wagner’s article is the need to develop a personality online. I think the blog gives us the perfect opportunity to do that. There are multiple professional responses to articles, but the the opportunity also exists to infuse the blog with some personal information and interests. It’s much easier to connect with a person when you feel that you know a little bit about him or her.