EDTECH at Boise State University

Although this site is dedicated to knowledge management, this particular page focuses on what Communities of practice are, and it explains what learning is like within communities of practice. The bulleted lists are particularly helpful in summarizing the key concepts of CoPs.

I like this article because it addresses legitimate peripheral learning. The idea that we don't directly instruct new members, but instead allow them to do basic tasks within the community and then learn more important roles through daily observation. This idea and set-up reminds me heavily of an apprenticeship. New Members start at the bottom and learn until they are no longer on the outside but fully included within the community. Nice find with this article!

Great read on how we learn in COPs and the essential parts of COPs.

In this article, the author goes beyond the definition of Communities of Practice, but he explains each key component of CoP. The author explains the three traits of CoPs, the stages of development, and how to operate a CoP. However, I feel the first two keys (the traits and the stages of development) are important in understanding what CoP is.

Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age by George Siemens was reprinted in an online textbook called "Foundations of Learning and Instructional Design Technology." In the article, Siemens explains that the three oldest learning theories were based on a time when we lacked technology. He goes on to discuss the limitations each of the theories has on the individual that is exposed to technology. He then discusses connectivism and how it impacts learning in the digital-age.

I love edcamps! They seem to be most helpful since they offer participants choice and the opportunity to share. It's a great platform for PD!

This open textbook chapter defines and illustrates the concepts of connectivism. Additionally, it covers the learning principles behind it and explores how it applies to teaching and learning.

Interesting. The role of the teacher has vastly changed in this learning theory. We've gone from the "sage on the stage" to "a facilitator of learning" to "a person that helps kids connect to learning networks," and then learning just happens.

This resource is found in an online textbook called Teaching in a Digital Age. The section explains what connectivism is and applications it has to teaching and learning. The author explains that connectivism is still being developed and controversial compared to the other learning theories. This is another good resource to checkout to learn what connectivism is.

Preface: I am not counting this as a resource for my assignment, but I do think this page is awesome in that it offers so many established PLNs to join by category. If you are looking to grow or expand your PLN, this would be a great place to look.

This site not only defines personal learning networks, but it also provides ten reasons educators need a PLN. It further offers links to helpful resources to illustrate each reason.

Great justification for forming PLNs for teachers! Every teacher should have a PLN so that they can continually grow as teachers.

Thanks for sharing this graphic. I love Sylvia's work. Sketchnotes are such a fun way to capture and share complex ideas. Number 7 really resonated with me. As a classroom teacher, I used my PLN to create meaningful and engaging global learning projects for my students. It was so nice to have a group of supportive, like-minded educators to connect with! Thanks for sharing!

This paper not only defines a PLN and the value that can be brought to teachers through participation, but it also reviews three popular PLNs: Classroom 2.0, Edmodo, and The Educator's PLN. Lastly, it discusses design aspects that facilitate communication, sharing, and learning.

I like this article because it gives teachers like myself, a practical application of PLNs. I've heard of Edmodo and looked into using it, but not the other two (Classroom 2.0 and The Educator's PLN) resources that are discussed in the article. However, as I was researching PLNs I did come across the PLN website. I'm sure I could have found some useful information on it, but I was looking for articles that explain the theories. This is a website I need to look into further. Thank you for adding this as a resource. #EDTechSN

This is an intro video for a 2.5 hour session lead by Madeline Brooks on Connectivism as a digital learning theory. She asks questions like "where do your students find experts" and introduces a lot of the major themes of connecting digitally online and learning in general.

I liked how this video summarizes what connectivism is. It gives an easy explanation of what connectivisim and I like that. As an introduction to a longer video series, it engaged me to want to see the video.When I was doing my research, I never thought to look at the videos that would explain it. #EdTechSN

I admire how this introductory video gets the audience to make personal connections to their own experiences with connectivism before addressing the definition. I also like how it gets the audience to think about connectivism from the perspective of students and how learning is not always traditional or academic; it can be about anything or take place anywhere with other interested parties.

One of Siemens's points about connectivism is that "Learning and knowledge rests in diversity of opinions." I find this interesting because I teach ancient history, where "facts" can be debated and there can be multiple viewpoints on a topic. Maybe this shows my math ignorance, but I'm not sure a math teacher would welcome this same attitude into a math problem. This site first lays out Siemens's main points of connectivism and then suggests ways to bring connectivism into the classroom.

In this site, communities of practice are defined as "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." This seems very encompassing. It would include a group of friends that play a simple, addicting game on their smartphone. If this group of friends hangs out and discusses tips on how to do well in the game, boom: community of practice. At this point in my research, I'm surprised that there is so much literature produced to discuss something so simple. The value of a community of practice is clear: passionate, committed people doing something and learning from each other. But this has existed throughout human history, and is now labeled. Next, I'm going to search for who coined this term.

Here is a very complex study. Fortunately, the highlights tell us some important findings. This study went with the understanding that teachers have organically formed professional learning networks using the Internet, and report that they like them. This study focused on putting some data behind that, which it has provided. As a teacher, I found this quote very refreshing, about a researcher that "argued that top-down teacher PD in schools often aligns with hierarchical structures that de-skill teachers from their intellectual work by treating them as passive recipients of mandates. Even the term "professional development" conveys that teachers are "deficient and in need of developing and directing." In my own PLN, I have learned much more about teaching and learning from an 8th grade math teacher than I have in any of my administration-mandated social studies PD sessions.

I'll be honest, I did not read the entire study, but the highlights from this article and the abstract once again confirmed what I'm starting to realize. We are teaching in a way that is behind the times when it comes to the current ways students learn naturally. We are fighting their expectations trying to bottle them into the box that is traditional education.

This website cleared up a few things about PLNs for me. It discusses how in vogue calling every meeting under the sun a "Professional Learning Community" can be for administrators, but it may just not be so. Also defined are Professional Learning Environments, "a PLE is a system that allows learners to create and manage their own online learning." This site is challenging those involved in education to build those close relationships and form true, genuine (not mandated) PLNs in order to better their practice.

Here is another blog that explains PLNs quite nicely. What I noticed about this one is that they actually discussed how it is based in the connectivism theory and got its roots from it.

I like how this article brings up that PLNs can be a form of professional development. In my time as a teacher, "professional development" has always meant meetings at school with special speakers or district leaders or other teachers giving a formal presentation. However, after reading this and other articles, I am realizing that there are so many ways I can work on my professional development outside of these formal settings.

This is a light hearted video that accomplishes its stated goal in the title. Truth time: I see many similarities between this "PLN" and my monthly mandated school PLN. I often times feel like the mustachioed teacher that doesn't see the end game with the data (although I don't walk out). My question is can PLCs be pushed onto non-willing participants? Or is the fault in the mission of the PLC? I have a group of teachers that are passionate about integrating technology into their classrooms, and we meet whenever one of us feels like we have something new to share (we call our selves "Chromies" because Chromebooks). This isn't forced upon us by principals or central office, and we all enjoy it.

This resource defines Personal Learning Networks as a network of connections where people in the groups interact with one another. Karla Guiterrez explains that the connection of individuals are built through the technology that they use. She explains what a PLN does and what it doesn't do for an individual. She also explains how a PLN is important to the individual and to the members of the PLN.

This blog was particularly interesting to me as it not only addresses PLNS, but it also expounds upon common misconceptions and confused terms (i.e. PLN vs PLE). Further, it also gives several suggestions for building a PLN and explains why it is increasingly important.

This website looks at the role communities of practice has with the transfer of knowledge. It also looks at the role of the facilitator has with a CoP. This is a good source to use as an individual is looking at setting up their first CoP.

This is one of my favorite teacher Instagram accounts to follow! She has awesome math resources and ideas!

Great idea to put a teacher Instagram account in the group! Instagram could work as an excellent resource to support a personal learning network for educators. I currently have an Instagram, but I don't post any school-related material. I will need to alter my approach to Instagram. Thanks for the suggestion!

Check out this dissertation study that analyzed Apple Distinguished Educators as a social media platform for personal learning and networking. Chapter 2 displays an excellent overview of literature related to social media and communities of practice. Eller, L. S. (2012). Social media as avenue for personal learning for educators: Personal learning networks encourage application of knowledge and skills (Order No. 3498101). Available from ProQuest Central. (925788703). Retrieved from http://libproxy.boisestate.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.libproxy.boisestate.edu/docview/925788703?accountid=9649

Dr. Sherri E. Ritter's blog post discusses the main ideas behind several learning theories. She also provides background information, a definition, and examples of connectivism. I like how Ritter suggests different apps at the bottom of the post to support connectivism in the classroom. I have used Remind101 before to safely and securely communicate with parents.

What I find most interesting about this is that there are examples of how apps are used in the day to day operation of businesses and educations and yet in most classrooms I've been in the first thing we're told is to turn off our electronic devices. In fact, in the school where I work, we just reconfigured a classroom because it was too hard to tell if students were surfing the web instead of paying attention. Did I mention that I teach adults?

Great connectivism resources for users in a variety of different backgrounds.

Here is Wikipedia's definition for a personal learning network. The explanation begins by explicitly stating that a personal learning network is an "informal learning network," which I think is an excellent distinction. The personal learning networks that we establish are for us to learn and grow as educators. I know Wikipedia sometimes gets a bad rap, but it came with references. :)