My PLN

As I have said in most of my previous blogs, I have learned so much so far this semester in this class - more than I ever could have imagined! - and I owe it all to my educators. Not until recently did I realize that everyone who has helped me in this educational journey is part of my personal learning network. I have learned how to use Google as more than just a search engine, and I believe that has been the most helpful resource I have learned to use thusfar. Google Docs has assisted me in Dr. Strange's class AND in my other classes and personal life. Some of the projects I have done in EDM 310 I have shared with people I know just because I was proud of them - and I used Google Docs to display them! I learned how to use iTunes and iTunes University for the first time, and I realized how valuable podcasts are to students. YouTube offers many educational tools accessible to anyone. Wikipedia is not always the best resource to use, and I learned exactly why thanks to some blogs that I read...

Blogging was a chore for me for a while, but now I see how important it is: all I have to do is go back to reference what I wrote for myself about many different things such as new technologies, teaching methods, etc. So I have become my own reference in a way! After reading blogs from other teachers and watching videos about their techniques, I have learned to turn to them as references, too. Vicki Davis, Ken Robinson, Karl Fisch, Richard Miller, Kelly Hines, Kathy Cassidy - and her students, Bill Ferriter, and my personal favorites Dr. Alice Christie and Michael Wesch (II) have all helped me understand different aspects, techniques, technologies used, and issues of teaching today - as well as helped me develop my own opinions and preferences on each subject. I believe that is the most important aspect of a PLN: developing your own teaching methods and persona. I really have "amused myself to death."