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You'll love this research-based reading comprehension curriculum. You can search for articles by grade level, lexile level, topic, reading strategy, and more!

This article discusses how LMSs have become the norm for higher education, but identified limitations of the LMS and how learners are demanding a modification that gives students more control and interaction using web tools such as social networking sites to create PLNs to support their learning. Students want to create their own PLNs to manage information, create content, and connect with others. These approaches "represent a shift away from the model in which students consume information through independent channels such as the library, a textbook, or an LMS, moving instead to a model where students draw connections from a growing matrix of resources that they select and organize", emphasizing the personal aspect of PLNs.

(I accessed this one through the BSU library; it required a login) This article was geared toward technology leaders and information literacy specialists in schools and discussed the need for them to have access to the most current information. This could apply to any educator, though. They provide five reasons why librarians need PLNs: access to the thinking of colleagues, access to timely information, ability to post questions and get responses, ability to collaborate with colleagues, and to be able to communicate about events. Each of these is discussed in detail, and management tips for effective participation in a PLN are provided as well. This is a clear resource that makes a convincing argument of why educators need social-media based PLNs.

I've recently started using this website a lot for lessons with English Language Learners. Great resources and articles.

Much has been written recently about the impact of social networking tools in teaching and learning and how educators can build on the skills of their students in using these tools. But if educators only integrate the ability of students to connect and socialize, deeper points of learning will be missed.

I am very pleased with this video. It's an interview with Etienne Wenger and he explains, in his own terms, his research and definition of the Community of Practice.

I also liked the explanation about how members from a Communities of Practice are engaged in a similar practice but they may do it in different settings. They don´t need to do it together. The learning contract between the members is the key of success.

Dr. Wenger talks about his Community of Practice. This discussion gives us an outline of how skills be shared through a CoP. According to Dr. Wenger, the CoP creates an on-going network of resources to communicate problems and discuss solutions. The learning and knowledge sharing can even create knowledge creation as solutions are discussed.

This article talks about the cloudy views of the Connectivist Learning Theory and tries to clarify what it means to define knowledge as a network and in what way it can affect teaching and learning. It discusses the conflict of deciding if, indeed, Connectivism is actually a learning theory.

This article identified a massive discrepancy between educational researchers and educational practitioners (i.e. teachers) and called for a new collaborative approach to research in which the two factions work together to build communities of practice "based on collective expertise and designed to scrutinize and improve education." CoPs are a new way to promote dialogue and inquiry on current educational issues and topics, taking the former idea of CoPs as primarily for PD to a new level.

This article presents an argument on PLNs and CoPs in the sector of public affairs education. It states that in order to strengthen PLNs and CoPs, emerging technologies must be used to accurately connect students with proper practitioners, which in turn---will enhance knowledge and present various new learning opportunities. This includes a major shift in practitioner delivery systems so that emerging technologies are adequately integrated.

This article follows the progression of a group of doctoral students in their journey to become scholars. Students were to use Communities of Practice in their studies, ultimately trying to see if this will allow them to emerge from the program with a stronger self-identities as scholars. Students had to learn to rely on one another while also providing for one another. Using COP, students were guided to not sit back and take the role of the student, but to get involved in their own learning to reach the role of scholar.

This website is monitored by edublogs and geared towards teachers who are wanting to create professional learning networks. Step 1 provides a detailed examination of what a pln is, which includes videos, images, and other media to convey content. From this page teachers can move forward in creating their own pln.

Great share Courtney! I love the videos explaining what a PLN is (very simple and to the point). The video about connected educators is one I want to share with my district on my proposal to get social media active. It discusses why educators need a PLN and how beneficial it can be!

A PLN is personal because you choose who is in your group and if you want to lurk or comment. A PLN is what you want when you want it- reminds me of the Burger King slogan- "your way right away"

This article comes with a downloadable PDF that shows visuals of PLNs. It gives examples on what a PLN is and how to create your own. It also provides a list of experiences that will be available to someone who creates a PLN based on their needs.

This article explains the theories behind the connections between massive open online courses and connectivism. It is described that connectivism is the pedagogical approach behind MOOCs, but something is missing. The author goes on the explain how cultural psychology is the factor that makes up for the missing basis for learning that connectivism fails to explain.

Retirees maintain personal interests---just as commonly as non-retirees. The love of learning and being a part of community does not disappear once one has retired. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, people 65 and older spend at least 2 hours per day undertaking leisure activities. This article explores the idea of shifting from professional communities of interest to personal communities of interest in retirement and discusses PLNs in retirement that usually consist of friends and family members. The author focuses on the usage of social media for retirees to keep connected with one another.

This article shows the results of a mega-blogging experiment called a Tweetstorm. The authors wanted to see a Personal Learning Network come to life in a brainstorming and identification session. It got results similar to concept mapping: general thoughts that were fine-tuned and eventually became written by experts.

Discusses the importance of students learning through social networks and how teachers can leverage students' experience with social networks to develop the skills necessary to be an independent learner.

This is a great article because it addresses the needs for PLNs for students as well as for teachers. I couldn't agree more, especially since our students are growing up in a highly connected world - it only makes sense for them to learn via PLNs of their own.

This article was a study of novice music teachers' experience using an online community for one year using wikispace. A community of practice was formed in this wikispace and findings found that teachers' emotional needs were supported in this community regardless of grade level taught and music specialty taught. Knowing that other teachers were going through similar things gave teachers a feeling of support.

Found in this article, author, William Bauer, shares an anecdote of a teacher that is seeing the value in becoming connected via Web 2.0 tools. In these tools, Bauer discusses their importance as they relate to developing a PLN in the teaching profession. Descriptions and focus are given to RSS, blogs, Podcast, Wikis, Twitter and News sites. Bauer suggest that educators should "get started with your technology-assisted PLN by setting up a newsreader and subscribing to resources of interest. Both you and your students will be the beneficiaries."

This blog post by Tom Whitby explains what a connected educator is and is not. Whitby discusses that way that educators can connect through social media and who they connect with is very crucial. He continues by discussing that being a connected educator is not an add-on, it is a necessity. We need to have digitally-literate educators to be able to teach digitally-literate student.

I really enjoyed reading this post, and it helped validate the reason I sought my Master's degree in Educational Technology. It is so important for educators to stay connected for their own professional development, and to enrich the instruction given to their students. When teachers connect with other teachers and use PLN's it benefits everyone involved, including the students.

It so true. Educators are finally arriving a pedagogy that reinforces the digital tools already available and provides a theoretical framework for all those teachers who resist technology or say that it isn't for them.

This article gives good examples of 6 different platforms educators can use for a PLN. These are already established, and allows the educator to lurk, or become involved. Some of these outlets educators use already, so the learning curve isn't a harsh as joining something you haven't used before. It gives a good description of each tool and some provide links to pre-made education groups or people to follow.