So after watching the recorded session on CONNECTED LEARNING, Alec Couros left us some thinking points:
- What does PLN/PLE look like? How can I share?
- How important is connected learning? Why?
- Is it possible for our classrooms and institutions to support this kind of learning? If so why?
- What skills and literacies are necessary for connected learning’ How do we develop these?
- What are limits of openness in regards to privacy & vulnerability? Are we creating or worsening a digital divide?
- How do we expand this conversation?
A PLN consists of the people a learner interacts with and derives knowledge from in a personal Learning Environment. They CONNECT to learn. Members share goals, needs, problems
PLN/PLE
Very personally I prefer to refer to my PLN as my learning and teaching Community. This might have to do with the fact that “Community” has a strong meaning for me, being or feeling I am a tech immigrant, community goes beyond technology, and it gives me a sense of closeness, friendship, trust, support, advice, encouragement, empowerment. They have helped me become visible, and the day one of the members mentioned me in his comment is just unforgettable for me. That day, I realised that I had become a member of a community which implied responsible participation in posting and commenting and trying to add some value to other’s people work and my own stuff. Being a member of a community implies responsibility and being an online community, virtual as some like to call them, does not differ from the work we actively do in “real life”.
But developing as a active member takes time, I am wondering right now if someone out there will ever read what I am now writing.
Being connected is becoming better educators and better human beings, I see we work to create a better world for us, for our children and for future generations.
Sometimes, I have felt that my writing does not look very academic, (feeling so, right now) but I think that each member can contribute in different ways. I love to share stories, like the day I shared the story about “The Plum Tree” in my parents’ home, or the day I shared why I had become a teacher. They’re my real stories, the amazing thing and unexpected, somehow, was the reaction of the people who read or listened to my stories. They thanked me for sharing so personal feelings, and this helped me reflect upon trust, and therefore wonder how many stories some teachers refrain from sharing because of lack of trust or fear of critique.
There are some things that still worry me, like copyright infringement. Though I take care including references and contributions I feel this is one my weakness and it’s time I faced learning about it.
Also, there are some dangers when sharing, I have googled my name and to my surprise there are various links to me. Actually I faced some trouble with FB, I try to keep my account as open as possible and only check if people who request connection are in the field of Education, but eventually someone posted my photos on his wall and I got worried about how easy it is copy and paste your material and your photos. But how can we handle this? I asked him to remove my photos from his wall, but that’s all I could do aside from unfriend this person.
Who can have a doubts that benefits of being connected overweigh dangers?
I work one to one (two or three learners has been the maximum number now, used to teach in a language school with 20 leaners in a class), face2face and online, what would I do in complete isolation without my community?
I can see that most teachers work in institutions and I guess that there are many regulations to comply with but I also know many who manage to find the way round and break some rules for the sake of learning of our beloved learners.
How do we expand this conversation?
Have you ever wondered why students get more easily tired than us, the educators?
Have you ever wondered how teachers lose track of the time because of our passion?
Have you ever felt “magic” in your class?
Have you ever stopped for a moment and watched your learners learning?
Have you ever been helped by your learners?
Have you ever felt frustrated as your learners refuse to record their voices, or have a video chat with others?
Have you ever felt proud of your work? or frustrated because everything went wrong?
And lastly if there is anyone out there who is a freelance teacher like me, but willing to learn together, work together, please count me in. Right now, I am trying to develop some course design, I would like see what we can come up with by being connected educators.