Personal Learning Networks (PLN)

  

In my opinion, a personal learning network can be the most powerful learning tool no matter what the subject is. In addition, a PNL represents a professional development for everybody because it connects with thousands of other educators, parents, and students around the world who share the same interests and moreover, share ideas and a pile of resources. It can help not only to identify learning resources but also opportunities, for example; if a person is a novice in surfing the net, I think PNL can work. It also could help schools and universities save hundreds of dollars by learning to avoid unnecessary purchases by using free tools like nings, wikispaces, bloggers, and so on.

Nevertheless, it requires a formal engagement because you not only seek to learn from others, but also that you also help others in the network learn. And what is more not everybody is lucky enough to have these resources avalaible.  

In short, as a teacher, I think that a PNL places learners in charge of their own learning processes, challenging them to reflect on the tools and resources that help them learn best focusing on their education goals and needs.

Living and Learning with Social Media

New technologies arrived in our lives and changed the way that we used to be and live. Today’s people are surrounded by communications technologies, the Internet and cell phones. These objects have become a part of our daily lives, believe or not.

Focusing on the Internet and teenagers, I think the social impact of information and communication technologies are important because as an educator and a parent, it could provide a survey of the relationship between teens and those mass media found in the Internet. Moreover, social media is playing a significant role in the changing youth of today.

As we know through this social media, teens are describing their new environment as place of personal expression, although it generates an intense debate on the use of a social network. This debate focuses on the consequences, both positive and negative, of the use of online communication. But teens know how to have deeper conversations and even if they want to gather with their friends do not mean that social network sites are the ideal place.

For teenagers, Internet is a tool for communicating with “friends” such as teachers, institutions like schools, and as a way to convey lengthy and detailed information to large groups. And at this point, teachers and parents have an important role when it comes to helping youth navigate social media. It means that we should help them to develop their critical thinking in how to make sense of what and why they are doing or seeing.

To conclude, with these innovative technologies, adults need to re-learn how to learn and how to evolve with the changes all around us because the Internet allows a variety of social network sites by which our youth can communicate with one another as well as with their parents and teachers. 

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