Journal #7 PLN Reflection

Out of all PLN’s that we used I found out that you can find a lot of valuable information to use in a classroom setting. I enjoyed using Digg a lot for the reason that I was able to find tons of great historical sources. I found a few groups that were just littered with viable materials that would be very suitable for the classroom.  I would say that that I used the RSS feed just slightly less because I was unable to find as many good groups as I did with Digg.  The affinity group that I joined was called “modern technology” and it was a very interesting group that kept up with various technological breakthroughs, but it was nothing I would find as valuable in a class I would be teaching. I did look for history affinity groups, but it was VERY difficult to find them. I even looked on Twitter for a historical affinity group, but was still not able to find one that I found suitable.

The last of the PLN’s that I really used was Twitter. I am not a huge fan of Twitter, but I do see how it can be used in the classroom if handled correctly. Although my experiences with Twitter was more about “trending” topics you can still explore and have good content for modern/ current event assignments. These are the experiences that I have had with the PLN’s that we used for class. Lastly, I do believe most of these do have a space in the classroom, they just have to be utilized effectively.

Q1 Do you think PLN’s will change over time?

A1 Yes I believe that things like Social media will continue to progress, and in about 20 years from now we might have a different social media that will take over things such as Facebook or Twitter. These new websites or apps might be more beneficial in due time, and might even transition to a more educational mindset (maybe).

Q2 Do you think ALL PLN’s have a place for the classroom

A2 Although I would love to say yes, I can’t. I do not believe things such as Facebook or even Apps like snapchat or Instagram will lever find its way into the classroom. That would be just because I find it very difficult to manage these apps and websites. I feel that some PLN’s are very good opportunities, while some should just stay in the social media realm.