When I first started reading about PNLs I was a bit confused on what a PNL actually is. I was confused about PNLs and what they were and how teachers use them to connect to other teachers across the world, I knew that technology was involved, but still wasn’t sure what a PNL was. My best guess was that is was a Facebook group for teachers or a blog site. A personal learning network is a personal spot to get into touch with other teachers around the world about ideas, lessons, and experiences. But after reading about PNLs I was more familiar with them than I thought I was. Currently, I am using networking sites that are considered personal learning networks, but I don’t use them for educational benefit most of the time. A PNL is not the tool itself (Facebook), but the group you follow or join. Dr. Mark Wagner’s Personal Learning Networks for Educators: 10 Tips confirmed my ideas that I was correct with a PNL being Facebook, along with other great networks. I think that Personal Learning Networks for Educators: 10 Tips provides informative tips on how to become apart of a PNL and not just belong. He states that, “Connect – The growth engine of your learning network is your willingness to reach out and make connections with new people. Leave a comment on a blog post or podcast, reply to a question on twitter, or +1 a post on Google+ (or like something on Facebook). Merely reading, listening, or watching is not connecting. The more people you connect with online, the more you can take advantage of the strength of weak ties”. I think that connecting with someone and sharing your ideas between each other will make you a better educator and more involved. Simply just reading the blog may get you the information you need, but you will make a connection by responding and sharing your input. The author of the blog may share another exceptional idea that you find to be more fascinating that the first blog you read. A second tip mentioned by Dr. Mark Wagner really hit home for me, but made me question the way I am using these networks and how I should use them more for a PNL. An example that I have with a PNL (that I didn’t use the right way) was back in my of high school days when Facebook was used to see who could get more friends and more likes on a picture. What a great tool, such as Twitter and Facebook, that I use everyday at such a mediocre level. I need to step up my game and use the tools for my educational benefit. Wagner stated, “Despite the appeal of seeing your number of followers grow, or trying to post something you know will generate comments or re-tweets, it is more important to be authentic in your online connections”, this is such a powerful statement because being yourself and putting yourself out there as an educator is so important. The first example of a PNL I found I immediately joined and started following to become involved. The first tool that I found is called Facebook and the PNL included is Educational Technology and Mobil Learning. I choose this PNL because when I was reading through the posts I saw a variety of resources for different subjects. A few of my favorites were videos about online safety and digital citizenship, interactive games and quizzes for a science teacher, and a tool called dingo that will allow students to annotate information on the web, including highlighting. I really liked this PNL because it had great resources of all kinds. As a future educator I will frequently resort to this great tool when I need to integrate technology into any subject! The second tool that I found to be helpful was Google for Education Help Forum. This tool is absolutely amazing. In my past, I have never seen a tool like this that can be so helpful for any problem a teacher may be having. I choose this tool because there are over 30,000 members, and one of the members is bound to know the answer to your question. The articles I have mentioned above have educated me greatly on what a PNL is and how to use one. Become involved, be yourself, and get educated is a great way to sum up my findings. In my past I was not familiar with a PNL, even though I used the tools that PNLs are found on, now I know how to interact with these very resourceful tools! Link for Google for Education Help Forum: https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!forum/google-education Link for Education Technology and Mobil Learning: https://www.facebook.com/Educational-Technology-202077286473233/ Works Cited Communication. (2008). Retrieved September 20, 2016, from http://www.21things4teachers.net/21-things/6---communication/ Educational Technology | Facebook. (n.d.). Retrieved September 20, 2016, from https://www.facebook.com/Educational-Technology-202077286473233/ Google for Education Help Forum [Web log post]. (n.d.). Retrieved September 20, 2016, from https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!forum/google-education Wagner, M., Dr. (2012, January 31). Personal Learning Networks for Educators: 10 Tips - Getting Smart by Guest Author - edchat, EdTech, PLN. Retrieved September 20, 2016, from http://gettingsmart.com/2012/01/personal-learning-networks-for-educators-10-tips/
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AuthorHere are a few reflections about how I plan to integrate technology into the classroom effectively. . Archives
November 2016
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