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As students construct personal learning environments, teacher instruction and support is likely to be needed. PLE's must be constructed based on needs, and students may or may not be able to articulate what their learning needs are.

Today, students already have personal learning environments, but as teachers we have the ability to forge new pathways to learning by utilizing what kids already know and modeling collaboration and exploration.

Wow! What a cool article. I really enjoyed the picture of the Networked student. This article is like a how to for a teacher wanting to teach the 21st century student. It makes me wonder if our school system should provide a class on how to set up a method for each student to display their learning or their personal learning environment.

This particular document looks at the communities of practice model from the lens of a government agency in its' partnership with businesses, foundations, non-profits, and other organizations. The document's value comes to life in the fact that it focuses on how the communities of practice implemented are more of a valid method for productivity because a shared interest is involved and the experiences are shared. First time viewers of this document would benefit from the diagram on page 8 that explores the distinct features of the community, domain and practice which lead to a successful community of practice. The diagram is an excellent means of introducing the model to new participants or those already engaged in a community of practice, but simply unaware of their involvement. I also appreciate this document because it offers practicality and context in viewing how multiple entities can come together to form a community of practice united by a common purpose.

I found this article interesting because it talked about the value of using CoP's in management, in particular government. It details the changing age of technology in meeting the demands and needs of communities and organizations around the world. As needs and wants begin to move, so do the challenges that are provided to government. In this regard it talks about utilizing the value on online communities to help create a network of highly skilled people to meet these new demands. By engaging people in this kind of networking through social media people are able to better handle new situations by connecting with people who have experienced similar problems in the past.

This study explores the pitfalls of virtual teams within the business world. While I realize this paper doesn't focus on schools specifically it still applies in its exploration of communities of practice. This paper follows a few case studies while it explores virtual teams rather than teams working in the same space or building. Traditionally, virtual teams, have more challenges and communities of practice are introduced as a way to help overcome these challenges. Communities of practice are also defined and stages of participation are explored.

Dr. Snelson has this site and it is very useful.  Some of you may have her as an adivor so already use it.  Otherwise chick it out.

I have learned so much from this site. I am sure most people have looked at it but just in case it is one you have missed I have added it. A great article about global lessons which I enjoyed as a teacher in an international school.

This shows how communities of practice is defined, explains the process of how they've created and what they look like. Further explanation into how they can be applied in a wide variety of environments. The application part discusses how specifically it can exist within education both internally and externally. For EDTECH students, web communities of practice enable us to " extend the reach of our interactions beyond the geographical limitations of traditional communities."

I forgot to add my summary! This is an excellent source that fully explains what a Community of Practice is and how it can be applied. "Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly." I particularly liked the section about what CoPs actually look like. This is a must have resource for every EdTech student.

The author lists three "must-haves" to be considered a community of practice: the domain - shared interest, the community - learn from each other, the practice - share a repertoire of resources. Communities of practice fall back to learning theories. The term community of practice refers to a living curriculum. The concept is being applied in organizations, government, education, associations, social sector, international development, and the web.

DreamBox is PreK-8 math solution driven by a technology that's as unique as the students and educators who need it, love it, and use it to go to the next level. For district, school, classroom, and home use.

It is indisputable that blockchain is closely associated with cryptocurrencies. Blockchain technology is the underlying concept which defines the very existence and functioning of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. The disruptive nature of the blockchain is undoubtedly changing the face of search engine and digital marketing which makes it imperative to catch up on the capabilities of this technology and understand how it is catching up with the industry, to remain competitive.

This speaker does an excellent job showcasing that our students are totally capable of being part of a learning network before they can even recognize what it is they're doing. Things have changed intensely since the rise of networked connections between people. School needs to adapt and use these tools that professional educators are using to improve meeting the many "standards" that Mr. Regur talks about. "We have standards just to write standards…" We need to avoid the closed off island that is being a teacher… There is no longer an excuse to be stuck in this single-player version of education.

We all create personal learning networks in everything we do. Using this in education is extremely important so that students a) know how to connect with others, and b) know how to benefit from connecting with others. I like how he called the "teacher the most important activator".

Two is a meeting, Three is a network. Steve had some great "real" advice and reasons for why we should all join PLN for a variety of different reasons to create a stronger and more educated world.

This is a break down of what the roles of each the teacher and the learner in an connectivist approach in learning. It also has diagrams to show the workings of this theory.

This wiki page thoroughly addresses several aspects of connectivism in a neat bulleted format. In addition to listing the basic principles of the theory, it also explores it through Ertmer and Newby's 5 question framework. In exploring connectivism through a pedagogical approach, it provides insight into the roles of educators and students.

My favorite part of this resource is the breakdown of the roles of both the facilitator and the student. Sometimes when I am reading through different articles it is hard to visualize myself doing what is being discussed. This section really helps me visualize what I would be doing in a connectivist setting and what my students should be doing as well.

This article discusses the value of PLNs specifically for educators. It gives the who, what, when, why and how for the reader.

I really like how this article breaks down what a PLN is, how to learn from one, and where to network. So often, I think that these basics are what keep people from joining in. Though networking can sound intimidating, this piece notes why they are so important to educators and, potentially, students, thus encouraging and motivating users to join in.

This is a nice overview of what a PLN is and how teachers can get involved. It discussed important reasons that PLNs are useful. The article breaks down the need, structure and value of a PLN. #EDTECH543 #EDTechSN #PLN

The article opens with explaining multiple examples of dominant design and then leads into how the shift should move towards personal learning environments. The first thing it explains with this is how the learner can use a variety of technologies instead of just one software. The writer then states that it should be built to support the user's goals. After this it goes into explain how it can be used not only on a personal scale but global scale as well by the use of social media, knowledge bases, learning contexts, etc. The rest of the article discusses how the world is moving towards a personal learning environment and how therefore the other types may become a "less attractive option."

This article discusses personal learning networks, specifically in how they challenge the current design of educational systems. It argues that the current education system follows a dominant design which pushes following a typical design that focuses on the integration of tools, draws a very obvious line of who the teacher is and who the learner is, restricts content and connections, along with others. They should instead focus on creating personal learning networks which focus on the connections that are being created rather than the tools implemented, form symmetric relationships where any user can consume or contribute, provides open content, and many other reasons. It also gives possible implementation stratifies and possible challenges to this system or ideology.

In this article the author makes the argument that a hybridization of PLCs and PLNs would benefit students and teachers. It provides an introduction to both concepts before it offers ideas on hybridization and why they would benefit stakeholders.

I like the argument. Hybridization of these two vital elements will provide teachers and learners with an all around better experience in a school day. I know that in my building PLC is often frowned upon by the staff, because they find it a waste of time. I think that the integration of PLNs in the process could provide far more than simply meeting and discussing policy/educational tools.

I really liked this article because I feel at my school there is many PLC, but no one is really connected to PLN (including myself). As a member of the technology commitment, we have a small group looking to create goals and share knowledge, but sometimes its doesn't go beyond our meeting walls. If the communities could be connected to PLN then the walls are broken down and the collaboration and problem-solving input increased.

Learning communities help to share the responsibilities of student success within a school system. Since PLNs require a shared goal, when used in a school it helps align the vision for students, teachers, and administrators. PLNs are a continuous cycle of research, planning, and implementation. They are data driven and reflected upon. Everyone within the PLN is responsible for the development and implementation of the community. When everyone participates it creates an environment of trust and expertise that can be shared equally amongst all of the members. The learning that takes place within PLNs helps to keep school systems aligned and functioning.

This was a very interesting article that really had me thinking deeper bout PLN. One specific line " Learning communities convene regularly and frequently during the workday to engage in collaborative professional learning to strengthen their practice and increase student results" really caught my eye. How does one find time for such intensive participation? Separate from that I like the idea of learning being a group responsibility and not just an individual one.

Hi Ryann, I love this article and how it chunks the topics into easy comprehension for the reader. Collective responsibility stuck out to me the most. I think this is so important whenever tackling a project as a team. The team is interdependent and I think its important for each member to take responsibility of their strengths that they bring to the table. Nice article!

In this article Jong-Ae Kim, a librarian from South Korea, discusses the benefits of establishing communities of practice within the field of librarianship. Through her discussion, Kim not only defines a CoP, she also describes the levels of participation of its members and presents a possible timeline that relevant CoPs go through to establish their value within the profession. Kim then goes on to lay out the potential uses of CoPs within each specific type of library such as academic, public, school, and special libraries. I think it is important to note that while she sees the importance for CoPs among librarians serving similar populations, she ends the article with a discussion on the professional benefits of creating CoPs among librarians from all different types of organizations.

I appreciated this article. Not only did it help to continue to clarify my learning about COPs, it also provided a great context in tying it to the changing landscapes of libraries. Library education is certainly evolving and can now be seem on the forefront of some innovative educational movements, such as design thinking and the maker movement. It was also enlightening to see them as vehicles to drive communities of practice in many different settings.

This study looked at how Twitter-using educators were using Twitter to collaborate, network, or engage in professional development

Molly, I really enjoyed this article. It is especially relevant with this course. Honestly, I could never image using Twitter as any kind of professional resource, but after reading this and using Twitter for this class and one other, I can see how it would benefit educator to collaborate. It is also very easy to use. Thank you for sharing this article!

Hi Molly, This is very appropriate for our class, especially since we are using Twitter to share articles and resources with each other - - in our own personal learning environment. I focused on the discussion portion of this article. I noticed that for educators, personal learning networks are important and useful for professional development. It was interesting that the study found greater use in high school environments (maybe because we are influenced by our students?). The benefits of Twitter and professional development, is that one can access and participate at any time and any location - - it is self-directed! I would be interested in finding out how to promote this type of professional development within a school. What type of training is needed for educators to get started? How would one track satisfaction and learning?

Describes the value of PLN's as well as the support it provides in learning. Ways in which educators use PLN's are identified as professional development, resource sharing, mentoring, technology integration strategies.

This provides some simple reasons to develop a PLN. I love that it encourages busy teachers to create a PLN by letting them know that it will make their work easier! This page also includes a "how to", but the "why" part is a terrific resource on its own.

This gives you 10 reasons on how to jump start your Personal Learning Network. Great tips for a beginner like myself.

This article discusses adding CoPs to different organizations. It mentions the Internet Generation and describes various tools that will benefit a CoP. Finally, it describes that a CoP should have a purpose that has goals aligned with a specific purpose or vision in order to be effective.

I really appreciated this article and in particular the sense of purpose as a topic. So often I feel that CoPs can feel very purposeful and vibrant when they are created but lose their vigor or meaning as the primary task has been resolved. It seems that strategically placing emphasis on keeping the systems open and renewing purpose in order to develop leaders and new members creates a different energy for everyone involved.

The author discusses the paradigm shift of collaborative learning networks from school organized meeting to less formal communities of practices gathering through social media networks. Additionally, he discusses the need to remain connected for the benefit of the students.

This is an interesting article about how teachers used to work with one another such as going to conferences and having meeting with others in their field. Then it moves on to how they can get the same information from there PLN. This is a way to save time and money for a school district since it is all done virtual. But it also talks about how since we as teacher learned in a time without PLN we are more likely to shy away from them.

This article delivered clear and concise benefits of PLN's. These benefits included customized learning, improved online collaboration and lack of geographic barriers.