"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.
Stephanie,
ReplyDeleteI am finishing the end of the MET requirements and I will honestly tell you it was the best education choice I have ever made. The amazing creativity and ideas you get from classmates is awesome. As a library media specialist I try to encourage my colleagues to test out new technology tools I have learned in MET classes. I think our text book authors are correct that there is a great opportunity to establish our own personal/professional learning networks if not for just the ability to collaborate with others across the variety of fields in education. The added benefit is that our confidence in using new technology will help us in integrating new technology in the classroom.
Stephanie, I am the same as you, I have had internet for a long time, but never really utilized it much for educational purposes, usually always for "entertainment" . This is also anther reason I chose to do the MET program. With the big push for incorporating technology in the classroom, I figured I better have a good handle on it before I had to start teaching my students how to use it. I love being able to get ideas from others that I would have never been able to communicate with before now.
ReplyDeleteMy networking experience also lacks in the educational aspect especially now that I have taken a leave of absence from teaching. In some ways, I feel out of the loop in the educational field. Continuing my education provides a real benefit for me while staying connected to my peers and the educational world. PLNs are a great way to collaborate with all stakeholders involved in the educational process. They provide a vast amount of knowledge and educational tools through a network of people that share the same vision. Believe it or not I found some great resources on Pinterest (my addiction) for PLNs. Here is one of the many I found:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.pinterest.com/esheninger/personal-learning-networks
Christine
I couldn't agree with your comments about this forcing me to get more involved in technology with my students. I am going to enjoy finding ways to incorporate blogs in my classroom. I am excited to see how the kiddos in my ED (emotionally disturbed) classroom find ways to communicate digitally. Some of them have some major issues with social interaction. I am hoping digital collaboration will give them time to think about the things they would normally say on impulse before it actually gets posted. With the ever advancement of technology, and teachers being life-long learners, I can't think of a more relevant way to advance ourselves than with classes related to technology. Thanks for the amazing post.
ReplyDeleteHere is the direct link to the Pinterest resource for PLNs
ReplyDelete