Personal learning networks
I have been trying to write this blog for topic 3 for at
least a week now and every time I tried to write it I realised that I didn’t have
anything to post on. My knowledge in this area is seriously lacking.
When I think of the idea of personal learning networks the
idea is so important as they assist with developing expert knowledge. In an age
where there is so much information available, it can sometimes save a lot of
time to find out about solutions that we may be experiencing with our courses. So,
I looked at my personal learning networks and realised that other than my colleagues
on campus I do not have a personal learning network.
I also started to look at my own practice and realised that
I focus more on developing programs that will benefit the students, but lacked
reflection on how I look for knowledge and how I develop my own thoughts. I
realised that I focus more on Google searches instead of looking for peers in
the field and learning from their knowledge and experience on how they worked
with courses. How they overcame problems such as lack of engagement.
As I am trouble shooting a present course I think I am going
to include asking peers for their advice on the different aspects rather than
only focusing on the Google searches or published pages. I am hoping that this
process will assist with developing a personal learning network that can assist
in future courses too.
HI CLODAGH MANNION-NASH
ReplyDeleteI do think to a certain degree I am totally the same as you with regards to the focus on development of material and my students but I forget about my own develpment, except if I am forced to. Maybe have the minds set of begin open the learning experiences ourself will help us more in the development we do..
Good luck with growing your learning network, I have lectured on the same program for the past 10 years and I really have build up a network, but I do not often use them.
You see the importance of a learning network but you only have one at your campus. You rely on Google searches. But can't Google searches also get us in touch with others in the same field?
ReplyDeleteMaybe teh real competence is how to find peers within our field? How do we do this? And how do we connect with them? Do we put our course problems "out there" as you describe? I think this takes a lot of currage, but can be really rewarding. I am practicing...;-) -Good luck!
Thank you for these thoughts and reflections, I hade to think myself what personal learning networks do I really have with others sharing the same interests? Or should our network include people who do not share interests in collaborative networked learning, in order to have us sharpening our arguments why it is important at all? I am lucky to part of an informal working group "networked learning" at my Department, and we discuss these issues a lot. I agree with previous comments here that google searches may find new paths....good luck with this!
ReplyDeleteI can also identify with your experiences. I, too, tend to use Google search for problem solving as it is so conveniently - always there! Similarly, my colleages are easy access and thus an obvious choice for networking. So, yes, I could also benefit from using online networks to expand my resources. Now I'm wondering what groups I could join to improve my personal network!
ReplyDeleteA repost since my identity was not revealed in a previous comment (unknown): Thank you for these thoughts and reflections, I hade to think myself what personal learning networks do I really have with others sharing the same interests? Or should our network include people who do not share interests in collaborative networked learning, in order to have us sharpening our arguments why it is important at all? I am lucky to part of an informal working group "networked learning" at my Department, and we discuss these issues a lot. I agree with previous comments here that google searches may find new paths....good luck with this!
ReplyDeleteMaybe you, as I and probably many others, already have a personal learning network but don't call it by that name...? It's very common for me to listen to my colleagues' presentations and then asking them if I can re-use their information/slides, or letting them know that they really inspired me in terms of how they connected with their audience, etc.
ReplyDeleteI do identify with spending a LOT more time on Google searches than on interacting with peers, though.... And I really need to expand the meaning of "peers" beyond local colleagues!