Building a PLN

February 20, 2018

For this Tech Task, we were asked to construct a concept map showing what our PLN (or professional/personal learning network) might look like. For many of us, I think that as we continue through with our careers, that this network will evolve and become more professional in nature. We will actually have created more of a network around ourselves in terms of resources that we can make use, programs that can help us, and the community of other educators that we can learn from and share with. But for now, it is more personal. Many of the news stories that I get are through social media, or articles read through my Feedly account. I'm not super active in terms of making posts on my social media accounts, but following along and staying current with events, family, and friends is great. In the classroom, YouTube is a must in terms of helping me refresh myself on the topics, and to help explain concepts. There are many other great apps and programs that I still have limited experience with, but hope to make better use of in future teaching placements.

I used MindMeister to create this concept map, as well as the next one. This concept map is supposed to represent what a PLN may look like for a typical student, although this was quite challenging to try and do. Snapchat is still the biggest social media tool being used by younger generations, as well as picture sharing apps such as Instagram. YouTube, and YouTube Vloggers are also super influential for a great proportion of the younger generations. Students may also be involved in following and making posts on websites such as Reddit or Tumblr, although this isn't exclusively for younger ages. I'm also sure that I am super out of touch with the actual PLN of students today, and likely there are other programs and websites that are being used more than these.

I'd say that much of what we have already discussed in class regarding digital citizenship and media smarts, since the typical network is about collaboration and sharing, rather than simply receiving information. Students need to learn how to do this since they live in a world that is more connected now than ever. Being able to communicate effectively online, to be able to spot fake news, and to be safe online in general are all skills that students today need to be developing and learning more about. They also need to be learning how to appreciate themselves more and to not place such a high importance on getting likes on social media, just as another example.

-B