Journal #6 (NETS I, III, IV, V)

Warlick, D. (2009). Grow your personal learning network. Learning and Leading, 36(6), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/digital-edition-march-april-2009.aspx

In this article the author does a good job of clearly explaining why it is important to create and maintain a personal learning network that extends further than the people in your immediate social circle. The next thing the author does well is explain what exactly each tool does and how to use these tools to better expand and maintain a PLN. The author breaks down the PLNs into three categories, the first is personally maintained synchronous connections, which he defines as the people and places we already use to get answers, but he suggests that we can now access these places and people using digital tools. The second category is personally and socially maintained semi-synchronous connections, which he explains is sort of like when someone poses a question to their community using something like twitter, where questions do not get immidiate responses, but almost immidiate. The third category is dynamically maintained asynchronous connections, which he describes as any program that keeps track of content and updates, and holds them until you decide to access them.
The most helpful thing included in this article for me is the ten tips under the "keep it simple" heading. Much of this tech related stuff is hard to retain simply because it seems so vast, and I have to look up about 5-10% of the vocabulary.


Question 1. In what ways do you see a PLN benefiting your classroom?

Answer 1. Posing questions to a PLN is a great way to get outside feedback and fresh new ideas. If you have a PLN that is not digital chances are it is very limited. The member of a digital PLN are constantly growing and changing, therefore you can be sure to get a wide variety of input.

Question 2. What would be a good idea for a new PLN tool?

Answer 2. I think a great tool would be School Book (patten pending). It would be just like facebook, but for educators only. It could be used like facebook to talk about what you did in class that day, what you are planning, and to post pictures of projects and activities. Everyone is on face book, even your mom, so it would not scare away older educators the way that things like Twitter can.