Blog Post #6

In resource number one, ”A 7th Graders Personal Learning Environment” we were given a brief overview of how a 7th grade student uses the internet and her PLN to aid with her science class. Without instruction, she reached out to an Australian scientist to look over the information on her blog, thus exhibiting the true essence of engaging in a Personal Learning Network.

In ”Building your PLN- A Primer for anyone” Steven Anderson discussed the importance of PLN's and taking your connections global in order to improve upon the educational process. Steven is very involved with the global aspect of PLN's and has made contact with many different countries and is especially looking forward to linking up with someone who resides in Antarctica. He talked about the importance of collaborating with other educators and also discussed ways to do so, such as blogging, Twitter and Skype.

Of all the resources provided, I would have to say that ”Developing a Personal Learning Network in EDM310” was the most informative. It is a very clear guide on how PLN's are created, the purpose they serve, and what they actually accomplish. After reviewing this document, I was better prepared to respond to the questions proposed for this particular blog post.

A Personal Learning Network is a select group of people with whom you can consult and exchange information with online. The group can be comprised of family, friends, peers or colleagues. The benefits to having a PLN are endless. PLN's can help you as a teacher by enabling you to seek the opinions of other educators, providing access to academic resources such as lesson plans or PBL activities, and providing links to additional educational resources. They are formed by choosing a subject area or particular questions you would like additional opinions or information about and then seeking out people you want to include in your network. Currently, one of the easiest ways to create a PLN is to join a social networking site such as Twitter or Facebook. These sights enable you to search for people by occupatiion, interests or accomplishments thus enabling you to tailor your PLN to your specific needs. Another way to create a PLN is through blogging. Over the course of the semester many of us will begin to create a PLN consisting of peers and current educators, which will be a great help in the future. By starting a PLN now, it will allow us to cement educational relations and resources that will be very helpful to us first year teachers.