Networks are very powerful things and PLN is a more focused form of networking for a specific objective ... that is our own learning and professional development ... I mainly used LinkedIn groups and followed some experts on Twitter to get updated on various areas of interest in life ... surprisingly the only one thing that I haven't included in those streams of updates is pedagogical related ones! what a shame!
Another thank you goes to PGCTHE team for guiding us to the importance of developing a more focused approach towards using web 2.0 apps to develop a PLN that truly adds value to our professional life as educators ... I feel now that what I need is to update my Twitter and linkedIn subscriptions to include educational strategies in general and web 2.0 pedagogical strategies in specific ... I'm also planning to take the advice provided by the "Innovative Educator" blog provided through moodle ... I already started following three of the suggested Twitter expert educators.
It's quite complex to manage all this I'm afraid! I would love to get some suggestions on the best way to build a dashboard like environment mainly focused on my education related subscriptions ... The idea is to link all my information feeds, whither it's Google+, LinkedIn, Twitter, or any other blogs or so to this single environment to have a one stop shop that I can visit once a day for updates!
Well Barra, It's nice to know I'm not the only one who could do with some help here! I think we are both in the same boat!! My PLNs seem to be a carbon copy of yours and if anyone has any ideas on how to create such a dashboard environment I would also be very grateful!!! I can't even keep track of all my twitter feeds!!
ReplyDeleteHi Bara! I'm surfing the PGCTHE teams' blogs and been fascinating how much good insights I've been gaining. Maybe I can also contribute something for the discussions here, like this time with the PLN.
ReplyDeleteI actually think it is about what you want to learn and what are your goals. I feel PLN is tricky in that sense that it is often informal, unstructured and controlled only by yourself. So I think it demands more planning than for example taking a course with structured process. As an example, I used to try to use everything from Twitter to LinkedIn and RSS filled with blogs as my online PLN. Soon I found out I was overwhelmed with all the information flow. It was very hard and I felt I was obliged to go through all of them all the time. Which took me a lot of time.
But I don't think people learn like this effectively. We learn all the time something, but if we want to learn so.ething specific, we have to have a focus, and change it accordingly. For example, when I was learning about Communities of practice, I bought a book by Etienne Wenger, read his articles and subscribed to the CoP LinkedIn group. I even sent Wenger an email to ask more about his theories, which he pleasantly replied and at that time in a way, was part of my PLN.
Same with the PGCTHE. Currently I'm also doing my Master in Instructional Design & Technology. It us fully online, the participants are currently part of my PLN, but so are you: I'm learning about this program in many ways: how this kind of collaboration works best, how you take it as the learners and how facilitators take it. My main interest is online facilitation as I feel it is the most important thing that affects online collaborative learning. I'm learning about that too through your blogs (which I all have in my Google Reader).
So it is a multilevel learning experience which should not be taken in a way where you have to go through too much information all the time. It might ruin one's motivation and you don't want that do you? :)
But about the tech I think you discussed:
I usually categories my blogs ib the Google Reader and Twitter at Hootsuite. I have things like "eLearning" or "Online facilitation" and try not put too many people or blogs so that I find the time to read them. Go for quality, not quantity! :)
Hope this helps someway! :)
Thanks Marko for the expert advice ... I'll give the above two environments a try ... I fully agree with going for quality rather than quantity ... this is the only way that makes sense and can work ... I'll share with you a decision that I made around one month ago, which I started reconsidering last week due to the PLN topic ... I have actually unsubscribed from almost all LinkedIn groups and RSS feeds due to the fact that I was not able to keep up with them anymore ... the only few I left are those focused directly on the courses I'm teaching this semester, or initiatives I'm currently engaged with ... Having a focus is key, I fully agree!
ReplyDeleteJust created an account on Hootsuite ... I already fall in love with the tool, it's a true Social Media Dashboard ... Sean, please explore and let me know what you think!
ReplyDeleteHi Marko,
ReplyDeleteIs it possible to add Google Reader to Hootsuite too?
Great that you like it! About the RSS, I don't think so. And at least for me, Google Reader or something else works better with RSS.
ReplyDeleteAbout unsubscribing from too much LinkedIn and RSS: I did exactly the same. My Gmail inbox was once filled with weekly notifications, not anymore. Only a couple of one anymore! :)
Hi Barra, I've tried Hootsuite but need to explore it a bit more. the idea is great in principle but I would like to have Google Reader there too:(
ReplyDelete