Comments for EdTechTrek

Comment on [Digital] Information Literacy by Stephen Ransom

Stephen Ransom — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:39:18 +0000

Yes. However, it is hard work designing powerful learning activities that go beyond face value… which is why I think we don’t always hit the mark. I also feel that at times we all get a little too comfortable with missing the mark so that it becomes easier to be satisfied with less…

Comment on [Digital] Information Literacy by Melanie James

Melanie James — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 07:51:34 +0000

I agree totally with this view. I really strive to develop engaging assessment items that drive real learning rather than regurgitation – it’s one of the areas of teaching I relish. Seem like you do too?

Comment on Building a PLN Ain’t That Easy by Stephen Ransom

Stephen Ransom — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 23:51:20 +0000

Thanks for the important “reality check”, Gail. Dedicated classroom teachers don’t waste a minute during the day… and there is the rest of life when you leave the building. Perhaps you can do a tweet-a-day just to let your PLN know that you still have your nose above water

Comment on Building a PLN Ain’t That Easy by poulingail

poulingail — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 21:08:18 +0000

Now that I am back teaching school and a bit short on extra time I find I am following the blogs in my Google Reader on a regular basis and only dropping by Twitter every few days but contributing little there. Classroom teachers just don’t have spare minutes during the day (read ’til after 5 or so) and then we have the usual family, exercise, meal prep duties. So when I get up in the morning to enjoy coffee, it’s time for the blogs in my Reader. I think Twitter played a huge part in developing my blog collection (from about 12 to maybe 60) over the course of the summer months. That’s more than enough reading. And what’s interesting as well is some of those blogs have Twitter highlights from the previous week. The sad part is that some folks who have added me as follows on Twitter aren’t hearing from me so I’m not carrying my weight there.

Comment on Building a PLN Ain’t That Easy by Stephen Ransom

Stephen Ransom — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 18:21:07 +0000

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experience on this, Angela. Personally, I don’t think the types of relationships we are talking about here can be cultivated and sustained only through micro-communication tools like Twitter. Twitter, of course, has the advantage of really making one feel “in the know” or “in the loop”, as so many great resources and opportunities are shared there. I fear that perhaps too many are, as you point out for yourself, spending too much time there while neglecting more substantive ideas (and relationships) that are often cultivated in other places, like blogs, Nings, etc. I know I have found myself at times neglecting those areas for the sake of Twitter and am continually seeking a healthier balance between “snacks” and “meals”, if I can use those metaphors. Snacks (lets limit them to the high calorie, usually high fat kind) are often very tasty, tempting, and fulfilling… but only in the short term. They don’t sustain us within the larger framework of a healthy and balanced lifestyle.

So glad to hear your network welcomed you back in with open arms. We usually miss those who enrich our own learning

Comment on Building a PLN Ain’t That Easy by Angela Stockman

Angela Stockman — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 15:48:14 +0000

As a relatively new blogger and user of social networking tools, I so appreciated your post, Steve. I do find that establishing a PLN is hard work, and few people acknowledge this as they encourage others to dive in. The thread of commentary here has me thinking a great deal about why that might be. I think purpose and expectations influence our perception of difficulty, as many here have suggested. I also find that my own journey DOES mirror Derek’s Four C’s framework–thanks to @suewaters for sharing that!

Understanding that there is an ebb and flow to our online relationships and that at times, we may find ourselves connecting with some more than others is reassuring. I spent the summer off line more than on, and upon my return, I feared that I wouldn’t be responded to as well or included as often as I was. Not the case at all, with most members of my network….and this didn’t surprise me. Those were the people that I took the most time to get to know and to support myself in the past, when they had questions or called for help of some kind.

Like @poulingail, I’m realizing that my PLN sets an example for me around how I might participate better, in order to develop richer connections and learn even more. This is why I’m stepping away from Twitter just a bit and spending more time responding to posts like yours. I sometimes wonder if Twitter encourages us to share tools more often than establishing deeper connections with people. It’s been suggested to me that a great network can be established solely through the use of Twitter. Wondering what your thoughts are there…I’m thinking it can’t be…..but the hard work you refer to and the time factor that always rears its ugly head makes it tempting to want to think so.

Comment on Building a PLN Ain’t That Easy by Sue Waters

Sue Waters — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:01:49 +0000

One of my favorite framework’s is still Derek’s Four C’s of Online Participation.

Poor Derek may now be blushing (but he knows I’ve always liked it) — while he wrote about it back in 2006 I still believe it explains a lot about the journey that people take as they progress online.

So Derek now with all the talk about PLNs – how might you blend the 4 C’s with PLN’s?

Comment on Building a PLN Ain’t That Easy by Stephen Ransom

Stephen Ransom — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 21:20:40 +0000

@Gail, thanks for the insights. It is good to hear your progression toward a supportive and vibrant PLN. My students feel the same way when I introduce them to the notion, but the bigger hurdle for many of them is comprehending that anyone WOULD respond. The cultivating of a reciprocal PLN takes much desire and dedication, something they struggle with in terms of payoff. They are still so used to learning in isolation and being “fed” information. I suppose there are two levels of PLN: the one-way, ‘get fed’ network and the 2-way reciprocal give & take network. Both are certainly of value. I wonder if the former must develop before the latter can flourish…

Comment on Building a PLN Ain’t That Easy by poulingail

poulingail — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 19:37:39 +0000

@Stephen Ransom,
Of course their are always times when my call for advice, help, any response has gone unanswered and it can be demoralizing except that I keep in mind my PLN is on Twitter and in blog feeds. It is occasionally synchronous but more often not (Elluminate.) I am learning more about how an online PLN works and it is more comfortable for me all the time. Six months ago, I wouldn’t have commented on blogs the way I do at present. I have grown into it in the company of, and with the example of, my PLN. That’s important there. My PLN is showing me how it’s done. Some folks are so easy to follow their lead. Sue Waters can make you laugh, teach you a critical skill in baby steps, and give feedback on what they see with real panache. She makes developing a PLN easy. Taking a giant step into the blogging of the big boys still scares me a bit so my forays there have been few. Surprisingly, the big guys can sometimes find a word or two in response and that is a morale booster. It helps me move on to the next level of the whole PLN experience. It’s a living thing, as long as I want to participate.

Comment on Building a PLN Ain’t That Easy by Stephen Ransom

Stephen Ransom — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 18:00:01 +0000

@poulingail, Thanks for sharing your perspective on this, Gail. Have you experienced times where you have not received the desired response from your PLN? Are there individuals within the list of folks you consider your PLN that you wish would be more responsive? Just digging here…