Networked Classroom

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The challenges of networking your classroom that the PLN book listed were: safety and ethical use, transparency, assessment, ownership and rights, and parents. Although these are legit disadvantages the advantages far outweigh them. The “thin walls [of the networked classroom] expand the classroom, and in the process deepen our understanding and practice of… critical thinking and problem solving.” (PLN p.60)

 “Some people find it overwhelming and wonder how to make time for it, but you just have to find your own groove with how you use it, and when you do, the connections add so much to your life.” (Shannon Miller, PLN p.70) Sometimes I find the transition of a networked classroom very overwhelming. I have so many ideas, but I don’t know where to start. I have integrated a lot of tools and resources that I have learned through the MET program into my classroom this year and I am sure as I get more familiar with them I will use them more often.  There is rumor that next year we are getting wireless in our buildings. I am hoping that this will help me to “find my own groove” and will help me to slowly transition my classroom with the opportunities to use more tools with my students.

If you didn’t follow the video link from the book for Brian Crosby it is worth the 15 minutes. What an inspiring teacher! I hope that someday I will have the resources and tools to be able to teach in a networked classroom like his. Brian’s student Celeste is a great example of how a networked classroom can be used to address the diverse needs of learners. Celeste was able to participate in 4^th grade without ever stepping foot into the room and jeopardizing her weakened immune system.

Twitter

I have had a Twitter account for about a year now, but I only use it to follow the sports at the high school I coach at and to follow a few friends who actually tweet and only because they asked me to. Other than that, I have never tweeted anything or participated in any chats. My cheerleaders often “#” things, but I didn’t really know what it was until watching the videos and reading about Twitter this week. I didn’t know much about Twitter and really only thought of it as a place where celebrities updated their statuses.

I didn’t realize there were so many uses for Twitter in education! The book, Web 2.0, gave some great suggestions for use in the classroom. Using it to collect real-world data (p. 40) is a great way to get the students involved in their learning in science, math, and social studies. A Tweetstory (p. 43) is great for using in language arts and lets the kids work on editing and story structure.  I look forward to using Twitter for my PLN and to learn all of the ways I can use it as an educator! 

I follow Free Technology for Teachers blog and came across 10 Teachers to Follow on Twitter. You can follow me @cathytate23

PLN Reflection

As I read through this week’s chapters I continue to think about the educational future of my students. Some of them, maybe a handful, at the age of 10 are disciplined enough and would be successful in an online learning environment. I know the book said that they are not disconnected from the world because of the online learning networks they are creating, but wouldn’t they miss out on those social cues and the interactions of their peers?

“… in an online environment fraught with so many potential distractions, how do we teach ourselves and our students to maintain a level of attention and focus that will allow them to learn deeply?” (PLN, p.26) I agree that learning networks are not a one-size-fits-all solution; majority of my kids have little to no self-discipline and have a difficult time keeping up even when I’m constantly reminding them and asking them to stay on task or to turn something in. These are the kids that I am worried about. Will we be able to teach them to use the attention strategies needed to be successful in an educational world that is constantly connected?  Don’t get me wrong, I am all about the BYOD in schools when used efficiently. It opens up so many opportunities for our students and allows us to bring so much of the outside world into our classrooms. I’m more worried about the “attention literacy” of these students.