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Cassie Davenport

The End of Isolation - 11 views

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    The study in the paper was interesting as it looked at K-12 educators and their use of Twitter to research, relate and form PLNs. Twitter and other social medias have allowed teachers to form networks that are specific to their needs and wants in terms of their own professional growth. In the "End of Isolation" the researchers findings touched on the fact that "over 82% of the time, the educators in this study chose to follow other educators or content experts related to their field of teaching so they were able to create a personal learning network meaningful to their professional needs." Now I just need to work with teachers at my school site to help them realize the individualized professional potential!
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    Cassie- This is a really neat resource in which actual data has been accumulated and presented for teachers and their use of a social networking website. It was interesting to look at the numbers behind the ten educators that they chose and see them present some other general findings. I think the "Benefits" section towards the end of the article hits the goals of any social network precisely: 1) Access to Resources, 2)Supportive Relationships, 3)Increased Leadership Capacity, and 4)Development of a Professional Vision. IF you get into these tools to become a better educator, then I feel those are four visions that you set out to fill by utilizing the networking/technology.
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    This is a great resource to use to support the research behind using Twitter as an educator. I think the title of the article says it all. As the only social studies on my campus, I have learned to reach out to other teachers using social media. The end of the article brings up some interesting points regarding professional development and Twitter. Research says that teachers need more than just a "one stop shop" when it comes to any professional development, and that they need time to reflect, question, and practice. I would argue that Twitter allows for exactly that. Having a community of teachers to come back to in order to reflect on a teaching experience and/or ask for support provides a safe place to do just that.
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    Cassie, this was a very interesting research article that presented actual statistics and information on how teachers utilize social media, specifically Twitter. It was very informative and discussed the uses of twitter beyond just being a social outlet.
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    This was indeed an interesting research project. It was nice to see that there were so many collaborations that were spawned through Twitter connections. Most of the teachers said they were able to exchange information or resources at a professional level, but I was surprised by how many continued the conversation at a social level also.
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    I feel like this resource has a lot of valuable information. I am very interested in learning to use Twitter as a form of PLN using Twitter and this resource seems to show the value in that. In addition, I liked the research study approach to this article.
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    This study underscored the benefits of Twitter for the educational community. The article shared the advantages to new teachers in particular, where one participant stated it changed her vision and practice in the classroom. Very powerful!
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    Of all the resources I have read thus far on PLNs, this particular article forced me to think deeper and reconsider my interpretation of this concept. First of all, I found that the article provided a picture of the quality of interaction that can occur within Twitter. The data collected by researchers provides an in depth look at Twitter as a PLN - a feat that few other resources I have read have accomplished. By detailing the amount, quality, and type of interactions and connections, a tangible conception of a PLN emerges, even for someone who has little to no experience with Twitter. Of the 10 surveyed, a majority of their connections and tweets were professionally related. According to Nussbaum-Beach (video I posted), the difference between a PLN and a CoP is the familiarity of the people and the connection to an idea or problem. However, this study provides a different perception of a PLN that is largely professionally based with strong two-way connections. These conclusions made me wonder if it is possible for facets of a PLN on Twitter to transform into a CoP. Further, at what point can one argue that a PLN has successfully transform into a virtual CoP? Thanks for sharing. This was an excellent read!
Clayton Mitchell

Can Social Media Play A Role in Improving Retention in Higher Education? Research Says ... - 0 views

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    "Studies have concluded that social engagement can benefit retention efforts, and schools and teachers are successfully pursuing this tactic with the help of social media applications." This is an article that points to studies indicating that just as social interaction can help with student retention, both in the field of study and at the school, so to can social media fill this need. 
anonymous

Social Networking as a Tool for Student and Teacher Learning - 0 views

  • Online social networking includes much more than Facebook and Twitter. It is any online use of technology to connect people, enable them to collaborate with each other, and form virtual communities, says the Young Adult Library Services Association
  • Survey research confirms, however, that interest in harnessing social networking for educational purposes is high. As reported in School Principals and Social Networking in Education: Practices, Policies and Realities in 2010, a national survey of 1,200 principals, teachers and librarians found that most agreed that social networking sites can help educators share information and resources, create professional learning communities and improve schoolwide communications with students and staff. Those who had used social networks were more positive about potential benefits than those who had not. In an online discussion with 12 of the principals surveyed, most said, “social networking and online collaboration tools would make a substantive change in students’ educational experience.” They said these tools could improve student motivation and engagement, help students develop a more social/collaborative view of learning and create a connection to real-life learning.
  • Among students surveyed in a National School Boards Association study, 96 percent of those with online access reported using social networking, and half said they use it to discuss schoolwork. Despite this prevalence in everyday life, schools have been hesitant to adopt social networking as an education tool. A 2010 study into principals’ attitudes found that “schools are one of the last holdouts,” with many banning the most popular social networking sites for students and sometimes for staff.
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  • Most national, state and local policies have not yet addressed social networking specifically; by default, it often falls under existing acceptable use policies (AUPs). While AUPs usually provide clear language on obscenities, profanity and objectionable activities, they also leave out gray areas that could open students to harmful activities while excluding them from certain benefits of social networking. Likewise, boilerplate policies that ban specific applications, such as Twitter, may miss other potential threats while also limiting the ability of students to collaborate across schools, districts, states or countries. The challenge for districts is to write policies that address potentially harmful interactions without eliminating the technology’s beneficial uses.
Melodie Worthington

Investigating instructional strategies for using social media in formal and informal le... - 5 views

An interesting study, Darin! Not only does it look into learning theories like connectivism and types of learning, but I also like how it states definite benefits to using social networks for lear...

informal formal instruction social

Clayton Mitchell

Students use blogs, social media to stay connected while studying abroad | The Daily Or... - 0 views

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    This post is from a student perspective about how using social media while studying abroad help keep them connected with students at the home institution. The article does not touch on the possibility of these tools acting as an insulator, keeping the student from interacting with the culture they are visiting. The assumption has to be that while they are in country, they are actively seeking out these interactions. A little focus from the study abroad program could help achieve both objectives. 
kimberlybearden

Integrating Social Studies into Literacy Routines - 0 views

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    This author has great ideas to integrate history and social studies into ELA to ensure students receive social studies lessons. Sometimes, in primary school, in particular, students do not receive social studies and science lessons. With this bloggers ideas, you can integrate social studies into ELA.
bharris_edtech

Favorite Tech Tools for Social Studies Instruction - 0 views

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    This article contains a multitude of tools than can be used in social studies classrooms as well as a link to a webinar on using technology for social studies instruction and the importance of not just substituting tech for analog versions.
Jennifer Pollock

Online social networks: Why do students use facebook? - 3 views

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    This article summarizes a study aimed at explaining collective behavior on social networking platforms through intentional social action, which is known as the We-Intention theory. The study focused on Facebook in particular, because it is widely popular among university students and could, thus, illustrate social media's impact on students' motivation to learn via virtual communities. In the article, the We-Intention theory is driven by social influence factors, social presence, and elements of the uses and gratifications (U&G) model. U&G, as defined in the article, explains why individuals gravitate toward certain digital media over others. U&G assumes individuals are both goal-directed and aware of their needs, listed as purposive value, self-discovery, entertainment, social enhancement, and maintenance of interpersonal connectivity. The study identified two U&G needs, entertainment and interpersonal connectivity, as significantly determining intentional social action under the We-Intention theory.
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    That article is very interesting stating that most use Facebook for instant communication and connection. The need for instant gratification. Joining too many groups or trying to connect to too many people does make it hard to have a specific connection to one group. May be the reason that people post so many random topics and photos.
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    Interesting perspective on Facebook from the point of view of students using the platform.Since most of my background is from K-12 education, I have not witnessed teachers using the platform with their students. I have found that most K-12 teachers use Facebook to communicate with parents. It does seem to have a similar impact on getting parents motivated and active in class activities. Most parents use Facebook and once they know they can follow their child's teacher and get updates via the social media app, parents tend to do so
danielbmc

Three Generations of Distance Education Pedagogy - 1 views

  • cognitive-behaviourist, social constructivist, and connectivist pedagogy
  • explore distance education systems as they have evolved through three eras of educational, social, and psychological development
  • requirement for distance education to be technologically mediated in order to span the geographic and often temporal distance between learners, teachers, and institutions, it is common to think of development or generations of distance education in terms of the technology used to span these distances
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  • first generation of distance education technology was by postal correspondence
  • second generation, defined by the mass media of television, radio, and film production
  • interactive technologies: first audio, then text, video, and then web and immersive conferencing
  • less clear what defines the so-called fourth- and even fifth-generation distance technologies except for a use of intelligent data bases (Taylor, 2002) that create “intelligent flexible learning” or that incorporate Web 2.0 or semantic web technologies
  • repertoire of options available to DE designers and learners has increase
  • Many educators pride themselves on being pedagogically (as opposed to technologically) driven in their teaching and learning designs
  • two being intertwined in a dance: the technology sets the beat and creates the music, while the pedagogy defines the moves
  • To some extent, our pedagogical processes may themselves be viewed as technologies
  • none of these three pedagogical generations has disappeared, and we will argue that all three can and should be effectively used to address the full spectrum of learning needs and aspirations of 21st century learners.
  • Behavioural learning theory begins with notions of learning which are generally defined as new behaviours or changes in behaviours that are acquired as the result of an individual’s response to stimuli
  • Although learning was still conceived of as an individual process, its study expanded from an exclusive focus on behaviour to changes in knowledge or capacity that are stored and recalled in individual memory.
  • The locus of control in a CB model is very much the teacher or instructional designer
  • It is notable that such models gained a foothold in distance education at a time when there were limited technologies available that allowed many-to-many communication. Teleconferencing was perhaps the most successful means available but came with associated costs and complexity that limited its usefulness. The postal service and publication or redistribution of messages was very slow, expensive, and limited in scope for interactivity. Methods that relied on one-to-many and one-to-one communication were really the only sensible options because of the constraints of the surrounding technologies.
  • Cognitive presence is the means and context through which learners construct and confirm new knowledge
  • Later developments in cognitive theory have attempted to design learning materials in ways that maximized brain efficiency and effectiveness by attending to the types, ordering, timing, and nature of learning stimulations
  • Learning was thought of as an individual process, and thus it made little difference if one was reading a book, watching a movie, or interacting with a computer-assisted learning program by oneself or in the company of other learners
  • reduction of the role and importance of the teacher further fueled resentment by traditional educators against the CB model of distance education
  • While appropriate when learning objectives are very clear, CB models avoid dealing with the full richness and complexity of humans learning to be, as opposed to learning to do
  • People are not blank slates but begin with models and knowledge of the world and learn and exist in a social context of great intricacy and depth.
  • technology became widely used to create opportunities for both synchronous and asynchronous interactions between and among students and teachers
  • Social-constructivist pedagogy acknowledges the social nature of knowledge and of its creation in the minds of individual learners.
  • Teachers do not merely transmit knowledge to be passively consumed by learners; rather, each learner constructs means by which new knowledge is both created and integrated with existing knowledge
  • The locus of control in a social-constructivist system shifts somewhat away from the teacher, who becomes more of a guide than an instructor, but who assumes the critical role of shaping the learning activities and designing the structure in which those activities occur
  • social-constructivist models only began to gain a foothold in distance education when the technologies of many-to-many communication became widely available, enabled first by email and bulletin boards, and later through the World Wide Web and mobile technologies
  • Cognitive presence also assumes that learners are actively engaged, and interaction with peers is perhaps the most cost-effective way to support cognitive presence
  • It remains challenging to apply learning where it can blossom into application and thus demonstrate true understanding
  • Social interaction is a defining feature of constructivist pedagogies. At a distance, this interaction is always mediated, but nonetheless, it is considered to be a critical component of quality distance education
  • the educator is a guide, helper, and partner where the content is secondary to the learning process; the source of knowledge lies primarily in experiences
  • teaching presence in constructivist pedagogical models focuses on guiding and evaluating authentic tasks performed in realistic contexts.
  • Constructivist distance education pedagogies moved distance learning beyond the narrow type of knowledge transmission that could be encapsulated easily in media through to the use of synchronous and asynchronous, human communications-based learning
  • learning is the process of building networks of information, contacts, and resources that are applied to real problems. Connectivism was developed in the information age of a networked era (Castells, 1996) and assumes ubiquitous access to networked technologies
  • Connectivism also assumes that information is plentiful and that the learner’s role is not to memorize or even understand everything, but to have the capacity to find and apply knowledge when and where it is needed.
  • It is noteworthy that connectivist models explicitly rely on the ubiquity of networked connections between people, digital artifacts, and content, which would have been inconceivable as forms of distance learning were the World Wide Web not available to mediate the process. Thus, as we have seen in the case of the earlier generations of distance learning, technology has played a major role in determining the potential pedagogies that may be employed.
  • learners have access to powerful networks and, as importantly, are literate and confident enough to exploit these networks in completing learning tasks
  • exposing students to networks and providing opportunities for them to gain a sense of self-efficacy in networked-based cognitive skills and the process of developing their own net presence
  • Connectivist learning is based as much upon production as consumption of educational content
  • The activities of learners are reflected in their contributions to wikis, Twitter, threaded conferences, Voicethreads, and other network tools. Further, social presence is retained and promoted through the comments, contributions, and insights of students who have previously engaged in the course and that persist as augmentable archives to enrich network interactions for current students
  • learners and teacher collaborate to create the content of study, and in the process re-create that content for future use by others
  • stress to teaching presence is the challenge presented by rapidly changing technologies
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    How three theories have shaped distance learning over the years. Connectivist theory shows how learning is about forming connections with others through human and digital interaction. Developed in the digital age and assumes access to social networking technologies.
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    This is a March 2011 journal article that highlights the shifts in technology and theory for distance learning. First, there was the cognitive-behaviorist with it's focus on read, watch, and recall. As the web developed, we saw constructivism shift the teachers duties from content creator to a guide through the content as students synthesized. Connectivism promotes the teacher as a "co-traveler" helping students to explore, connect, and create.
Mandy Weiskircher

Handbook of Research in Social Studies Education - Google Books - 0 views

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    Discusses research in social studies including technology integration issues.
Rebecca Olien

The construction of shared knowledge in an Internet-based shared environment for expedi... - 0 views

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    The authors conducted a study of two groups of students (ages 13-17) with two mentors in a teacher education program at Brigham Young University. The study examined how interaction within the two study groups contributed to social construction of shared knowledge. Group A had social interactions previous to the six-week online project, while group B had no previous social interactions. The researchers examined a variety of data including email exchanges, chat room transcripts, electronic logs, and discussion board entries. The conclusions suggested the effectiveness of an online mentor whose role helps establish social interaction, a supportive climate for the exploration of ideas, consensual decision-making, and open discussion. The strength of the study involves using two groups for comparison, as well as a variety of authentic data resources. Limitations include whether results can be generalized and limited ability to analyze students' prior social interactions as factors in the results.
camille_rrt

Education-2020 - Connectivism - 19 views

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    SUMMARY: This page found on the Education 2020 Wiki details Connectivism theory and provides resources that help clarify the unique components of this theory compared to others. I found myself exploring the site more deeply and I appreciated the vast amounts of resources and clarifications available on this wiki. Feel free to get lost in it too!
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    Nice resource in that it includes an overview of the concept along with videos and slideshares.
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    I love how this website breaks down connectivism with so many sources, examples, and videos.
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    This wiki entry describes connectivism "a learning theory for a digital age" and links to resources created by George Siemens and Stephen Downes, promoters of this theory. It summarizes Siemen's Principles of Connectivism. Siemens suggests that learning is no longer individualistic. Rather, knowledge is distributed across networks and in a digital society the connections and connectiveness within these networks lead to learning.
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    This is a great resource because it helps learners visually "witness" Connectivism in action with the "Networked Student" video.
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    This Wiki Space from by Education 2020 is a great resource for all things education and learning, but includes some valuable resources regarding connectivism. The site is maintained by EduCitizenship 2020, which is an international consulting group that focuses on Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) and how they are changing traditional physical communities and creating more global and social networks.
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    This article has several videos explaining what connectivism is and the relationship to personal learning. The author also includes a reminder that learning isn't done by an individual in isolation but through networked connections.
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    This aritcle explains connectivism as learning within a network. Today, much if not most of our learning takes place on the internet, it states that learners recognize patterns, changes, chaos on the internet and a lot of that is out of their control. The article talks about how people are continually striving to learn more and do not focus on what they currently know.
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    This site discusses Connectivism and the work of Stephen Downes and George Siemens. Connectivism is described as a "learning theory for a digital age" and looks at learning as a process that occurs through connections within networks. The site also provides a couple YouTube videos and presentations from Downes and Siemens.
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    The page about connectivism on the Education 202 site thoroughly and plainly explains connectivism through text. It also includes videos (one with George Siemens in the flesh!) and presentations that help to further explain the theory and how it can be applicable to teaching and learning. This site beyond the connectivism page explains other learning theories, such as constructivism and project based learning. There are even lesson examples as well as many other excellent resources to help both learners and teachers.
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    This article gives an overview of Connectivism. In our digital society, the connections and connectiveness within networks lead to learning. The article lists Siemem's principles of connectivism. This resource also includes a fifteen minute video of Siemen on Coonectivism: Socializing Open Learning, a five minute video on the Networked Student, a Slideshare on the elements of Connectivism, and a Slideshare on Connectivism and Personal Learning.
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    Explains Connectivism and Siemen's Principles of Connectivism. Includes a great video of George Siemens discussing Connectivism and Socializing Open Learning. Also a very helpful video depicting a student and teacher's role in a Connectivist environment and a Slideshare describing the elements of Connectivism.
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    This was a really clear article. One of the things that I became aware of is how all of these learning theories we're studying are interconnected. Connectivism has much in common with social learning, which is a constructivist concept. It seems that like a lot of things, the best approach is the "cafeteria approach;" a little constructivism, a little connectivism, a little behavioralism, etc.
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    Downes & Siemens are the primary promoters of connectivism and say learning rests in the diversity of options, is a process of connecting specialized nodes, and may reside in non-human appliances. They believe that the capacity to know is more important than what is currently known and that nurturing relationships is needed to facilitate continuing education. They say the ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is a core skill. Up to date knowledge is the goal of all learning activities in this model and decision making is in itself a learning process.
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    This wikispace provides a definition of what connectivism is and lists Siemen's Principles of connectivism. Sieman explains that connectivism is no longer an individual action but instead is dispersed among networks. Included in this site is various presentations to help you understand the networked student and connectivism.
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    The break down on the networked students was a an eye opener. It simplifies what the students needs to do and how the teacher is important to facilitate the learning. Also the Youtube video by George Siemens- Connectivism: Socializing Open Learning was full of great points on why social network learning is important and how students can benefit more from socializing their learning rather regular structured learning.
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    This wiki is a great summary of Connectivism and its principles. It explains the core ideas of Connectivism and its emphasis on network learning and continual learning. In particular, this wiki includes several informative videos from George Siemens, one of the founders of Connectivism, as well as links to Siemens and Downes's blogs. The straightforward explanations simplify Connectivism's principles and explain the importance of connection and connectedness given the current (and growing) impact of technology on learning.
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    This is a wikispace dedicated the theory of Connectivism. A lengthy description followed by video and links are included. In this wikispace, connectivism is described as a group activity that is in a constant state of change. As new information is acquired by the group, old information may be altered or abandoned. It is connecting and educating in the digital age. "Whereas in the past learning was competitive, coercive and paternalistic, the new ethic of learning is collaborative, global and universal."
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    This is a great resource Joanna! I really like the video of the "Networked Student" showing a great example of what connectivism could look like. I also like the list of bullets of what Siemen's Principles of Connectivism are.
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    This page discusses the foundations of connectivitism and gives us a video and two slideshows of information. The principles of connectivism are outlined, and we understand how learning must be connected instead of an individual activity.
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    The authors of this article explain what connectivism is and why it is so unique. Connectivism is "a learning theory promoted by Stephen Downes and George Siemens." Learning takes place through connections within networks. The information found is new, updated, and rapidly altering. The author shares Siemen's principles of connectivism, including that learning is a process of connections. Connections between fields, ideas, and concepts. Connections to facilitate learning, connections with decision-making, and maintaining and nurturing connections. Learning is the connections and connectiveness within networks.
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    I found this site to be especially valuable with a wealth of information. Links to the slides and videos were an added plus.
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    This article provides a detailed explanation of what Connectivism is and why it's currently relevant to learning. The article provides Siemen's Principles of Connectivism and provides supporting videos to further explain Connectivism.
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    This wiki gives a short introduction to connectivism, including George Siemens 8 principles. There are 2 videos on the page concerning socializing open learning and networked students. In addition, there are 2 Stephen Downes slide presentations on the elements of connectivism and personal learning. There are also many links to other related websites. Socializing open learning, presented by George Siemens, shows that in this model, teachers are "arbiters of connection." Though he acknowledges that in stable bodies of knowledge, courses can be a part of education, he questions the validity of a "course" as the best way to foster connections. He calls grading tests, "sorting," rather than true evaluation. We've been having many conversations in my school setting about grades, so this interested me. He wants fluid, variable and contextual learning for students.
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    This is a wikispace which discusses connectivism, a learning theory developed by Downes and Siemens. The author provides 7 principles of connectivism that help direct us to the idea that learning is no longer an individualistic activity. This site also provides two videos to further explain the theory of connectivism.
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    General information about the theory of Connectivism, such as what it is and why it is so unique. Promoted by Stephen Downes and George Siemens, Connectivism allows learners to distribute knowledge across networks. Siemens theorizes that learning is now longer an individualistic activity and with the advent of digital resources, learners need to explore the informational chaos, network, and and self-organize. Siemens and Downes have experimented with Open Courses and both stress the importance of more open education. http://education-2020.wikispaces.com/Connectivism
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    Learning takes place over networks, our learning stems from being connected. A good resource on Connectivism Theory. Has videos, slideshows, links, and other content on Connectivism.
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    This was my starting point for research on Connectivism. This is a short read introducing the topic and its creator. Learning takes place when connections are made.
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    This is a neat little article on connectivism. The best part is that it has a video contained within it by George Siemens that really helps you understand what this idea is getting at.
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    Connectivism is learning for the digital age. This article does a great job at explaining the principles of connectivism."Learning is a process that occurs within nebulous environments of shifting core elements - not entirely under the control of the individual."
Russell Nash

Communities of Practice - 4 views

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    Eckert looks at Communities of Practice (COP) to study situated language use. She finds that the COP is important because of "its focus on the fluidity of social space and the diversity of experience" (p. 3). She finds the COP to be complementary to the speech community and that feedback between the two approaches would provide the best process for analysis.
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    Communities of practice are groups of people who share the same job or a common interest in a subject. They come together to form a link to help each other perform in the world around them. This article talks about the value of communities of practice and how and why they work.
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    Eckert, P. (2006). Communities of practice. ELL, 2, 683-685. In this article, Mrs. Eckert does a great job in simplifying what a community of practice entails and means. She allows you to visualize the communities you belong to as well as other communities of practice you interact with or observe on a daily basis. One important distinction is that the author of this work is written from the sense of sociolinguistics and linguistic anthropology and not from an educator's mind set. Irrespective of this standpoint, you can see direct correlations to where students understand themselves and what communities of practice your own student population may fall under. In order to understand the social development of communities of practice Mrs. Eckert does a good job in breaking down common cores that can emerge from memberships. The linguistic side she writes, "A white working class Italian-American woman does not develop her ways of speaking directly from the larger categorical working class, Italian American, and female, but from her day to day experience as a person who combines those three memberships. Her experience will be articulated by her participation in activities and communities of practice that are particular to her place in the social order."(Eckert, 2006) Building upon that theory, she discusses the importance of social space "Emma Moore's study of teenage girls in Northern England (Moore 2003) traced the gradual split of a group of somewhat rebellious "populars" as some of them emerged as the tougher "townies" in their ninth year. In the process, the vernacular speech patterns of the "townies" intensified in opposition to those of their more Conservative friends". (Eckert, 2006) While the article sheds more light on the development of speech patterns and dialects through the medium of communities, we can also see the definition in practice in which a collection of people gather together over a common interest and then orients to their new surrounding
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    This is just a basic definition of communities of practice. It is a very easy way to understand it.
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    Communities of practice (CoP) are created through a community of people who have common interests. In communities of practice, Eckert (2006) explains "a community of practice develops ways of doing things, views, values, power relations, and ways of talking" (p.1). CoP's have a way of providing a personal identity and a way of speaking within a CoP.
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    Communities of Practice: Eckert describes a community of practice (CoP) as a group of people who interact ongoing with a common goal or endeavor. Sometimes they come about by similar interests, the workplace, and education. She concludes that communities of practice are very powerful inside and outside the community.
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    Penelope Eckert discusses the value of a community of practice in linguistic studies, giving a definition for a community of practice and distinguishing it from a more conventional linguistic construct: speech communities. Communities of practice link broad social patterns with concrete, observable behavior in individuals. They emphasize individual experience over demographic generalities. They address dynamic, fringe effects within a community. They build on social constructivism as groups of people engage in active sense-making.
camille_rrt

What is a PLN? Why Do I Need One? | TeachHUB - 26 views

  • own personalized “network” of fellow educators and resources who are designed to make them a better teacher.
  • these traditional areas of professional development are often set up and operated by someone
  • An educator is not merely absorbing information from others: they are sharing.
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    Not only does this resource provide a solid description of what a PLN is, it also answers the important "why do I need one" question. It was particularly helpful to get an idea of how social media is essential to a strong PLN.
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    This article listed many social media sources to start your PLN. The biggest takes away that I got from this article are the two benefits of a PLN over a traditional personal development. The first one is that a PLN allows an educator to completely personalize their training. They can pick what to focus on. The second is that they can adapt the learning environment to meed the educator's needs. Once they have enough information, they can start learning and sharing about a new topic that they wish.
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    Describes a PLN, why we have PLN's, and the benefits of being a member of a PLN. This article talks about how PLN's allow educators to develop their skills beyond the more traditional methods and allows them to develop their abilities as an educator.
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    With more and more opportunities to develop one's skills beyond what traditional routes have provided, establishing your own PLN is an essential step toward deepening your abilities as an educator.
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    Very straightforward resource. From a teacher's standpoint, this resource is very beneficial. It demonstrates how teachers can enhance their skills away from old school (traditional) teaching pedagody and move into connectivist strategies to truly become educators in the 21st Century.
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    A PLN can be online or face to face connections but the virtual opportunities do not require your physical presence like attending a conference, a live master's degree program, etc. There are 2 distinct advantages to being online: 1. it's completely personalized to what each person is seeking 2. It can easily be modified based on changes in needs. Social media sources like Facebook, Twitter, and Wordpress blogs can be customized so that teachers can follow one-other and share the latest tools and information.
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    This discusses what a PLN is and how it can help you grow professionally. It also talks about the benefits of a PLN and how you can personalize things.
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    This is a great resource on the explanation of PLNs, why they are important, and how they can improve your work and learning environments. It has a solid definition and is key to understanding PLNs in a short read.
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    This article describes what a PLN is and how it relates to one's real world and social networking communities. It discusses why having a PLN is important to an educator today. In the past you need to be physically present to get your desired information and at times that was not even possible. Today a teacher can determine what training is necessary and find this information through their PLN network. The article explains how a PLN not only allows you to learn but also encourages you to share your knowledge with others.
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    Nice, simple article that explains what a PLN is. Thanks for sharing it. It can certainly help fill in any knowledge gaps for someone new to PLNs.
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    I liked the resource for the question "Why do I need one?" and the answers that followed. Teachers can connect themselves to resources from many different aspects of the world and teachers and sites they may not have otherwise found. It is no longer just "absorbing information" but sharing and creating new connections and ways to use the information. Honestly, after all this research, the new question is "Why don't I already have a PLN?"
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    This article defines what a PLN is and the necessity for educators to develop one. It describes the difference between developing a PLN and being "connected." It argues that PLNs allow educators to individualize professional development. With the emergence of technology in education, I see this as a necessary tool for the 21st century educator.
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    This article describes the need for teachers to be a part of PLNs. The author talks about the importance of making connections to other teachers and countless resources to make yourself a better teacher.
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    This article describes the benefits of developing your own personal learning network. The author touches on the traditional learning networks of the past and their limitations and examines the benefits of the tech driven network.
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    In the education world, PLN stands for Personal Learning Network. What it means is that an individual has developed their own personalized "network" of fellow educators and resources who are designed to make them a better teacher. This network exists both in their real-life relationships and online through their social media connections.
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    This article describes a PNL but also discusses the benefits of developing a PNL. By sharing within your PNL members will not only gain new knowledge, resources, and ideas, but will also develop relationships with people across the globe!
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    A PLN is not PD. A PLN has (at least) 2 additional benefits: you study and research topics applicable to you, decided by you; you can form a symbiotic relationship where everyone is sharing information
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    Catapano explains what a PLN is and why people should have one. A PLN stands for Personal Learning Network. Basically, it is a group of individuals who are fellow educators who work together both real-life and online to make themselves a better teacher. PLN are mainly through social media sources like Twitter, Facebook, or blogs. Teachers can share their resources across the world with their latest research, experiences, or discoveries. Teachers get to take control of their own professional development.
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    I always like to find resources that cut right to the chase and explain exactly what the topic is. This article does that with professional learning networks. This article can be presented to anyone who asks "what IS a PLN anyway". The article relates the evolution of PLNs to include social media such as Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, ect. Themes of connectivism and communities of practice are found throughout the article as the writer explains that the true benefits is that PLNs are based off teacher's interests and passions rather than the usual top down professional development experience so many teacher experience. It drives home the point that successful PLNs revolve around the sharing of experiences and resources rather just viewing and consuming.
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    @teachingjake503, PLNs have become so valuable to me, especially when I was a first year teacher. Having support from people outside of the establishment was extremely helpful. I think people often buy into them more because of the choice they have. They can choose to include only those they feel provide value, are positive, and can offer support.
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    What is a PLN? Why Do I Need One? This article provides a simple and easy to understand definition of a Personal Learning Network and how it can be used by teachers to help them become a better teachers and can be used to help educations personalize their training. The article focuses on the use of social media as the primary resource for PLNs. http://www.teachhub.com/what-pln-why-do-i-need-one
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    The following article discusses why educators need a PLN. These networks are design to make you a better teacher. The personal learning networks are exactly that "personalized." Most professional development is designed by others, but your PLN is created and designed by YOU.
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    Written by Jordan Catapano who simplifies what a PLN is and explains why one might need it. He explains that a PLN is usually designed by educators networking with fellow educators to make them better teachers. This article goes through the theories and benefits of a PLN and what they intel or include.
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    "Why do I need one". This article discusses why a teacher should use PLN's and more importantly, create their own PLN. This was a nice read for me to put PLN's in perspective.
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    A great article that offers many valid and important reasons that an instructor should join PLNs.
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    This article supports why we all need to join PLN! Great read!
alannashaw

My Library - 1 views

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    This article summarizes the results from two research studies of how communities of practice can improve the classroom experience and instruction. Interactions among students and social opportunities were the emphasis of the studies. Some key questions in the studies were: How does relationship building affect student learning in communities of practice? How do different types of assignments and class activities affect learning?
meganapgar

Some Very Good Educational Resources for Social Studies Teachers ~ Educational Technolo... - 0 views

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    Provides social studies teachers with a resource where they can quickly access and use digital tools to help them with the teaching of their subject matter. The resources are arranged into categories: websites, iPad apps, Android apps, and Chrome apps.
Danielle Leone

EMS Social Studies - 0 views

  • Learning Target: Good Readers can find "reasoned judgement" by looking for statements the author makes that can be argued against.
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    This is a site that I have been using to share resources with my students.  This site was created for students at my school the year before I was hired.  The teacher I replaced has become our educational technology specialist and we work closely to find resources to use in the social studies classroom.  We are in the process of creating a new site, but for the time being my students and I still access this page often.  
kimberlybearden

5 Free Tech Tools to Try in Your Social Studies Lessons @coolcatteacher - 0 views

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    This is a list of free tech tools for social studies. In addition to these tools, the author also gives us tips to set up a fabulous social studies classroom.
kimberlybearden

Integrating Language Arts and Social Studies - 10 Smart Ideas - 0 views

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    This article offers 10 ideas to integrate social studies with ELA and reading. Small, simple ideas from lesson plan tweaks to adding books to libraries to integrate social studies into ELA.
cynthia mills

Social networking sites as virtual communities of practice: A mixed method study - 2 views

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    I think what makes this study interesting is the fact that the researchers explored how communication and learning develop in an informal environment like a social network and how that communication can be transferred to the workplace, specifically, professional development. The study references CEO's who have blogs and discusses the idea that blogs can enhance the performance analysis process. The question that it poses is founded in Connectivism in that it attempts to "investigate the relationship between learning and connectedness among members of a social networking site, and to explore qualitatively how members perceive the transfer of learning from the social networking site to their workplace practices and professional development."
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