EDET 543- Blog #3

I definitely enjoyed this week’s reading. I think the real life examples were important to share and really gave me a picture of what can be done in a networked classroom. The advantages to a networked classroom are numerous, but there are a few that stand out to me. First, I believe collaboration is one of the best things that comes out of a networked classroom. Students need to know how to work together. When I was in school group projects usually meant everyone went and did their own thing and then we tried to piece it together at the end, which was difficult and caused most people to dislike group projects. Collaboration is completely different. Technology has made collaborative work much more practical and natural for students to do. Students today also have the opportunity to share ideas not only with other children in the class, but students around the world. Communication skills are also used and developed constantly in a networked classroom. I think the combination of collaboration and communication is going to give students great advantages throughout their entire life. This style of classroom also forces teachers to constantly update their teaching and prevents them from falling into a rut, doing the same things every year.

Right now I do not have my own classroom and can do little more than offer ideas and suggestions to the lead teacher in my room; however I think I can still lay a foundation and plan for when I am on my own. I have the opportunity to network myself and get connected with other educators which will be even more useful when I have my own class.

A networked classroom can benefit all learners regardless of their individual needs. The main thing that has stuck out to me so far is the resources you have with your network. When faced with any need that a student may have, you have an immediate place to go to get help, ideas, advice, etc. It is also easy in a networked classroom to alter lessons to fit individual students. 

EDET 543 - Blog #2

I have been using Twitter in my personal life for a few years now and I absolutely love it. Twitter has definitely taken over as the main social media site I use. I mostly follow my friends, but I have also followed accounts that have to do with my interests (NFL football, running, nutrition, etc.). I had not thought about using Twitter professionally until I began the MET program last year. I started a new account that would be used for that purpose, but I honestly have not done much with it.

This week I have really started looking around at all the people out there I can connect with through Twitter. I think this is going to be my favorite tool to use for a PLN. I am already familiar with using Twitter and check my personal account constantly so I think it will be fairly easy to transition to using it professionally as well. I had never used or even heard of TweetDeck before, so I am still learning that tool but it seems it will be helpful.

I am really excited about all the ways I can use Twitter. Until I actually have a classroom, I feel a little limited but I can definitely make note of all the good ideas I see to use when I do have a class. I think once I have a classroom I would also like to use Twitter for parent communication. It seems like a great, easy way to send out quick reminders as well as links to student work. Depending on the age of my students, I think I might like to have a student run account where they can share what we are doing in our classroom. I like this because as opposed to a blog, they can share just quick, short updates with parents or other classrooms.

My Twitter is @MsJaegers

I also found this site that listed some good people to follow on Twitter
33 education twitter accounts you should be following

EDET 543- Blog #1

"Students need educators to teach them to cultivate and utilize networks for learning, and this fact creates a tremendously exciting moment to be in schools" (Richardson & Mancabelli, 2011, p. 7). I think the authors are absolutely correct in this statement. I have definitely enjoyed their view on technology in education throughout the reading so far. Online networking is not something new for me. I have had internet since I was in elementary school and would come home after school and IM (instant message) with my friends for as long as I could until someone needed the phone in my house and I had to get offline. My networking experience however, has had little to do with education which is exactly why I chose this program for my master's degree. I need to know how to use technology in a classroom which is very different than simply using technology. The one educational technology class that was required for my bachelor's degree did very little to prepare me for my student teaching where I walked into a third grade class filled with blogs, wikis, podcasts, webquests, and response systems.

I also believe that as educators we should always be striving to grow and improve our teaching. I think that PLNs are an excellent tool to assist in that. I no longer have just the teachers in my building to go to for help or ideas. I can collaborate and get ideas from all over. I think this class will be beneficial to me because it will force and motivate me to find time to create and expand my own PLN. I am just starting my career in education and technology is going to keep advancing. We need to join together to figure out the best ways to utilize it with our students.


Resources:
Richardson, W., & Mancabelli, R. (2011). Personal Learning Networks. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.