Classroom2

Building Personal Learning Networks

Building Classroom learning communities

Credits

Thanks to my friends - Konrad Glogowski and Sue Waters, whose Creative Commons images are used in this presentation.

Personal Learning Networks


• A PLN is a term used to describe the interactions of one person with others who are interested in similar things.



• No one person has all the answers and no one person has the time to find all the answers.



• No one person has all the answers and no one person has the time to find all the answers.

• The knowledge in the ‘network’ is always greater than the knowledge of the person.

Sue Waters asked for help in describing what a personal learning network is from ‘her network’

Sue Waters asked for help in describing what a personal learning network is from ‘her network’

A few hours later these people postedcomments on her blog to answer

the questions she had asked

Here are the most commonly usedwords they used to describe it

And here are the ‘tools’ that they thoughtbest facilitated their own PLN.

Who do you learn from?

The un-conference is online and offline 24/7.Everyone is a presenter and an attendee.

The Flatclassroom PLN

Imagine if each of these people connect with 100 others, and each of those connect with 100 more.How much knowledge is being shared DAILY.

The blogger ecosystem


• A blog is one part of a larger ‘body’ that works together to provide a community.



• ‘blogs’ - do not exist in a vacuum - there are millions of bloggers (writers) part of an un-organised ecosystem.




• Each blog has a ‘lens’, and offers a reflective ‘view’ or ‘opinion’ on some topic




• Each blog has a ‘lens’, and offers a reflective ‘view’ or ‘opinion’ on some topic

• Anyone can comment on anyone else’s blog. (if they are interested/motivated).

All these people are part of the ecosystem and each as a particular ‘value add’.They are both teachers and learners.

Because they choose to be.

Now lets look at a traditional classroom PLN

Traditional Classroom PLN

Teacher Textbook

Classmates

Student

Traditional Home life PLN

Parent Textbook

Siblingsand friends

Student

Blogging in a vacuum has no power!

Student Research

Blog Post

Teacher Reads/Grades Post

The power of collective writing


• A blog is is a reflective writing tool.



• A blog needs readers and writers




• A blog needs ‘comments’ to grow,





• A blog should be a cyclic writing tool to promote debate, critical thinking, peer support, discussion and personal growth as a learner





• A blog should be a cyclic writing tool to promote debate, critical thinking, peer support, discussion and personal growth as a learner

• A blogger - is part of an ecosystem.

What do we mean?

What do we mean?

• You got a grade B+

What do we mean?


• You got 12/20 for the essay

What do we mean?



• Well Done!

What do we mean?



• Well Done!

• What ‘feedback’ does this actually give the student as a reflective learner?

Classroom Blogging

How much does a B+ mean to students?

Which is more powerful to the student?Getting a ‘B+’ grade on a paper they turned in or authentic feedback?

A reflective writer needs to ‘grow’.Students need to learn how to do this.

Reflective writingdoes not finishat the end of thelesson.

It is not subjectspecific, it islearner centric.

Formal assessmentand feedback canstill be on paper!

I likedI wonder next steps ...

I like?I wonder if?Next Steps?

Classroom2

Technology

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