Personal Learning Network - Part 2

In this installment of the Personal Learning Network (PLN), I take a look at a blog done on the topic that includes a Youtube video hosted by Will Richardson.
The blog is called The Innovative Educator.

Will Richardson provides knowledgeable information about PLN. He discusses the importance of PLN to the field of education and how it could support those teachers. The most intriguing element to those new to the concept of PLN should consider that our students have been practicing the use of PLN for some time. The drawback is they have no one to scaffold their use of the PLN or the proper uses of it to support their own learning in and out of the classroom. That is, he discusses how those students should properly use their PLN, (ethical use – important term to those in the field of instructional technology) and well as elements of cyber bullying and netiquette. Richardson does offer a solution to this situation by the use of the technique called modeling. Essentially, we do not have to hold our students hands to walk them through proper uses of their PLN but be a model in their development. Therefore, as Richardson says, we (parents, teachers, role-models) create our own PLN to model for our students. When I think about modeling I look no further then my colleagues. They model not only for me and my peers but the students that they teach. They will often incorporate in their lesson new or emerging technologies educational uses for them. For example, one professor will demonstrate the uses of twitter and even show some desktop clients to make it easier for the user. Last, he would demonstrate by asking a question from those in his PLN to gain insight into a topic he wanted to know more about. His hope is to demonstrate the easy access of the program and educational uses as well.

Another nice element to the blog is that it featured a website that could be used for PLN. The website is called Qwestler. Qwestler is shares similarities to other of the social networking websites that you may know about. Take a look at the tour and the info page to gain more information.

After the video the article provides 5 tips to help you create and begin your own PLN. Check out the blog to go through the steps of beginning your PLN. Use this link The Innovative Educator.

Personal Learning Network - Part 1

Today will be my first posting in my blog in a while. I have a readings course at the University of Northern Iowa. For this course I had the opportunity to select a topic and find as much media on it as possible to learn more about it. Therefore, this posting and several other postings in this series will be related to the topic of Personal Learning Networks (PLN). The goal of my postings is to discuss PLN and its relation to the PK-12 environments.

The article I read for this posting is Grow Your Personal Learning Network by David Warlick.

Since this is my first posting about PLN it does not make much since to talk about it without first what a PLN is. Warlick (2009) says that PLN is not anything new. In fact the only thing that is new with it is the name that is coined to it. The key to it all is how can one use what is around them to help in the support their learning or knowledge. Originally, as Warlick states, “learning comes from, friends, families, colleagues, reference books, textbooks, television, radio, professional and personal periodicals, and many web-based applications like Twitter, Skype, and Second Life.” (Warlick, 2009, p.13). The reason as to why PLN stands out because no longer is the learner hindered in their learning because of the unavailability of resources, the resources are all around them.

Warlick also describes 3 types of PLN. (2009)
• Personally maintained synchronous connections
• Personally and socially maintained semisynchronous connections
• Dynamically maintained asynchronous connections

Personally maintained synchronous connections encompass the majority of the digital immigrant population (typically those born before 1980. They tend to use the PLN that they are comfortable using like colleagues and friends. Other uses of PLN for this type would incorporate technology including Skype and Second Life.

Personally and socially maintained semisynchronous connections begin to encompass digital native population. Learners in this type are those ones that can multitask while learning. Also includes the use of social networking sites, a viable opportunity to consult subject matter experts on questions that you may have. I see my professors doing this a lot of time using Twitter. If they have a question about something related to technology or education they have a group of friends that they direct their questions to.

Dynamically maintained asynchronous connections is a bit different from the first two discussed. Instead of being connected to people you are instead connected to sources. (Warlick, 2009) Warlick (2009) explained it best with the use of a RSS aggregator or social bookmarking websites. These allow you to subscribe to certain websites for information they you deem important or want to be updated on.

In the end of the article Warlick discusses the component that the PLN is centered around. The component is actually you, the learner. He refers to the fact that as the learner is using someone in their PLN someone is actually using you as well in their PLN.

My take is PLN is a vital term used in this dynamic world of learning, technology, and resources. Not only does it take in to account the world around your but your responsibility as a learner because someone probably references you in his or her PLN as well.

Warlick, D. (2009). Grow your personal learning network. Learning & Leading with Technology, 36(6), 12-17.