Since I started the MSSE program two years ago, I have come to appreciate the value of my online PLN, given that I don't really have a physical PLN right now since I moved to a different state from where I was teaching before, had a baby and have been taking maternity leave since so I don't know any local teachers yet. Having an online PLN (even if its in its infancy) has been invaluable to me for staying connected with my teaching career.
So here it is, the state of my PLN and my vision for it:
1. MSSE-
I have really enjoyed the discussions I have had with classmates in the other four online classes I've taken and felt like we interacted with each other probably much more than if we were taking the lecture on-campus. The great thing about the Web Tools class is that it's much more involved and there are so many more dimensions to the interaction/ collaboration. I also think that the class will contribute to our PLN in a way that others haven't because it might actually offer an opportunity to continue connecting with each other after the class is over.
I hope to keep in touch with people I feel I have common philosophies with, similar subject interests, etc. after class is done.
2. Facebook-
I use it mainly to stay connected with friends and family (not for keeping in touch with students except in rare occasions I'll befriend those that have graduated, who want to stay in touch for legitimate reasons and I trust). I will continue to use it in this way.
3. Twitter-
I'm going to continue giving Twitter a chance, I don't think you can get the feel for it in a week, I read somewhere that you aren't getting the most of it if you are not following more than 50 people (or was it 100?). I'll probably add some more to what I already have, so will probably have around 50-60. But my intention is to "prune" it regularly and stop following people that are not adding anything to my PLN. I'm going to use Twitter mainly to keep in touch with other teachers and educational technology specialists, etc. rather than for more "personal" reasons like keeping in touch with old friends. I like the option of sending quick direct messages and I'm starting to discover some useful tips like using hot keys and tags.
4. NSTA-
I get the magazine, news feeds and have signed up to NSTA Communities. I'm a member of several discussion groups (Biology, PBL, Tech Users, 9-12th, Evolution, Pedagogy) and get email notifications when there are any updates to my groups. It's pretty new, so there does not seem to be too much action yet, but I think it could become a great resource in the future because it's all Science educators participating.
5. Classroom 2.0-
I have found the Live sessions to be the most valuable part of this Ning network, although I have to admit that's all I've had time to explore so far. I joined a couple of groups, but it seems like some of them haven't been active for over a year. Katie suggested checking out The Synapse, a Ning network for Biology educators and I really like the look of it. I've joined and will hopefully become engaged in the group discussions and learn more about it, I might find it more relevant to my teaching/ interesting in terms of discussion topics than those in the Classroom 2.0 forums and will be likely to keep up with the threads.
6. LearnCentral.org-
I think this will probably take the place of Classroom 2.0, although S.Hargadon says it wont, at least many aspects of it. The extra features such as everyone getting a free vRoom are very appealing. It's brand new, officially launched today at EdubloggerCon2009, so we'll have to wait and see how it takes off...
7. Google Reader, blogs, etc-
Discovering and learning how to manage my Google Reader has been the best part of the week for me. Blogging and following/ commenting on other people's blogs is definitely the area of my PLN where I will continue to invest more time and effort into. I've always been curious about blogs but never really used them properly neither keeping one myself nor following other, so far they have been invaluable in providing useful links and directing me to the most up to date resources regarding using technology in the classroom.
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ReplyDeleteNicely summarized. I feel as you do about the MSSE class discussions. I definitely communicate with the students in my on-line classes more than I would in person. I find myself reading your blog posts, and exploring the resources you write about. I'm going to check out LearnCentral. I checked out your twitter-teacher sites, and found some folks to follow. Thanks
ReplyDeleteP.S. Typos in previous comment, so I removed it.
I like what you said about Twitter. I think at first I got wrapped up in numbers and adding lots of people but am discovering that I need to really examine how I can utilize it effectively. When I do that I think that will involve ultimately paring down those that I'm following to double digits. However, I think the trick is adding lots of people and trying to stay caught up with all (or most) of their posts for a period of time (if it's available) and then cutting out the ones that (after a period of time) don't provide helpful information.
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