Week 8 - Post 2 - PLNs

            Personal / Professional Learning Networks allow us to share information with a group that has common interests as us. We can use a PLN to connect learning to our own personal perspectives as well as to gain new insights and valuable information. Miguel Guhlin writes that it is important to remember when you are publishing your ideas that you are less of an expert and more of a learner just like everyone else. Learning should be viewed as an experience that occurs when we connect with others.

            Throughout the weeks of our Teaching and Learning in a Networked Classroom course, I have created a professional learning network and used many new Web 2.0 tools. I have been participating in social bookmarking through my Diigo account. Any time I find a website that I like, I bookmark it so I can explore it again. I have taken website suggestions from classmates that I have linked to my account. Building a website and a blog have been the most gratifying for me. I enjoy writing but usually keep my work to myself. Blogging has allowed me to put my thoughts out there and receive positive support through comments. It feels good to have others read my work and to read the blogs of my classmates. I love the idea that blogging allows us to publish all parts of our writing process. We don’t have to wait until we have a final draft but can share brainstorming and other stages. It also feels liberating to know that just because I am publishing my ideas, I am not expected to be an expert. We need to think critically about what we are reading and learn from each other. Our class wiki and use of Google docs have been an organized way to communicate and build a learning community. Finally, I have enjoyed the opportunity to participate in a webinar, podcast creation, and Skype.

            I would like to use a PLN for my personal interests since at this point I have only been using one for professional purposes. I really like the following quote from Mark Wagner cited on Wesley Fryer’s blog: “He who learns from one who is learning, drinks from a flowing river.” That is so powerful and true. If we as teachers are always learning from each other, we will never run out of inspirations to share with our students. I would also like to start interacting and sharing more with the communities that I have just started to build. I am interested in exploring EDuStream throughout this school year to learn about various topics that I might find interesting. Overall, I feel like I have some great tools established that I can continue to use. However, I know that I have only just started and there is a lot more to explore. I’m looking forward to seeing what is out there and maintaining what I already have.