Personal Learning Networks(PLN)
What is a Personal Learning Network?
Prior to taking EDM 310 I was unfamiliar with the term (PLN). According to EDM 310 a Personal Learning Network is " the set of people and tools that you can call upon for help, consultation, collaboration, or other assistance." Dr. Strange recommends Twitter as one of the best ways to gather a list of people for a network. Twitter is a great way to connect to people from all over the world by simply just following anyone who has a Twitter account. Using Twitter's signature hash-tag (#) feature will allow you to search topics and information by typing #(insert topic here), This will quickly navigate you to a page and will allow you access to the Twitter pages that have posted under that hash-tag subject giving you a way to connect with people interested in the same subject matter.
How can (PLN's) help you as a teacher?
Once a teacher I feel that (PLN's) will benefit me by allowing me to connect to a vast number of people from not only an educational background but also scientific, political, and many other backgrounds. Making contact and branching out in the technological world of ever changing resources will add to my (PLN) and will grant access to people from all over the world that I can connect, collaborate, and consult with. I feel that my (PLN) will not only benefit me as a teacher, but it will also benefit my students. It will allow me to better my teaching ability by allowing me resources from multiple areas, and by doing so will allow me to help my students to build their own (PLN). In the video A 7th Graders Personal Learning Environment (A kind of PLN) this student explains how she uses her own Personal Learning Environment (PLE) in her science class, giving her a number of tools including Symbaloo, Skype, and Glogster that helps her manage and connect to her (PLE) for her educational or personal needs as a student.
How are they formed?
According to Dr. Strange you must first, "formulate questions, or identify a subject area of interest to you." Then you use this information to search for people, places, organizations, and ideas that will help you learn and gain knowledge. It is up to us how we choose to build our (PLN), meaning you must put in the work and research in order to form a quality (PLN). Dr. Strange suggests sites such as Twitter, Facebook, or delicious to search, read, follow, ask questions, and communicate with people in order to "dig" for knowledge and resources for your (PLN).
How can you create your own (PLN)?
I would create my own (PLN) by first, setting up an account through a site such as Symbaloo in order to organize and keep up with future and existing networks and resources. Second, I would establishing a subject area I find current interest in and reach out to those people around me that I already have access to through my existing accounts via Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Once I have established a connection through these places I would do further research on the subject I chose and seek out other sites and people that could be of assistance in that particular area of knowledge.
Who will be the first additions to your (PLN)?
The first additions to my (PLN) will first be my professors. At this stage in my education they are the closest quality tool I have to help me in all aspects of my education.
Second, would be through some of our EDM310 assignments comments for teachers (C4T) , comments for kids (C4K), and Twitter. I hope to continually build and expand my (PLN) as I continue to grow as not only a student but also as an educator.
Hey Danielle, great post you have here! You went above and beyond most of the posts I've read today about PLN's. I agree that our first additions to our PLN's should be our professors, especially Dr. Strange. He has been doing this for a while and I think we could all benefit by exploring what he has put out there for his students to use. Twitter is probably the best resource there is. Like you said, all you have to do is type in #(insert phrase here) and you have endless access to whoever else used that same hashtag. Twitter can be a fun social site, but if used correctly it could be very professional as well.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
ReplyDeleteGreat post Danielle,
ReplyDeleteYou hit all of the points well, with the people to add to your PLN, I would recommend adding former teachers. Including those in your area and those that teach the same grade level you are going for. Those teachers can give you resources that they use on a daily basis allowing you to grow a larger PLN from their suggestions. Overall very well done. Looking forward to reading more.