Two community college professors are currently living underwater for 73 days, conducting an online lecture series and raising awareness of issues facing oceans. Students are encouraged to tweet questions using the hashtag #ClassroomUnderTheSea

I could relate to several of these points - the negatives of being connected. Specifically losing time from other things and no longer being private. But they are also not negative enough that I would stop being connected!

A new chapter in Tony Bates' open source textbook, this one dealing with COPs - what they are, designing effective ones and learning through them.

Howard Rheingold gives 8 excellent tips about growing a personal learning network. Explore, search, follow, tune, feed, engage, enquire and respond.

So much information about connected learning on this website, including videos, case studies, webinars and more. I love this quote from it: "Connected learning is when you're pursuing knowledge & expertise around something you care deeply about, and you're supported by friends & institutions who share & recognize this common passion or purpose." And look at this great infographic: http://connectedlearning.tv/infographic

The CLA supports educators, youth organizations and others to create meaningful social, interest driven, civic and participatory learning opportunities for youth. Watch the videos on the "Why Connected Learning" page of the website.

John Seely Brown is an amazing thinker! There is so much to read and watch on his website - he writes about 21st century education, including participatory learning and networks. His book "A New Culture of Learning" is superb.

Very straight forward introduction by Etienne Wenger. She clearly explains the meaning and importance of the terms "domain", "community" and "practice" and shows some examples of where COPs they are being applied.

This is a personal learning network "of more than 13,000 humanists, artists, social scientists, scientists and technologists working together to transform the future of learning." Thus it is a PLN and also a great source of wonderful blogs, research, discussion about engaged learning, ideas such as connectivism and the future of learning.

This wonderful research network is dedicated to highlighting research about "learning that is socially connected, interest-driven, and oriented towards educational opportunity. " There are many videos and research papers that highlight examples of personal learning networks and communities of practice. Fascinating information here and lots of it!

This is a podcast of a lecture that George Siemens gave at the Ann Ferren conference. He talks about connectivism, learner self-organization in online courses and social networks he has been involved with as well as his efforts to connect open free personal learning networks of our social lives with a more rigorous university setting.

Just about my favorite scholar. She leads the Futures Initiative at the Graduate Center at CUNY and writes extensively about participatory learning, the history of technology and innovations in education, including personal learning networks. This website highlights her books, research and blog.

I love this book! It was written as an experiment in online participatory, collaborative scholarship. It looks at how learning institutions can become as flexible and collaborative as social networking sites. Personal learning networks are highlighted in several examples. The leads on the project are Cathy Davidson (see earlier bookmark) and David Theo Goldberg.

Here is the book that fully explores how children learn in social, informal settings. It is the result of a three year study and is available as a free download here. (see my earlier bookmarked interview with Mimi Ito.) It explores many examples of informal personal learning networks in which children participate.

Mimi Ito discusses how children are using digital media and the learning that goes on as they hang around and geek out - informal learning. She explores the role education can play in this and the role of the adult and how to support their engagement. She discusses the difference between friendship driven activities online and interest driven activities and the opportunities for learning in those spaces (personal networks). It looks at ways that these could be linked to school-based activities.

Move over, Facebook - if you teach middle or high schoolers, you know that Instagram is one of the most popular social media channels for teens and tweens today. And while it may not seem like it at first, there are many applications for Instagram in the classroom.

Research that looks at the correlation between social network use and subjective well-being. Sure to create a lot of discussion.

Excellent resource for ideas about teaching for college faculty