Blog Post #5

As I already mentioned above, this week I want you to take time to reflect on the PLN you have started building in this course. I would like you to display/describe your PLN through a visual published on your blog. You have the flexibility to decide how you want to do this. Reflect and be creative! Please make sure you describe your thoughts in detail if they are not conveyed through the visual. 

I have learned so much through the MET program in regards to using digital tools to enhance my classroom. However, now I am beginning to see how I can use many of these same tools for my own personal learning network.  I used to see PD as something that I had to endure because someone else decided what I needed to learn to become a better educator.  Now, as this visual shows, I feel like I am in control of what kind of professional development I receive because I am learning how to use my network of digital tools to tap into the information that I want to enhance or satisfy my desires.  I have become the center of my own learning where the technology serves my needs.  In years past, our professional development revolved around a presenters agenda. With today's technology, my professional development can be personalized so that it revolves around me.

Twitter Chats

Create a new blog post about your experience participating in the two 
Twitter chats. Which chats did you participate in? What did you like? How 
were the two chats similar or different? What did you think about the 
content in the Twitter chat? Did you follow anybody new from the Twitter 
chat? What did you find challenging? What could be done to improve the 
experience? 

I participated in two different chats.  One of the chats was about character education and the other was about parental involvement in education.  Like so many other things, when there was quality participation the chat was worth the time.  However, in the character education chat there was way too much down time and very little participation.  In the other chat on parental involvement there was much more of a flow and the discussion proved to be productive.  The only thing that I didn't like was that during the chat it is often difficult to follow the conversation because the topics often tangent to other ideas while someone else is still tweeting about a comment several tweets ago.  

The content of the tweets is dependent on those who are doing the tweeting.  I felt like I didn't get much out of the character education chat because the topic was too broad and didn't peak much interest.  The chat about parental involvement was much better because it seemed to be more focused and the tweets stayed true to the questions that were being asked.  Ironically, I did not realize that I was following a peer at my school who happened to lead the chat on parental involvement.  It was cool to be able to go to school and discuss it with him the next day.  

I think that I prefer following people that I respect and already know in order to develop my personal network.  Most of the people that I follow I found through others who retweeted them, or were recommended by Twitter.  The twitter chats do have a place in professional development, but the time investment when you are not really sure what is going to come out of it can be a disappointment.  Whereas, when I follow those who I choose in my professional learning network I know that I am going to get the quality information that I want without having to invest a specific time/amount of time into a chat.

Blog Post #4- PLN's and New Social Networking Sites

After you complete the required reading and look at the resources I have listed in Black Board this week you should sign up for 1 or 2 new social networking sites I have suggested (or something similar) and try it out. After you spend some time trying out the new tools write a blog reflection. When you try out the new social network(s) I want you to specifically look for resources that would be helpful when working with diverse students. For example, maybe you run across a Pinterest board with lots of resources for working with gifted or ESOL students.  


The two different sites that I have signed up for are edchat and edWeb. Edchat started out as a Twitter conversation but has now evolved into a PBworks wiki.  I like being able to simply use my Twitter account #edchat and follow/join conversations.  It is also nice being able to visit the success stories page and learn what others are doing in their classrooms that was beneficial.  EdWeb.net is a social network that allows teachers to connect with colleagues, collaborate on goals and projects, form our own professional learning communities, mentor one another, or just practice using new technologies.  I am really interested in the specific agenda that includes a game based learning forum that is supposed to bring teachers together with game developers to explore best practices and further the discussion of possibilities within the field.  I have always believed that if there was a way to incorporate gaming into my classroom then I would use it whenever the opportunity presented itself.  I think it is an untapped digital tool that would bridge the gap between so many classes,students, and subjects.  Being able to tap into gaming would be crucial in working with diverse learners.  So many students from various backgrounds, as well as students with different skill sets, all enjoy digital gaming.  Therefore, I would love to find a way to incorporate games like "Call of Duty" with real World War history.  It would be great to have differentiated instruction with a diverse group of learners all being able to report on different battles of world wars as they fight their way through them (with or against each other).

On Twitter I now follow two Game Based Learning accounts, both of which came from my social network on EdWeb.net.  With these accounts I have come across this site (http://www.connectededucation.com/2012/02/ten-reasons-why-game-based-learning-works-in-education/)
which discusses the truth of why game based learning works with all kinds of diverse students.  I am still looking for some great lessons that incorporate some of the most popular gaming systems/games on the market with the curriculum I teach , however I will not give up my goal of making "war history" relevant and fun through gaming.  If it is out there, I know I have a better chance of finding it through my own digital PLN than I ever would through the traditional PD services that I have endured over the last 18 years.  I am already looking forward to a webinar that will be co-hosted by edWeb.net in cooperation with Game Based Learning in April that is about using Minecraft as a game design engine for students.