Working in a
rural environment, I can testify to the importance of having access to
information outside your immediate work environment. Seeing the work
of others inspires innovation and encourages me to think about how the
successful efforts of others can be localized to provide the same
results within my educational community.
The research I conducted this week on Professional Learning Networks (PLNs) has lead me to
believe that building them can shift the way I currently use the
internet. I do not have to attack everything as if I am alone, I have
the ability to surround myself with a community of like-minded
individuals who are willing to work with me to solve our common issues.
The potential is overwhelming and the outcome can be a truly powerful
catalyst for inventing change if done effectively.
I attempted this week to define a professional learning network by observing what makes them different from social networks and by identifying a couple examples. This website illustrates some of my discoveries.
Aloha Kelley,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your experience exploring and creating your own professional network. I agree that, if leveraged properly, professional networks can provide access to leaders and experts around the world, brining together communities that share information and resources that would otherwise be out of an individuals reach. The beauty of PLN’s is that, since, it is created by individual learner’s, it is specific to their needs.
I love your use of Weebly to summarize your findings. Your website clearly and effectively reflects your summary findings. You did a great job comparing PLNs and social networks and explaining how PLN’s can be used in an educational setting. Additionally, your resources were supportive and relevant to your summary findings.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts DistanceLearning.org.(Facebook) and The Educator’s PLN. You clearly have a good understanding of both social media sites.
I agree with your reviews of both PLN’s. While Facebook is the leader in social networking, it is clearly built to be primarily a personal sharing site. Facebook is great for sharing information, but it’s cumbersome to have meaningful back and forth dialogue on Facebook. On the other hand, The Educator’s PLN is built from the ground up to be a PLN. This seems like comprehensive site to share information and resources in a multitude of ways.
Overall, great job Kelley. Your summary was well organized and easy to follow. I am enjoying following your final assignment as it progresses. Keep it up!
Darryl