Throughout the course with Dr. Diana Dell, we have been exploring what it means to have a Personal Learning Network (PLN), and how to create one. The course is coming to a close, so now I am able to look back on what I have created, and how it has and will help me in the upcoming school year.
Below is an Infographic that shows what social media tools I have used to create my own PLN. When I started, my goals were to 1) find tools that were convenient for me to access and 2) find tools that gave me resources that would enhance Biology content and teach me how to better use technology in the classroom. I found that most of the tools or connections I chose were most easily accessible through my Iphone. Twitter, Pinterest, and Feedly all have apps that are easy to navigate on my phone. Blogger is not as easy, I didn't find an app for that, but you can access it through safari and it is just as straightforward to use as accessing it through a laptop.
My second goal was to find tools that gave me resources and information that would enhance my knowledge of Biology and how to use tech in the classroom.
My infographic below shows how each tool or "connection" allowed me to do that. Twitter is an unbelievable resource. At any time of the day, I am able to find resources for my students, new breakthroughs in the field of science, and constant encouragement from other educators (this has been particularly fun right now since the new school year is starting). What I like most about Twitter is that it is real-time content that I can use to peak my students' interests. What does Biology have to do with the Olympics? I am guaranteed to find an answer on Twitter and be able to incorporate it into my lessons.
Pinterest allows me to find lesson plans, powerful images to enhance my lectures, and educator humor (which promptly becomes classroom decoration). I think Pinterest has been the best connection for finding lesson plans and collections of information for each particular unit.
Feedly allows me to follow other educators for inspiration for my classroom and for improving my teaching methods. Additionally, I have followed many Biology-specific feeds that have allowed me to have access to cool ideas in the realm of science that I can bring back to my students. This also includes silly ideas and research as you can see below.
Finally, Blogger has allowed me to publish my own ideas and resources so that I am adding value within my network. It is also convenient for following my classmates and observing all the ways in which we can use social media to benefit ourselves and our students.
I've really enjoyed building my PLN. I find that Twitter and Pinterest are probably the connections that I will keep up with the most. They are easy to use and I like the fast pace of the information that is added on both sites. Feedly has some interesting blogs that I will continue to peruse, but I find that those are not updated very often. Blogging has been an interesting adventure, but I am not sure that it is something I will continue to do. I think a classroom blog could be fun, but I am not sure if I will have the time this year to keep up with it. I am going to introduce my students to the idea of a PLN because it can be just as powerful for them as it has been for me. I think it's very exciting how everyday I am able to find relevant information for my students from the field of Biology. I think it is important for our students to see that educators are excited to never stop learning.
The infographic above below was created using Piktochart. I think this tool can be very valuable for use in the classroom, so I have included the tutorial below if you want to check it out!
April,
ReplyDeleteRe: “When I started, my goals were to 1) find tools that were convenient for me to access and 2) find tools that gave me resources that would enhance Biology content and teach me how to better use technology in the classroom.”
I had similar goals when I was establishing my PLN as well. I feel convenience is a huge factor due to the strict time constraints I feel like I am under these days with work, master's class expectations and family. So much to do; so little time. I want to make the most of the time I have and not waste it figuring things out and searching forever. So, this was a very important factor when I was deciding which tools to use as part of my PLN, too. Additionally, I was also looking for content specific (ELA) resources that would teach me how to better use technology. I have been really surprised at the amount of information I have found, and the number of people that have been willing to help me and share their ideas and resources. It truly has inspired me to change my way of teaching and try new things. What I was dreading at the beginning of the course after reading the syllabus, has quickly become a positive career-changing event for me. My PLN has really showed me that I am not alone and that there is a community of professionals willing and able to help with pretty much anything. It’s proven to be a great support system and I look forward to building upon it.
April,
ReplyDeleteRE: "I think it is important for our students to see that educators are excited to never stop learning."
Yes, very important. Having an established PLN makes life-long learning a simple process. You can now model the process of creating a PLN for your students.
The infographic clearly demonstrates that you have met the goals that you set for yourself regarding the expectations for your PLN. Your goals will change overtime and you now have the knowledge you need to adjust your PLN to meet new goals.
Dr. Dell
April,
ReplyDeleteYour infographic looks great!It is very easy to follow and reminded me of all the great tools that we learned. I really like that you took the time to make it humorous! I'm sure that your students would appreciate that. I love that your personality really came through.