What I hope to get out of this course

I would like to build an understanding of the following:

• effective integration of web 2.0 tools with quality pedagogy
• authentic purposes for blogging
• creating and maintaining a professional learning network
• clarity of the learning valued by some of those professing to be leaders in the 2.0 educators' world
• examples of increased depth of student understanding due to the network, tools, etc.

Personal Learning Networks--which ones?

I now know what kids must feel like when they're asked to give their opinion about something they've not experienced. I can talk about the Personal Learning Networks I've experienced throughout my life, which had many different purposes and involved many different cohorts. I'm assuming that this assignment was to reflect on Personal Learning Communities in the 2.0 context, right? If so, then I have no idea as I've not yet experienced it. I have taken several courses online, but I have yet to take one with which I felt I had a virtual learning community. I believe that such PLCs (I purposefully used that acronym which is also used for Professional Learning Communities as in the context of this class, I suspect that will be more in line with my purpose.) In any case, I'm certainly hopeful and excited about the powerful possibilities of PLCs through this connected venue and the blended nature of this course with both face-to-face and virtual gatherings. Nonetheless, I still have innumerable questions. Hopefully, I'll be able to answer those questions through participation and discussion in this course.

In reading Will Richardson's "World Without Walls: Learning Well with Others: How to teach when learning is everywhere" I was pleasantly surprised to read a fairly balanced take on how teaching and learning are being transformed in the digital age. Too often, I find many of the articles in this realm to be a deafening echo chamber (such as Marc Prensky's "Engage Me or Enrage Me", which I hope to blog about very soon.)

I found it extremely refreshing to read Richardson when he wrote, "We must also be adept at negotiating, planning, and nurturing the conversation with others we may know little about -- not to mention maintaining a healthy balance between our face-to-face and virtual lives (another dance for which kids sorely need coaching)." These have always been key skills for peaceful, productive human interaction and ones which some digitial divas have not developed. Also, the call for balance between face-to-face and virtual lives is one we all need to heed, I believe.

Looking forward to learning and growing an opinion about PLCs in the 2.0 context.