Group items tagged

Doing my research I found this resource for social networking in education. Now mind you it does not have a specific site or topic except for "educational networking" but it does list hundreds of network sites that can be very useful for an educator to find a specific topic in educational networking.

Since my school and district are very PLC (Professional Learning Community) savvy and it was addressed within this module and a form of PLNs I did some searching and came across this PLC site. It has PLC Blogs/Discussions, Evidence of Effectiveness information and Tool / Resources for educators.

I chose to share this link for two reasons: 1) It describes communities of practice, ways to support CoPs through networking, social learning, and online identities. 2) It's presented via a wiki, which is a platform that embodies the spirit of SNL, CoPs and PLNs.

I found this site to be very informative in a brief way! I find sites such as this a nice way to get started on something...find out enough so you know where to go next!

I appreciate the comment in this wiki about communities of practice developing a common store of knowledge. When I first heard the term, communities of practice, a few years ago, I thought they were simply referring to a group of people with something in common, not necessarily a group with a common purpose or goal toward which they are actively working.

This blog post (linked to the book, Digital Habitats) discusses creating ones "personal technology configuration," which is a topic we'll be covering later in the semester. The author describes the tools in his "PTC" that he uses to "close triangles" (aka- network individuals to one another; Skype, LinkedIn), share information (blogs, Twitter), and curate information (tagging). Personal identity on the web is an important aspect of developing PLNs and CoPs.

I like how he has coined the phrase "network weaving practices", and also shows how he "weaves" in and out of other networks by using three different PLN configurations: closed triangles, sharing information, and curating resources.

I've never heard of this before with that term. I know it because of the general idea. I think it it great to weave our thoughts and information together with other professional. Teachers love to use materials and ideas from other and this would help make it easier to collaborate with them.

This detailed paper presents a model for creating a personal learning network based on an investigation using a literature review, semi-structure interviews and survey and includes an extensive reference list. Three stages of the networking process- building, maintaining and activating- are described and the nine factors influencing decisions in each of these areas are outlined. The authors schematically represent a personal professional networking model.

I really like how this article focused on research results and the factors that emerged for the researchers during their study. It made understanding how the theory of PLN's has become relevant. The three stages of networking model also helped drive home the concept. Establish, maintain and activity was a great visual representation. Quality find!

This article discusses the importance of personal learning networks. It defines them as finding and connecting with others that are a part of your field. These interactions with others can promote life-long learning; which is beneficial in any working field.

Since my life as an educator has always been about technology through digital imaging and design I wanted to find a CoP site that focused on technology. This resource supports technology as it is applied to communities of practice. I feel that it is a useful resource for educators within the technology sector.

Thanks Katelyn, Yes, I had to find a technology CoP for technology's sake and in the area that I teach. I don't think I could be more enthusiastic about the field of technology. It's very empowering.

This is interesting website that looks at different technologies and justify their use within CoP.

Student bloggers contribute to this general school blog and share their reflections, thoughts, projects, and work in this format. The mission statement of the blog mentions that it aims to get these students to be thoughtful and responsible social networkers. What better way than to have them actually do it!

This is a teacher's YouTube channel that has digital stories created by her students. It fits in with social media in that it allows for comments and, therefore, some discussion.

This article was accessed bia Boise State Library login. This article reveiws a survey of students in a case study where facebook was used as an LMS. The findings are that it can be used to supplement, or substitute an LMS; and that it is most appropriate for younger students. Privacy was an important concern.

Go to the first option, it is the article written by Attwell. This article gives a summary of what a personal learning environment and it's benefits. This article gives good examples of what a PLE and how it works as well as some history and theoretical background.

Great read! Totally agree that while life long learning is nothing new, technology brings it to a different level (even though the focus of the article was on education rather than the technical aspect.) I also found interesting the discussion on new approach to assessment (the traditional one on the outcome vs. the new one on the competencies for such an outcome.) Some food for thought!

Great article! I liked how the article defined PLNs and gave ways to use them for deeper understanding and engagement. I used to teach an introductory tech course at our local high school and I will be speaking the the teacher and sharing this article with him. I feel that the benefits of students using PLNs is limitless.

This is one article in a series geared toward teacher librarians. This article is short and deals with both the "why" and "hows" to PLEs. (Although the term Personal Learning Environment is used instead of PLN, I felt it could still be helpful.) The article sets up the need for PLEs by recognizing the vast amount of information available to us today. It follows by breaking down Personal, Learning, and Environment in a concise form. The second half of the article focuses on the "hows." I have included the reference only because I had some difficulty retrieving some of my previously bookmarked pages from Ebscohost. "Personal Learning Environments in the Learning Commons. By: LOERTSCHER, DAVID V., KOECHLIN, CAROL, Teacher Librarian, 14811782, Dec2011, Vol. 39, Issue 2"

Authors discuss connectivism as a framework for how students learn. They note that learning is making connections within a personal learning network and knowledge is recognition of these connections. They also note that knowledge is stored outside of the learner. They discuss connectivism and its origins as well as the role of connectivism in the work of librarians. They discuss how connectivism informs pedagogical practices in the library and defines the library as a node within student PLNs.

Exploration of the connectivist theory in relation to library media is the topic of this article. It expresses the idea that connectivism is defined by one's abilities to recognize connections, patterns, and similarities between concepts to construct learning. Dunaway argues that changes in technology, learning, and literacy make it necessary to apply connectivist ideas to library practices.

The author suggests that learning takes place when a learner connects ideas from his/her various personal learning networks. Further, those pieces of information is controlled by information technology. This idea becomes apparent when running the same search in Google, Bing or Yahoo. The author purports that in order for a teacher to be effective, he or she must understand this idea of connectivity and how it impacts a student's learning environment.

This article focuses on the role of personal learning environments in higher education. I particularly appreciated the description of the PLE in the article. Pointing out what it offers that Learning Management Systems do not, the PLE is explained as the future of education where the student takes control and responsibility from the reigns of the institution. It also suggests that PLEs have staying power in education due to the fact that they are not wrapped up with a specific technology, rather they have the ability to adapt and change as technology around us continues to do so. The author discusses how students should be given challenging situations rather than ridged assignments. The article finishes with an example where this idea was implemented in an online learning environment. Väljataga, T. (2010). Learner control and personal learning environment: a challenge for instructional design. Interactive Learning Environments, 18(3), 277-291.

In an animated video, Steven Johnson examines how good ideas develop. He proposes they rarely happen in a moment, but develop over time. It is necessary for those good ideas to come in contact with other good ideas from outside sources. When we have systems that allow for these ideas to come together, we are creating an atmosphere where better ideas can flourish. He believes that an increase in using the internet will lead to an increase in connectivity and more good ideas than ever before.

I enjoyed this video very much! Somethings are so obvious but the realization doesn't hit until you hear it or read it. In this case, I enjoyed the narration of how a good idea is very seldomly an "Eureka" moment. The internet was a work in progress for 10 years. I had no idea! Something that struck me is that great, life-changing ideas are usually a collaborative effort. I can also appreciate the narrator's stand that it is possible that all of the digital distractions might actually hinder those ideas. But, with technology collaboration on those ideas has gotten a little easier.

SUMMARY: This resource is geared towards school and district leaders to better understand the necessity of CoPs for not only their teachers but also themselves. It provides simple strategies to infuse educational environments with rich resources that lead to growing PLCs and CoPs.

Thanks for sharing this Cate. I follow CoSN and am usually up on their stuff, but I had not seen this resource. I love the fact that it includes action steps for superintendents. Too often that level of leadership is left out, then people wonder why change is not really taking place.

This provides district administrators with concrete steps for building communities of practice that can help educators develop technical abilities. Suggestions include finding pockets of excellence and working with and benchmarking from other school districts.

Math Videos arranged by topic including introductory math, algebra, trigonometry and calculus. What I really love about this site is that it includes multiple (in most cases 3-4) videos from different people about a specific topic. For example, -7-2 has 4 videos on it for the same problem! It gives students a chance to see it in multiple perspectives.