Blog Post #6

The Networked Student

I think the idea of making connections with others is extremely important and one of the greatest advantageous to using technology in the classrooms.  I know I have been critical in some posts about how technology is used in classrooms but I think this reason validates its use more than anything.  We are moving towards a global society in which people will have to be connected to and willing to work with people from other places.  Our classroom cannot be a bubble in which students are shielded from the rest of the world.  We must allow them to make connections and expand their horizons. 

Google scholar is also a great resource that I first learned about my senior year in high school.  It helps limit your search to things that will actually be helpful and useful in presenting real, validated research.  It helps you avoid having to read through many pages before finding a scholarly one that you can actually use.  And the idea of sharing research between students is a great idea.  So often I have problems finding helpful websites but having blogs and other students opinions on what they thought was useful would be very helpful.  Networking is a great way to provide learning opportunities for the modern classroom.

PLE

The personal learning network shown in the video is very interactive and engaging.  It allows students much more freedom and independence in their work.  Her learning network is much more technologically savvy than mine is.  I think some of the programs she shows like the note taking one could be very helpful.  Personally for me it may be very confusing because of how I am used to doing things.  I can barely keep track of my online classes and they are all on one site.  But I know that the resources are there and I continue to try and use them and become familiar with them because I know it will be important to know for when I am a teacher.