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Understanding Personal Learning Environments - 4 views

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    The Activity Theory model breaks down PLE's into subject, object, tools, rules, community and division of labour.Context is not an external container but it is constituted through an activity.The most common context for PLE's takes place through Higher Education (31%) and Lifelong Learning (15%), followed by enterprise,organisations and workplace (9% each).
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    This paper included many diagrams documenting personal learning environments. The PLE is broken down into six distinctive parts. The subject is the person with the object leading the subject to the outcome. Tools connect the subject and object within a community where the subject acquires knowledge. Rules are present to minimize conflict and help to guide the subject toward the object and possibly most importantly, the PLE has a division of labor. This is how the community is organized and includes contributions from all subjects. Without any one of these parts, the PLE would not function which would lead to the loss of knowledge within a community of practice.
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    A helpful--if lengthy--article explaining what a PLE is, and how to conceptualize the structure and role of a PLE in terms of Activity Theory. Helpful section distinguishing PLEs, PLNs, and CoPs on p. 24.
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Great tool for making map driven stories (& timelines) - 4 views

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    I love discovering new sites and apps that combine cool functionality and great design, and Story Map is one of my favorites (along with Flipboard!). Also check out http://timeline.knightlab.com/ for a great timeline tool. I am planning on using one or the other to create a map of all the places I have lived and then share it with my family. Only downside is the lack of documentation or tutorials at this juncture, but it's pretty intuitive. The JS name (Java Script) implies that you might have to do some coding, but it's not the case. Check it out!
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Personal Learning Network - 10 views

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    Interesting article here. There's a hand signal you can use to help students remember the power and importance of PLNs. This could be helpful to teach younger students the "why" they have to be learning these skills in order to make learning meaningful. Student- Thumb; rest of the team depends on them for resources and help. Mentor- Index finger; helps organize and keep the group on task. Expert- Ring finger; ensures accuracy. Advisor- Longest finger; pinpoints needs and identifies necessary changes. Peer- Pinky finger; shares thoughts, communicates frustrations and celebrates when things are successful. Watch the video here: http://videos.videopress.com/lzULinmO/collegeunboundpersonallearningnetwork-hd1_fmt1.ogv
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    I like his comparisons to fingers on a hand. For a simple mind like mine that made a lot of sense.
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    Using the hand as a visual for PLNs is a neat idea. I feel like this would be a great way to introduce the idea of PLNs to students, and would also be a helpful memory device.
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    Love it! The hand metaphor is great.. It actually helped me to better understand PLNs myself. "Just as the hand's function is to grasp, hold, and manipulate, making it essential to daily tasks, so is the student support team essential for the same reasons."
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    I really like this Ryan! Not only is the picture intriguing but the metaphor is great for understanding as well as teaching about PLNs. Good find!
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Assistive technologies for people with physical impairments - 1 views

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    Physical impairments come in many forms and can generally be classified as a loss or limitation of function in muscle control or movement or a limitation in mobility. This may include hands that are too large or small for a keyboard, shakiness, arthritis, paralysis, and limb loss, among other difficulties.
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How to Calculate Mean and Standard Deviation With Excel 2007 - 0 views

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    Calculating the mean and standard deviation in Excel 2007 is as easy as 1, 2, 3 and only takes a few minutes. Use the "AVERAGE" function in Excel to find the mean of a set of numbers. Enter the range of numbers in your Excel spreadsheet....
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The Promise of Connected Learning | NextThought - 3 views

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    This source addresses personal learning networks and connected learning environments. It describes connected learning as important because information is so widespread and accessible, and learning is now happening flexibly. The source also discusses connectivity and communities of practice.
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    Great post. I love all of the visual representations. I enjoyed having those to assist my reading. Connected learning is become much more flexible. In my opinion all of the visuals were much more powerful than the words. To me, they assist my learning in expressing the differences between Cops and connectivism. The last visual of connected learning might be my favorite visual representation that I have seen so far. It describes it perfectly.
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    I especially liked the "key functional elements" section that outlined necessities within the network. The visual of the network with the peoples' faces made sense and gave a very clear picture of learning connections. Great source.
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    This article discusses the idea of connected learning and its benefits. It discusses how the learner can be at the center of their learning. Although this article focuses of incorporating connected learning to teaching practices, it can also be applied to gain a better understanding of forming personal learning networks to enhance ones professional growth.
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    I love the term "connected learning." I can't imagine learning in isolation. I have to take what I am reading and share it out on Twitter, I want to get the interaction of others to enrich and enhance what I am learning. Learning systems is a good way to put it. You have a system in place that involves connecting with others.
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Apple - Accessibility - iOS - 0 views

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    Intuitive by design, iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch also come with assistive features that allow people with disabilities to experience the fun and function of iOS. With these innovative technologies built right in, iOS devices become powerful and affordable assistive devices.
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Audio Expert - free online audio editor, converter and recorder - 1 views

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    AudioExpert is a free and simple online audio editor, file converter and sound recorder. All the standard functionality of an audio editor provides you with an easy way to create a ringtone for your cell phone.
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A User Interface Design Rubric for Evaluating E-Learning Applications - 0 views

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    Abstract: How critical is the role of the user interface in E-Learning? Simply put, the best-designed content will be useless without an equally well-designed user interface that will attract the learner's attention, retain the learner's interest, and allow the learner to interact with the content such that learning can take place. This paper presents a rubric that will help assess a user interface's contribution to the efficiency and effectiveness of an E-Learning application. The rubric focuses on the elements and attributes that comprise the user interface's visual design and dialogue design. A discussion on the user interface and the functions it performs in E-Learning applications serves as an introduction to the presentation of the user interface design rubric.
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How Technology Helps Build a Personal Learning Network | CAREEREALISM - 2 views

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    This short article emphasizes how social networks can build your Personal Learning Network. One great advantage is that your PLN can be accessed 24/7 The article suggests the use of Twitter, blogging, and other Social sites to connect with other education professionals to collaborate and learn.
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    Matt, This is a great article! It very succinctly describes how social networks relate to PLNs. I think we, as educators, are always looking for a way to connect and improve our own learning.
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    I appreciate learning in context. Seeing how the PLN functions through Facebook and Twitter certainly filled in more blanks for me. Even though I am not a great blogger, the articles focus on student, parent, teacher, administrator communication hammered the value home.
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    This article really hit home, and made the CTE teacher in me say WOW! It was short and to the point on how students can really utilize social media as a tool to hone their learning. Great find Matt!
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Office 365 vs. Google Docs Showdown: Feature by Feature - 0 views

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    Author's Note: This article has been edited to correct inaccuracies in Google Docs functionality in Firefox, and Google Apps support.] Game on. Microsoft holds a virtual monopoly on office productivity software, but Google is virtually synonymous with the Web.
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Main Report for Pew Research Center Location-Based Services - 0 views

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    The rise of smartphones has brought real-time location data into many aspects of Americans' lives. Some mobile services use the smartphone's location to offer directions, targeted recommendations, or other location-specific information to the user. Other services incorporate a location "layer" into other types of functions, while still others exist specifically to share the user's location with friends or the general public.
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Student Blogging Project: Creating a Link Post – Teach It Slant - 0 views

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    This long-term project has students creating a blog that serves as their reading response journal for the year. For this assignment, students created a blog to replace their hardcopy notebooks. As students read various things in their English class, they use this one place to do all reading activities. Once they have finished posting, they then receive time to go and comment on other people's posts. This gives students a place to practice their writing skills with an authentic audience. As the year goes on and students get more comfortable with commenting, students could end up having rich conversations based on each other's writing. I like this because it is easy to set up and use for the course of the year. This can be applied to almost any subject area. Even a math teacher could use something like this for students to summarize their learning and bounce ideas off of their peers. The functionality and utility of this project make it a must-have for educators of all subject areas.
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Desmos | Beautiful, Free Math - 0 views

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    Explore math with desmos.com, a free online graphing calculator
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    Desmos is a free online graphing calculator that allows students to graph functions, plot data, evaluate equations, and explore transformations. It is a powerful and reliable tool that can be accessed online or through the app for free.
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elearnspace. Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age - 6 views

  • The pipe is more important than the content within the pipe. Our ability to learn what we need for tomorrow is more important than what we know today.
    • Dave Mulder
       
      I'm not sure I totally agree with this statement...
  • Knowledge is growing exponentially. In many fields the life of knowledge is now measured in months and years.
  • The amount of knowledge in the world has doubled in the past 10 years and is doubling every 18 months according to the American Society of Training and Documentation (ASTD).
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  • Informal learning is a significant aspect of our learning experience.
  • Learning now occurs in a variety of ways – through communities of practice, personal networks, and through completion of work-related tasks.
  • Know-how and know-what is being supplemented with know-where (the understanding of where to find knowledge needed).
  • Learning and work related activities are no longer separate. In many situations, they are the same.
  • onstructivism suggests that learners create knowledge as they attempt to understand their experiences
  • Learners often select and pursue their own learning.
  • These theories do not address learning that occurs outside of people (i.e. learning that is stored and manipulated by technology)
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    Asserts that technology is rewiring our brains, as the tools people use define and shape their thinking. And that the continuously shifting nature of connections makes learning not completely under the control of the participant. Though the starting point of connectivism is the individual, their knowledge is influenced by and influences a network.
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    This article draws comparisons between behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism and how they all relate to connectivism. Connectivism has come about with the age of technology, and has gradually become its own learning theory.
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    Provides an overview of learning theories in terms of creating instructional environments. Discusses principles and limitations of connectivism and concludes that how people work and function is altered when new tools are utilized. Connectivism provides insight in to learning and tasks.
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    This is is a good breakdown on the history of the connectivism theory and school of thought. It highlights how it the theory is beneficial in our digital age because other theories like behaviorism, cognitivism,and constructivism operate under the tenet that learning occurs by majority inside of a person. It reiterates the point that the network or "pipe" is more important than the content within it.
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    Explanation of connectivism, including contrasts to behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism. Interesting quote: "The pipe is more important than the content within the pipe. Our ability to learn what we need for tomorrow is more important than what we know today." I'm not sure I totally agree with that statement...
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    Very interesting piece on the how the half-life of knowledge is shrinking. The amount of knowledge in the world has doubled in the last 10 years and is doubling every 18 months.
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    George Siemens ideas on the limitations of traditional learning theories and connectivism.
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    This articles gives information about the basic thought behind Connectivism. This article even gives the background information about the limitations of behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism in the realm of technology and knowledge.
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    This background paper reviews the limitations of common learning theories in the digital age. Siemens then describes connectivism.
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    "Connectivism is driven by the understanding that decisions are based on rapidly altering foundations. New information is continually being acquired. The ability to draw distinctions between important and unimportant information is vital. The ability to recognize when new information alters the landscape based on decisions made yesterday is also critical." This is a fantastic quote in this article. Our foundations for education are highly impacting the way we learn and soak up the knowledge around us. Everyone in this world needs to gain more knowledge, learn new techniques, and grow their thinking to become a harder worker, more valuable asset, and a better person in general. It is critical for the society to build on the foundations of their knowledge now so we can overcome those future problems and struggles in the future. Technology is opening doors for people to create, develop, and build knew foundations of education.
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    The resource discusses the need for a changing view of learning due to the development of technology tools to aid learning and information sharing. Many learning theories have not incorporated the use of technology or connectivity. Previous learning theories such as behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism have limitations presented in this article to support the need for connectivism. An important thought stated by the author, "We derive our competence from forming connections". This article states the importance of experience to learn knowledge.
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    In this piece, Siemens explores behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism and their deficits when it comes to learning in the digital world. He explains how Connectivism addresses the change in learning in that it is no longer an internal activity because of technology.
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    This article gives an overview and background of traditional learning theory and their limitations. Then it provides an alternative theory for a digital age, Connectivism. This article gives a brief overview of Connectivism and its principles.
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    This is the original paper written by George Siemens introducing the idea of connectivisim. The main problem Siemens identifies with previous learning theories is that they do not account for learning stored outside the person. With technology developments, we no longer need to remember details. We can use our brain space to connect details and expand our knowledge.
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Connecting Communities of Practice at UBC | UBC Centre for Teaching, Learning and Techn... - 0 views

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    The graphic on this site does a great job of helping my to visualize Communities of Practice and how they function. The graphic shows one CoP session and how the teachers involved work together on so many different areas.
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The role of communities of practice in a digital age | Tony Bates - 25 views

  • The role of communities of practice in a digital age
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    A new chapter in Tony Bates' open source textbook, this one dealing with COPs - what they are, designing effective ones and learning through them.
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    I guess I shared this link in a previous course, but it is a good one! Tony Bates discusses designing, learning from and defines communities of practice in the digital age. EDTECH543, Communities of Practice.
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    I appreciate the substance of this article as it goes beyond simply defining communities of practices and discusses the theoretical framework for developing effective CoPs. The seven tips offered for designers of CoPs provides structure and guidance for those interested in implementing this practice. I also found great value in the text's analysis of communities of practice in a technology rich generation. The digital age is dominating culture and as people seek to re-evaluate programs, organization, and life they tend to think they need to dump the old and start from scratch. This article, however, points out that communities of practice will be a powerful tool in the digital age by "it is probably a mistake to think of them as a replacement for traditional forms of education." Great perspective!(
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    A Community of Practice is essentially a group of people who share a common interest and learn how to polish and perfect that passion by regularly interacting with one another. Communities of Practice apply various theories of learning as the group members interact and glean from one another. Researchers argue that a Community of Practice differs from other types of learning communities in that the group members share a common interest, they engage in activities around that common interest, and all group member are practitioners of that interest. As a result, the learning that occurs in a Community of Practice comes from the sum of all group members.
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    This article focused on what traits a successful community of practice has and how they are taking shape in the digital world. Of particular interest in this article is the role that MOOCs are beginning to play in digital learning and also how the design of a community of practice can impact how long it stays useful and relevant to its users.
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    In this article, author Tony Bates refers to MOOCs as communities of practice, and then makes a distinction between "instructionist" MOOCs and "connectivist" MOOCs, the latter being designed to function as communities of practice. This has prompted me to look for more information on the distinction, as I am only familiar with instructionist MOOCs. In addition, I find the article of interest because of the subsequent and continuing scholarly conversation that ensued in the comments.
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    Very interesting article. I like how Bates explains the theory behind communities of practice and then provides the definition. It helps provide context for CoPs. I also found the "Designing effective communities of practice" section to be very helpful. It outlines what a good CoP should look like and encourages the diversity that can be within a community. Thanks for sharing!
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    This article from Tony Bates provides another great overview of CoPs. One of my favorite parts of this article is the section on designing effective communities of practice. Bates provides a list of key design principles (adapted from Wenger) for creating an effective CoP.
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    I love how this article recognizes that 1 plus 1 is not 2. That the sum total of knowledge exceeds what was put in.
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    This blog post discusses what communities of practice are, the learning theories behind CoPs, designing effective CoPs, and learning through CoPs in the digital age. It goes into depth about the seven key design principles for creating effective and self-sustaining CoPs. It also discusses the importance of Massive Open Online Courses.
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    In this post, Tony Bates discusses communities of practice including what they are and their characteristics. He also discusses ways to create and sustain effective communities of practice. Finally, Mr. Bates discusses how we can learn through communities of practice specifically through the use of MOOCs.
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    This article by Tony Bates gives examples of CoPs in companies like Xerox and how they work together within the company to create projects. It also provides a visual from Wenger assists companies with integrating a CoP within the workspace.
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    This post disusses what a community of practice is and the theories behind them. It also addresses the design of a community of practice and the three criteria involved, domain, community, and practice. Finally it discusses MOOC's.
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    This article gives some background and insight to the different parts of a Community of Practice. What I found to be most relevant about this article is the fact that it is based around digital learning. There is an image included in the article that displays the different websites that can be used as a tool for a CoP. This image is helpful in visualizing all of the ways to meet and communicate with peers in the digital realm.
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    This article looks at corporations that are encouraging CoPs like Google & Apple. Xerox was able to save $100 million by collecting tips that repair men were sharing over breakfast and sharing them on a larger level. CoPs can enhance organizational effectiveness and profitability by increasing knowledge sharing.
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    He is writing a textbook, Teaching in a Digital Age, and this is his discussion about communities of practice. It explains what communities of practice are, how they work, and how they can be successfully used. He argues that they are not a replacement for other forms of education but does mention that they can be great tools.
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    This article is a chapter for a book, Teaching in a Digital Age. It gives a good summary of the principles behind communities of practice. While the author does not fpbelieve that CoPs should replace other forms of learning, he sees value in them.
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    The author, Tony Bates, reviews what makes a community of practice by clarifying the main components of an effective one. My favorite part of the resource is the graphic organizing the tools and activities associated with a community, which also integrates the technology available. The article focuses on the idea that communities of practice is a method of informal learning and discusses how to use online learning to its highest potential.
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    To me the most interesting part of this resource is the comments. Very interesting arguments being made by various players especially Downes and Harasim. I often learn more from comments sections than from the main paper.
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    @Terrence. I too liked the comments section which is ironically appropriate seeing that the article was about communities of practice. I think that Downes is viewed as a kind of expert in connectivism and social learning. I have read a few things on his blog through the process of this research and they are quite good. He also co-teaches an MOOC on connectivism with Siemens through the University of Manitoba.
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    I found this interesting at the end when the questions were posted. It made me think of things that I hadn't yet....Can we force these communities or do they just happen naturally and do I think they can replace other forms of education. I have not sorted those out in my own mind yet but I like that they stopped me to think about.
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Connectivism - Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching and Technology - 11 views

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    SUMMARY: Connectivism teaches students skills that are not attached to time or space. Rather they are necessary in the fast-paced, ever-changing whirlwind we live in. The chart near the end clearly compares major educational theories and helped me see the connections and disconnects between them.
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    This is a great introduction to constructivism. Please take the time to watch the video in the introduction. The article explains the link between today's knowledge and yesterdays information while stressing the fact that knowledge and information is ever changing. Constructivism allows the investigator to to take control of learning and bypass the slow or reluctant process of updating information as it changes. I really liked this article, it sparked some ideas for my personal finance class I am rewriting curriculum for. (my book for this class is a 1998 edition with no funds for updated material)
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    This article provides a very detailed introduction and definition of Connectivism as well as its components: Chaos Theory, Importance of Networks, Complexity and Self-Organization.
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    This wiki created by the Department of Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology at the University of Georgia describes the theory of connectivism in great detail and relates it to recent technological advances. Connectivism is defined and the related components of chaos theory, importance of networks and interplay of complexity and self-organization are described. The wiki includes a great cartoon slide show called "Connectivism through '67" that helps build understanding of this concept. It also includes a chart comparing various other learning theories to connectivism.
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    "Clarissa Davis, Earl Edmunds, Vivian Kelly-Bateman Department of Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology, University of Georgia" The article set the stage for the need for new learning theory now that 21st century technologies are in full force. The authors briefly discuss the "half-life of knowledge," again, setting up the need for new theory. After defining connectivism, the article provides a handy comparison between it and behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism.
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    "Clarissa Davis, Earl Edmunds, Vivian Kelly-Bateman Department of Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology, University of Georgia" The article set the stage for the need for new learning theory now that 21st century technologies are in full force. The authors briefly discuss the "half-life of knowledge," again, setting up the need for new theory. After defining connectivism, the article provides a handy comparison between it and behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism.
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    This article provides a general overview of the theory of connectivism. It cites the work of George Siemens in describing the three components of connectivism: chaos theory, importance of networks, and the interplay of complexity and self-organization. As with other resources, there is criticism of the ability of connectivism to stand alone as a learning theory. However, a useful resource provided by this article is a table that compares the differences of behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism, and connectivism.
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    This blog is by the University of Georgia, College of Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology on Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching, and Technology. This blog post gives a great foundation of the components and principles of connectivism.
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    A website from the University of Georgia Dept of Ed Psych and Instructional Technology. Discusses the components of Connectivism, Chaos, Importance of Networks and Complexity and Self Organization. The quote from Siemens about,  "decision making being based on rapidly altering foundations," is well used and helped me to visualize a little more. There is a well worked description with Connectivism related to car restoration which I liked and an accessible table to compare and contrast Connectivism to the other major learning theories.
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    This source starts by discussing some of the components of constructivism and some of the different theories that go along with it. This is a good source because even though it contains some of the same information as other sources, it gives real examples to explain the theory of connectivism. It also gives a few different arguments against connectivism as a learning theory.
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    This resource discusses connectivism as a learning theory. It explains connectivisms' origins and how it is essential in staying current in our digital age. This resource includes an example of the benefits of connectivism. In addition, it provides a chart that compares connectivism as a learning theory to behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism.
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    This source discusses connectivism as a learning theory. It talks about how the theory came to be and compares it to other learning theories. It also mentions that some view it as a pedagogical view instead of a learning theory.
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    This source summarizes the main ideas in connectivism succinctly and clearly. The authors connect the discussion of connectivism to other learning theories. The chart showing How each theory functions is useful.
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    While this isn't an article, and appears to look more like a wiki entry, it does offer some good information on connectivism. One thing I liked in particular is the visual breakdown of the three current learning theories alongside connectivism. Anyone unfamiliar with behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism can get a quick snapshot of the key components in an east to understand chart. A column for connectivism has also been added to show how it compares to the others as a learning theory. Constructivism emphasizes the social nature of learning, but connectivism takes it to the next level by stressing the need for broad networks for a learner to connect to in order to build deeper understandings and more resources.
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    This article discusses various learning theories and what happens when you throw technology into the mix. They do not feel that previous learning theories should be dismissed but need to be viewed in a different light to meet the demands of the 21st Century. There is a thorough definition of connectivism and all of it's components. I appreciated the visual chart comparing the different learning theories to connectivism and how critics of connectivism viewpoints are explained.
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    An outline of the theory of connectivism that provides a comparison to other learning theories. The outline gives us a definition of the theory, major principles, and criticisms of the theory.
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    UGA's DEPT of Edu psychology and Instructional tech provides a comprehensive report on connectivism. The report includes definitions, comparisons to other theories and criticism to connectivism.
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    This is a wiki created by the Department of Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology at theUniversity of Georgia. It explains everything from the origins of connectivism to practical application of the theory. A chart on the page compares connectivism to the other major theories of learning.
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    I like this description of connectivism.
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    A website created by students in the EdPsych department at University of Georgia that explains the components of connectivism as an educational theory.
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    I really like the way this article breaks down connectivism into its parts as well as providing the table that breaks down the primary learning theories so you can compare information side by side.
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    Great article. Chaos theory is so interesting. The study of pattern shifts is so real to this day and age. For example, I think the role of memes play a big part in our culture and this absolutely propels the chaos theory. Nice share Natalie!
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    Summary: The most useful part of this resource comes after the definition of Connectivism cited from Siemens. The author includes a graphic that compares Connectivism to other learning theories. In addition, a section is devoted to critics of Connectivism as learning theory who instead see it as a pedagogical view.
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Preservice Teachers' Participation and Perceptions of Twitter Live Chats as Personal Le... - 6 views

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    This study observed and surveyed undergraduate students in a teacher certification program use Twitter to form personal learning networks. Researchers were interested in how students perceived Twitter before and after group discussion. Additionally, researchers wanted to know if Twitter was an effective medium for group discussion. Although some students had frustrations with Twitter's structure, most had a positive experience in using it for networking.
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    I like this article because it shows how social media is rapidly transforming all aspects of our professional lives. At first when I started reading it, I wondered what are the benefits of Twitter over the chat function in many Learning Management Systems. But then I realized students are more likely connected to Twitter with several devices. The chat session would stay around longer than the course page in the LMS. Additionally, the PLN created by the synchronous chat session exists outside of the classroom walls and can continue long after the class is over. The article was correct to cite that one of the drawbacks is the lack of critical thought that goes into Twitter feeds. The low number of characters allowed limits the ability to express thoughts clearly. However, if it is used to organize PLNs it becomes an effective tool as the participants in the study all attested.
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    The study supported the belief that Twitter chats provide a place where learners can be exposed to widely differing perspectives, not limited by geographical or socioeconomic constraints: "Twitter chats . . . to communicate to other professionals you may not even know but you will absolutely learn from them and what they have to say." I enjoyed the anecdote of the student who found himself in the same chat room as his school principal father!
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Professional Development 2.0 for Librarians: Developing an Online Personal Learning Net... - 4 views

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    In this article Nicole Cooke, a Reference and Instruction Librarian encourages fellow librarians to keep abreast of the latest technology and the most current ways of seeking information so that they are prepared to help satisfy the needs of today's library patrons. She suggests that librarians prepare themselves for the evolving library patron by participating in professional development activities. In particular, Cooke advocates that librarians seek out the current educational opportunities that are available through various Web 2.0 applications. Cooke then moves on to describe how librarians can incorporate new learning opportunities into their day to day functions through the use of social media platforms such as blogs and wikis. Cooke ends the article by talking about personal learning networks and how librarians should take advantage of social media platforms to form connections with others in the field for professional growth.
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    I often feel like librarians are forgotten. It is also important to note how libraries have changed over the years. Because of that change, the development of online PLNs totally makes sense. Thanks for sharing!
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    I think this is a great article. I agree that anyone who is in education has to stay "savvy." I especially liked the comment "Maintaining competence and learning new skills must be at the top of every professional's "To Do" list. It is an ethical responsibility, to be sure, but also one that is pragmatic and critical for career success. [...] Continuing professional education is no longer an option, it is a requirement of professional practice. "
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    I am glad to see you posted a link to a PLN for librarians. I think understanding PLNs purpose and framework comes easier when it is viewed from a particular perspective (i.e. Librarians). I do think PLNs are particularly useful in the digital age with some much information and professional development resources readily available.
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