I have to admit, I'm beginning to have a little trouble keeping this all straight...blogs vs. wikis vs. feed readers vs. personal learning networks, etc.
There seems to be more than a bit of overlap, and I'm trying to decide which ones will ultimately be most helpful.
Personal Learning Networks, at first glance, seem to be one of the better options for professional development. In some ways, it could be a way to extend those "staff room" discussions to a wider audience, and get some real help for real questions. Another advantage would be solicit helpful resources, on a certain topic, without necessary knowing of their existance. It's like your subconcious mind doing a google search on your behalf...
I suppose the problems with a PLN are not unlike that of any social network (or social institution). How to keep the communication relevant and edifying, how to determine what is good and what is bogus, how to understand--really--what is being said, and why.
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Eric - great observation about the overlap, and how to keep it all straight.
ReplyDeleteFor me, that's where the RSS feed reader comes into play. I have resorted to having everything 'fed' to me in one place.
That's why they call RSS the 'killer app for education'.
Ron