Blog Post # 6

The Networked Student

   Wendy Drexler's video is a depiction of a true story about a high school student using networked learning in the 21st century. This class only meets three times per week with two days online. The teacher rarely lectures, but is there to answer questions, offer guidance, and teach the skills need to narrow down the abundance of information to the most accurate sources. There are many resources available to students in the world of networked learning. Students are essentially teaching themselves the material.
 
   I agree that teachers should be migrating towards teaching the skills to find the material rather than the material itself. Finding educational material is a rather simple task. It only take a little practice along with the guidance of a teacher. In the process, students not only learn the material, but they gain the skills used to obtain the material which can be used to further their learning. I've learned a lot about the many tools we have used even this far into the semester. One example of these tools is WolframAlpha search. Networked learning reinforces obtaining skills that can be used beyond the classroom. These are skills that can be used in life in general. A textbook limits students to what they can learn because all that is available to them is what the authors write. Networked learning essentially allows students to "read between the lines" and discover new opportunities. I hope to utilize these tools in my future classroom.

A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment

I like the idea of using Symbaloo for your PLN. I plan to put this on my computer and begin exploring. Symbaloo is a great way to stay organized and keep everything in one place. This tool allows you to have access to everything you need with just one click from social networking to note taking

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