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anonymous

Which social network should I use as a librarian? - 0 views

  • Which social network should I use as a librarian?
  • I've already hinted at this, but it's time to be more specific. My online contacts are now the way in which I get my information. They (or probably you) are constantly sending me a stream of useful stuff, which is personalized to my interests, based on my choices of who to follow, and who to pay attention to. So this isn't 'social' in the way that we're used to thinking of it, it's a hugely influential stream of data. If I follow you, you influence me, and if you follow me, I'm influencing you. It may be simply because the tweets or links are funny or interesting, or they match my personal interests.
  • My RSS feeds are similarly hugely important to me. My feeds and the information there, drawn from blogs, searches, profile pages and the like are not there for me to read every single one - that way would lie insanity. They are there to alert me to news that I'm likely to find important. Any one of those blogs or posts or tweets are saying 'this is happening, go check it out' with the important link. I don't need to read everything that each of my contacts has said (although sometimes I do, if I want lots of different views and opinions), because they're all pointing me to the source, and I can go off there and read what I need.
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  • The amount of data that's flooding out is truly daunting, and if I didn't have a social network - or rather, several of them, I simply wouldn't be able to cope. My filters are no longer based on the magazines that I read, or the evening news, they're based on the people that I follow. Now, this is really important I think, because what it does is links me into particular communities. The data I am served is important, but the community is increasingly valuable.
  • This is why - as librarians - we need to be involved in as many social networks as we possibly can. By doing this we're absolutely doing our professional job - we're helping to create and maintain communities - and it doesn't matter if that's a workplace community, a community based on geography or one that's based on specific content. We have to consider how to curate data within this social media environment, and I'll look at that in more detail later. Secondly, we're acting as authority filters. I know that when I get a tweet about a subject it's going to be good quality. I don't have the same trust with something like Google, or pretty much any other search engine. There are exceptions to this rule, since search engines are beginning to inject Facebook data into the SERPs, but in general, I'll trust people a lot more than I'll trust a computer. And - when it comes down to it, I'm going to trust a librarian more than just about anyone else.
  • By using social media it's much easier to get the information that you need quickly and effectively by asking a question in the right format. I couldn't remember who wrote the piece which I've now attributed to Woodsiegirl, but I had the answer within seconds from several different sources by tweeting the question.
  • The point however is that often we don't know we're in specific groups, but we can nonetheless play very important roles. Just because you don't think you're important doesn't actually mean that you're not. I really want to push this point once more before moving on. In my experience librarians do not often think they are that important, and they don't value their skills as highly as they should. Please do consider the value that you can give to others within your social networks - even when you're doubtful that you do give value!
  • The more that librarians do - NOW - with social media, the more that we're going to already be embedded into the social medium. The more contacts, friends, links, tweets, photographs, likes, +1's that we have, the more influential we can become. The more influential we are, the more people will link to what we're doing, the more we'll be working in networks of influence and the more useful we can be to people."
  • This can all be neatly summarized with the phrase that I use all the time 'go to where the conversations are'. We all know that users of library services are physically using them less, so we need to really utilise social to keep in contact with them. But it's more than that. We need to show them - by using social media how valuable contact with us can be. The more value we can provide, the more likely our work is going to filter up and down the information chain. People are increasingly taking the view that if news is important, it will find them. For many people - particularly younger users, 'checking the news' means looking on Facebook because for them, the 'news' is what they see, read have shared with them, and share with others. Similiarly, I share my information via Facebook, Twitter, Google+, my blog, LinkedIn and so on. It doesn't just get posted onto my site. We can't do that any longer. At the end of this article I've put up a quick poll - I'm really interested to see how YOU found this article. It's one question, and will take about 5 seconds to answer.
  • This new way of providing content and added value is not going to sit happily with traditional users of media - even if they think that they have made the leap into the internet. The traditional CEO, publishers of books, magazines and other print material, traditional authors, advertisers, press and publicity directors are not going to flourish. If we, as librarians think that we've got it bad, it's as nothing in comparison to those folks.
  • The main difference is that we know we have to change and adapt or we'll die.
Dennis Lecker

A nice way to enlarge a PLN - 1 views

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    This presentation does nothing more employ multi-media to list 18 names of individuals who are associated with the field of education in various manners.It is short and to the point. What is special, however, is that these 18 names are active members of blogs, wikis and a host of connections. Out of the 18 , I Googled 3 and was quickly transported to several presentations, links and information regarding Google Wave and the importance of using "Backchannels" in the classroom. When I was an undergraduate, I had a professor whose name was Robert Peck. He often commented that "like minds ought to form networks so as to be able communicate easily and often…but how do we make this happen?" Were he alive to see the connectedness of the Ed Tech community he would smile.
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    Hey Dennis- I appreciate your posts. I'm an old basketball coach and, as such, not so cerebral, but I do try. I read the link with the research evaluating exemplary teachers vs their peers. Interesting work. When reading education research, it is the publishing dates I generally find discouraging. In this case, It is ten years later, have we really moved the ball on any of this? (That's a football coach reference, but, whatever). How many generations of students will pass before we begin to ensure they receive the education that might provide them advantage? Or will America be the lagging country-still presuming standardized tests are evidence of.....heck, anything. ts
keefe67

Twitter as a Personal Learning Network - 4 views

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    This article was useful to me because I have recently started to use Twitter in my own classroom as a way to get information out to other teachers as well as a tool for me to find other resources. The questions that this article presented for me are how many teachers out there use Twitter? I am constantly trying to find data to support my use, just in case the principal gets a nasty email or phone call about it. I have had nothing but positive thoughts from parents on the use of Twitter, but that could change is the wrong person found out. I have actually became a little more at ease since reading this article. I now have a good resource to finding other links on Twitter and this is something that I can show my principal to support the use of Twitter.
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    Keefe, This article was useful because it demystified the Personal Learning Network (PLN) usefulness for educational purposes. Some of the questions that the article prompted for me was how to utilize Twitter. I especially enjoyed reading about how Twitter was used for professional research networking. I feel that short tweets can lead to ground breaking theories that have not been presented on the internet. I also noted that there were 38 blog posts for this article. Thanks for sharing your insights. Brenda Janot
tsurridge

Do PLN's Lead to Dissatisfaction? - 4 views

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    This was an interesting blog post that essentially asks, is it better to remain uninformed? This is a very real question for the passionate educator. Once one connects in to best practices, it can become increasingly difficult to abide in the current practice of one's own school. As an example, my wife is a nationally board certified teacher, she works in a private school with great resources (her third grade classroom is one to one laptops) , but through fairly poor leadership, the technology largely remains outside the circle of meaningful practice in her school. Her peers largely rejected any thought of instructional transformation, and as a result, her school has essentially provided every student a laptop computer to utilize as a sixth textbook, or a word processor. Being a progressive educator, engaging in professional reading, and attending conferences, can be incredibly frustrating when one understands the possibilities and sees dynamic change occurring elsewhere. It's almost like you are standing outside the gate, seeing the party, but have no means of entering. This might seem like whining, and the comments in the post somewhat bear that out, but it is part of the burden one must assume in working to create change. So, is ignorance bliss? In all honesty, sometimes it can feel so.... ts
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    If I may... There just may be areas of life about which we are better off not knowing, but I'm not sure. Then again, I'm happy that many hostile biologists do not possess the sequence and the genetic code for the small pox virus. Your addition to this page does raise some interesting questions.
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    Whenever I read or hear "Ignorance is bliss" I can't help but see thee image of Cypher chomping down on a huge steak in the Matrix. While there are definitely areas in life where mankind should remain ignorant (nobody wants that seventh grader bringing a laser gun to class), teachers being more aware of better practices or what's happening in more technologically advanced schools is one of them. Seeing these new ideas can lead the teacher to ask, "How can I make that work in my classroom even if I don't have everything they have?" At least a passionate educator might. The dispassionate educator probably isn't even utilizing a PLN.
Justin Reeve

50 Excellent Online Communities for Lifelong Learners - Learn-gasm - 0 views

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    Whether you are looking for a little added information on what you are already studying in school or would like to connect with others who share your interests as a business professional or avid hobbyist, these online communities all offer an excellent opportunity to continue your search for knowledge. From reading to learning a new language to becoming a financial wizard to travel to saving the Earth, these groups offer a chance for learning as well as reaching out to others online.
anonymous

Librarians Who Lead - 0 views

  • Instead of investing in scads of state-of-the-art computers and expensive commercially produced courseware, she says, the school district has made a remarkable investment in the high school’s human resources.
  • there was an improvement on the annual Connecticut Academic Performance Test.”
  • We have six years’ worth of analysis of annotated bibliographies, which we consider the hallmark of higher-order thinking— evaluation of reading, as opposed to regurgitation.
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  • Luhtala and other members of the high school’s Information and Communication Technology team have woven Moodle, the free, open-source, online course management software, into the curriculum.
  • “We work with a fair amount of data to measure student learning in information and communication technology. We also rely on emerging technology to communicate and collaborate with students and teachers.”
  • The library media center’s home page entices students, teachers and parents to click on a colorful lineup of icons familiar to everyone who enjoys connecting via social media: Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google, and VoiceThread, which the library has been using to promote book chats and reading for pleasure. Luhtala also regularly posts instructional videos on the Web for students and teachers.
  • “A librarian today is a facilitator and a leader for the teachers, for curricular learning, for interdisciplinary instruction, and is also a professional development person,” Luhtala says. “But we’re still school-based teachers. And it’s actually kind of beautiful. We like it just that way.”
anonymous

The Educational Uses of Facebook by Amy Brown, Director of eLearning - 3 views

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    As an online 9-12 teacher and parent of three teenagers, I know that the majority of students have Facebook accounts and spend time each day socializing through this technology median. I have often accused Facebook as being a distraction from homework and "real socializing". This article helps me rethink the use of Facebook. The old adage comes to mind, "If you can't beat them, join them". I loved the practical suggestions this paper brings forth, such as making my own "Teacher Profile" that they can keep as a friend. Through this means, students will be able to chat with me about homework whenever we are online, as well as visit my page for useful resources. Sure we can introduce other software programs to provide these teacher interaction services to students such as e-mail, Moodle and Pronto, but why not work with a program they already know and love...In addition, the topic of Facebook profiles and postings can also provide "meaningful" classroom discussions about ethics and self dignity. Thank you, Amy Brown for putting this resource together.
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    Tina- this is a great summary of both Facebook and how to use Facebook for education. I have seen the YouTube video that it presents before but I still laugh every time I view it. It is so true!
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    Hi Tina and Glori, I found a blog about how the schools in Lee County, Florida have banned the practice of using Facebook to stay connected with current students. "One Florida school district, Lee County, is the first in the state and possibly the nation to ban teachers from communicating with current students through the social networking sites "regardless of the reason." I found this article very interesting. I will post the links for everyone to read. Thanks for the great article, it was very informative and could be a great discussion starter in a class.
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    Lora, my University has an informal policy discouraging friending of students on Facebook. I really need to explore this issue more. To be honest, I wouldn't want students on my personal Facebook page as I have a rather large eclectic group of friends who might not always post appropriately.
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    I would have to totally agree with you! I would not want my students to have access to my personal FB page. I do think there are ways to social network using Facebook without having to use personal pages, such as setting up a group page that requires permission to join the group and all discussions will be kept there and not put on personal pages. The only downfall to this would be that everyone in the class would have to set up new, alternate profiles to do so and I am not sure that FB will let you have multiple profiles. I guess that would be something to look into. I do like Facebook and the ease of use that is has and since most kids know how to use it nowadays, they would probably be quite interactive on it. This is something to reasearch more on, though.
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    Something for us to explore this term! Perhaps a final project?
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    When I first started using Facebook, I was determined to keep it exclusively made up of my real friends. I was living abroad at the time so it was a great way to stay in touch with friends. As it gained in popularity I started getting requests from students which, even though I primarily teach adults, I ignored out of a sense of professionalism. Eventually I did friend a few students who I considered actual friends and that opened the floodgates to friend requests from every student. I felt obligated to accept them and before long I couldn't use Facebook without second-guessing everything I posted and worrying about what my friends might post. I only used Facebook as an email alternative for a few years before I became confident in the privacy settings and once again felt comfortable that I really was only socializing with my friends and not also every student, distant relative and elementary school classmate I had ever had. I think the moral of the story is that instead of using Facebook as the One True Social Network, it's better to have smaller, more specialized social networks for different purposes, such as an EduBlog set up for one individual class.
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    John you bring up really good points. I share the same concerns and try not to accept every friend request I receive or offer friendship just because I recognize a name.
johnericshelton

KanTalk - 3 views

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    As a teacher of English to non-natives I was curious to see if there were any existing social networks for language learners. I found this one, called KanTalk, that uses Skype to allow people to connect and practice their English. Users can select a topic and they will be directed to a page with a relevant video clip from YouTube, a few discussion questions, a short reading text and a few vocabulary words. When they are ready to practice speaking, they can choose a partner from a list of registered users and invite them to chat on Skype. If the partner accepts, the two can then use the discussion questions as prompts for a conversation. The users can also record themselves speaking and listen to/comment on other learners recordings. Learners can form and join groups based on interests, culture, exams or any other criteria they choose. KanTalk seems to be a clever way to add a social network framework to an existing technology for educational purposes
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    Very interesting concept, I love how the platform makes learning connections not only through its portal but by utilizing Skype. I heard today that there are more people that have Skype accounts than gmail accounts. I'm using Skype a lot more in my work lately, how about you?
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    That is a very cool site an idea! I may have to check that one out because I am moving to Germany soon, maybe our family could benefit from this site to learn German!
Libby Cody

How to Use Social Networking Technology - 4 views

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    This article describes what social networking is and why teachers should use it in schools. It brings up a lot of good questions about how social networking can be used in the classroom. The article also addresses a lot of the issues involved in bringing this type of technology into the classroom.
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    I know this article has already been posted, but I did find some things in it very interesting. First off, the article gives us a good definition on what social networking is. They define it as any software that allows people to come together around an idea or topic of interest. This gives is a good insight that is is not just a simple chat site. Secondly, they pose a great question, "How do you keep students from wasting time chatting or sneaking to inappropriate sites?" I love their answer, "You teach!" I don't think I really need to go into that any more. If the teacher is teaching, and the students are engaged, this shouldn't be an issue at all.
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    Hi Jodie, how might you see yourself using the information in this article for your personal teaching/learning situation?
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    Jodie, I especially enjoyed reading your post because it correlates with my the topic that I just posted. I liked the reference to renaming social networking to academic networking. I do feel that high school is a great place to start fostering learning with creative online social networking technology. I would like to incorporate a global social network with my ELL students. Thanks for sharing your post. Brenda
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    The term "academic networking" does have a more scholarly/work-like tone to it... Is this good or bad? Has anyone seen this term used elsewhere?
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    I am now a member and follower! Looks like a great place to network and find jobs.
tsurridge

Want to be a great teacher? Don't go to PD. - 6 views

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    I have led professional development, and shaped a series of professional development classes, to assist teachers in the adoption of one to one laptop programs. Saying that, I couldn't agree with this blog post more. The dynamic change in resource for teachers, and the ever shifting landscape of technology, makes many teachers feel a sense of frustration in attempting to get a handle on what's "out there". This post articulates, and I believe my experience validates, that the answer to engaging these issues does not lie in more and more professional development, but rather, assisting teachers in the creation of their own learning networks for both support and guidance. PLN's are not only more effectual, professional development is expensive. I brought someone in to help our teachers establish personal PLN's, but I don't believe I properly considered how important this was to the process. As I'm quickly learning, PLN creation and engagement may well be at the foundation of any school transformation. ts
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    In 13 years of teaching, I remember only one PD that was worth its salt. The gathering included a presentation pertaining to the use Microsoft Excel to organize various educational particulars. However, on the other hand, that we then acquired GradeQuick, EasyGradePro, and finally another grading program rendered any and all information acquired during the PD moot. I did use Excel, however, to organize data related to my other job, that having been the management a large private club along the lines of a Moose, Elks or Legion. But getting back to the link, I have to admit that I was very amused at the attached video which showed two professionals trapped on an escalator. The situation brought to mind a quote from Robert Pirsig when he wrote: "It is a puzzling thing. The truth knocks on the door and you say, 'Go away, I'm looking for the truth,' and so it goes away." … In summary, that most PDs are constructed from detached administrators who have lost touch with what is actually occuring "on the ground" may be partly responsible with the author's dislike of PDs. ...Regarding assisting teachers in the creation of their own learning networks, I can point to a wonderful article on the benefits of having "exemplary" teachers in a school. http://www.citejournal.org/vol1/iss2/seminal/article1.htm
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    >>As I'm quickly learning, PLN creation and engagement may well be at the foundation of any school transformation. This was one of those "wow" statements for me, and really hit home. I'm currently in Australia finishing up some PD in online curriculum design with a group of really talented teachers at MLC School. While I'm not ready to throw out live PD (we learned and did so much in 3 days!), your sentence caused me to reflect on the importance of teacher education programs and schools helping teachers learn how to establish a successful PLN that meets their needs. Love it...thanks for helping me to refocus with this simple and powerful statement.
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    At first I laughed at the video on the page because I thought it was funny that the people were unwilling to move without the assistance of others until I realized that at one time I was one of the people on the escalator. I believed strongly in learning from PD and did not have many contacts or connections. It was through those PD sessions though, I was able to begin building a PLN. I was able to acquire email addresses and phone numbers from members attending, and they were able to give me access to links, listservs, web blogs, etc. to increase my knowledge. I have access to free PD when available through my PLN. I'm not quite ready to give up my PD, as I still glean useful information and contacts from my sessions to add to my PLN. I believe that PD should be used to enchance your PLN and allow you more opportunities. The PLN should not be the end of PD either. Both should be available to allow users to expand their knowlege.
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    What a great visual of such a helpless attitude that schools and teachers can have! It was interesting for me to read how PD can be a lazy approach to professional knowledge. I had never quite thought of it that way before but it makes sense. It is knowledge that is handed to you rather then knowledge that is discovered. In a lot of my EdTech courses I have learned that learning is done best when there is some form of personal interaction. It makes sense that PLNs are a better way of motivating and learning. I really enjoyed this article and love seeing visuals like this that connect to a bigger concept. Powerful stuff!
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    Timothy, what are your thoughts on the future of PLN's at your workplace? What can you do to help guide the process? Perhaps a final project could be be related to this topic?
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    If I were to be honest (and I guess, why not), I would like to develop professional development that would assist learners toward meaningful understanding and engagement of PLN's. For me, the missing link is the PLE. I'm still grappling with that myself. What should my computer screen look like? I get your dingo's, the elephant head thing, tweetering, et al. I still struggle with a mental picture of how my new computer screen looks. What exactly is going on there? I think that is step one in this. Somehow. I'm going to figure this out. Somehow. And yes, I get the irony of posting a PD is dead reflection-and than wanting to create PD. Kind of not functionally getting it.....still missing something visually.....hmmmmm.....(love the process though:)..... ts
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    Timothy, I am confident that by the end of the term you will have a handle on this brave new world- including your computer screen.
Lisa Dawley

Suggestions? - 16 views

GREAT questions! OK, so if you are 1) contributing to YouTube, that means you are uploading your own videos, yes? and if you are 2) responding to YouTube contributions of others, it means you wil...

anonymous

Twitter for Teachers YouTube video - 5 views

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    I just learned two valuable lessons…one write your work outside of the textboxes and save it because your computer may freeze and you'll lose your work…how many times have I told my online students this, yet I did the same mistake?! Secondly, develop a system of finding the same resource over again. Perhaps save it in your favorites or copy and paste the link somewhere… I spent 15 minutes trying to refind my resource. Grrr. Back to the purpose of this post...This video link provided a summary of how teachers can use a PLN such as Twitter to "stream" information for use in their classrooms. You can take what you like or let the information float by knowing that more information always comes down the stream. It provides a simple visual example of using PLN. Much of the information contained in the video has already been stated throughout our Diigo group, but I chose it because I liked how it summarized PLNs. I actually used my newly established Twitter account to find this resource. I typed "Personal Learning Networks" into the search field , scanned through the posts that were in English, found one with "teachers" in the title, which is my interest and reviewed the resource posted. I liked the resource and felt I should share it with my Boise peers. From this point, I can read further into the topic by clicking on related links or I can explore the person's profile that provided the link to get to know the source. However, I chose to take the information and move on in the interest of time. Perfect!
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    I love this video! I posted an article about Twitter before I watched this video, now I have even more information I can bring back to my principal to support the use of Twitter. Thanks for posting this!
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    I like the link. I like how descriptive it is, and it gives an interesting introduction. In my last class, (522) I did a web cast presentation on how to use twitter effectively for teaching purposes. This video validates a lot of my research on the use of twitter in education. There are so many cool social media outlets, I wonder what the next "biggest thing" will be? The presenter's English accent threw me at first, but then I envied his brogue.
aeckel

Social Networking Benefits Validated - 9 views

Hi Glori, That is a great question. I think the teacher's job is to be involved in the students' interactions with social networking to keep it relevant to learning and to monitor students' intera...

Social Learning Networking

Kae Novak

A Social Capital Perspective on Professional Learning Communities: Linking Social Netwo... - 2 views

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    I choose this article because I'm looking for a discussion of how PLCs and PLEs are different. While I think it may be more about intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, this did allow me to read more about how social capital plays a role in PLCs.
Stephen Lazowski

Viigo for Blackberry (RSS reader) - 8 views

It say Highlight a key point...This is not an article resource, it is an application review resource. I did not have a key point just features.

viigo technology RSS PLC

Dennis Lecker

connectivism - 2 views

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    Although I like to listen to Siemens lecture on Youtube, I still enjoy reading his work and find it easier to cut and paste his written words rather than attempt to transcribe his oratory.
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