Blog Post #6

The Networked Student by Wendy Drexler:
The video was about connectivism. I researched the definition on Wikipedia so that I could understand it a bit more. It is the theory of learning based on the premise that knowledge exists in the world rather than in the head of an individual. This is very true. There are countless amounts of information and ideas in the world. We can look on the internet to find out how to do anything. Technology has become a necessity in our everyday lives. We should all learn to have a social network for our own benefit.
I really enjoyed how the presentation was presented. The simple hand placed designs kept my attention. It was simple yet very informative. The students are learning how to explore useful websites and blogs. Blogs often give you opinions and you can ask them questions. Students are able to contact and sometimes Skype with actual scientists. Things of this nature can make students very interested and keep them motivated. The students are learning to use a learning network so that they will be able to teach themselves anything. They have the tools to find out anything they want to know. The teacher in this class is used for guidance. I like being able to explore and learn on my own but I am thankful that we still have someone to go to for that reassurance.

A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment (or PLN)
This video presentation was great. As I was watching this I was thinking of how amazing it is that a 7th grader produced it. When I was in 7th grade I didn’t have a clue how to do anything of this nature. I want my students to be able to do this. I had always hoped to teach lower elementary but the more I learn of the possibilities I am thinking upper elementary. I am really excited about using all of the technology that I have learned in my classroom. I feel like I may be able to do more of it with older students. I would like to have my students create a PLN at the beginning of the year and I would grade them on how well organized and how often they use it. I am excited to see how my PLN continues to grow as this semester goes on.