"Thin Walls"

This week's blog got its name because I absolutely loved Clarence Fisher's description of his classroom. He fittingly described his networked classroom as having "thin walls." His students are not confined to the walls of his room but can collaborate, communicate, and learn with people all over the world. I would love to have "thin walls" in my classroom just as Fisher does. While I understand that I am long way from the type of "thin walls" Fisher has, chapter 3 of Personal Learning Networks allowed me to see there are small steps I can start taking to begin my journey in having my own networked class.

When I first saw this chapter, I was afraid a networked classroom would be so out of my reach because of the limited technology access I have. I only have one computer in my classroom and limited time in two computers when they are available. I did not think I would be able to manage or work toward a connected classroom with such limited network availability. Through this chapter, I learned that if I use the resources I have available to me, there are still many ways to work toward a networked classroom. I felt encouraged when the text said, "These teachers were where most of you are now." If they were able to build a successful networked classroom so could I! I am already on the right path with learning, creating and building my learning networks. If I can understand, share, and utilize the web tools I have learned about, I can work toward my goal of a "thin walled" classroom. The transition to a networked classroom would be very slow, but it is one that is within reach. As I said before, I am already on my long journey of the networked classroom because I started with me. I am taking time to develop and expand my learning networks. I can then slowly take those tools into my classroom and include my students in the process. If they see how comfortable and knowledgeable I am about the social networking tools out there, such as Skype, Twitter, and blogs, it will be an easy introduction for them. The text also described a great way to start out small.  The process of integrating the social media networks would start out small with maybe a classroom blog. Then, I would open it up for students to have their own blogs to share. Then we can progressively move on from there. It would be one step at a time to allow the students to get familiar with the tools and technology available to them.

There are so many advantages to a network classroom. My students can contact and communicate with people they would have never been able to communicate with. Authors of their favorite books, writers of popular newspapers, and students from all over the world are at our students finger tips with networked classrooms. They can share their own works and allow others to see what they have created. In addition, students can collaborate with more than just the students in the classroom. They can learn from and work with other students around the world because of all the social media tools available. Networked classrooms also allow students to investigate and search information to real world problems. They are not just limited to the information in their textbooks or the dreaded worksheets. This type of classroom is also great for all type of learners. We have such diverse students in our class. Some students are auditory learners while other students are visual learners. The tools that can be offered through a networked classroom can fit the needs of all different types of learners because there are so many options available online.

While it was easy to come up with advantages, it was a more difficult to identify disadvantages to networked classrooms. There are a few downsides, though, I do not know if you can even call them that. The "downsides" just seemed like the pressures of trying something new in the classroom. I found that because the Internet plays such a crucial role in networked classrooms, safety and ethical use must also play a role in this process. The text mentioned that you cannot just have a lesson here or there, but that safety and ethical online practices were lessons that would be need in place throughout the school year and on a consistent basis. This is an added stress to an already jam packed curriculum. The other difficulty I saw was getting the parents and administrations on board and supportive of a social media based classroom. They may not fully understand the tools or the great things it can bring. In some cases, I think technology can be a scary tool for parents and administrators. This could be a major road block. You have to convince administrators, parents and other staff members that having a networked classroom with social media tools is truly a great thing for the students and can be made safe.

So while I did mention a few downsides of the networked classroom, I truly believe that this is the direction that teachers should be working toward. If we are to get our students ready for the real world, we must use real world tools. They have to know that they are not confined to the four walls of a classroom. There is a whole big world out there, and they have the capability and the networks to access it.

Here is a helpful link that listed great tools to use in the start up of a networked classroom. I also posted this link on Twitter, but I thought I would also add it here!

• Teachers Guide to a Networked Classroom

The Terrifying World Of Twitter

This week's assignment was difficult for me. I have never really been a huge fan of Twitter. It was not a social media format that I was interested in. I gravitated more toward Facebook and Instagram. This week's activities have definitely pushed my comfort level and made me branch out. I did not have a problem following others or reading tweets. Sending out my own tweets is what makes me nervous. I do not know why it is so nerve racking for me, but I feel very shy about tweeting. Maybe I am worried people will think what I am saying is stupid or irrelevant. I am not quite sure what it is.

 But I took it step by step, and slowly started setting up my account. I was surprised at how easy it was to set up an account and get started. I am still not completely comfortable with all the lingo, but I am slowing learning. I had to watch a couple of other videos to help me better understand the in's and out's of Twitter and Tweetdeck. The Twitter video was awesome because it was created by a teacher, and she is explaining it in a way that was informational yet encouraging. She made a great comparison in her video when she said, "Facebook is for people you know, and Twitter is for people you wish you knew." When I sat back and really thought about it, her statement was very true. You can follow people from all different places, professions and walks of life. You can follow people who you wish were your friends and share in their knowledge. Maybe this is where my nerves kick in. Because these people aren't my close friends, I feel a certain vulnerability to judgement. None the less, the video's information and encouragement helped me begin my Twitter journey.

Once I finally set up my account, I started exploring Twitter and what it had to offer. It really is amazing to see how much information is on Twitter. You can find such great educational topics to follow, and the people have such a great wealth of knowledge. Once I was fully immersed in my Twitter space, I could clearly see why people enjoy Twitter. From this week's text, I remembered reading about the Laura Walkers "Nine Reasons to Twitter." Reading about the reasons was nothing compared to being able to see them in action. I could actually sense the virtual staffroom and see the professional reflecting and sound boarding happening that she wrote about. It really was a cool experience to see it first hand.

I am looking forward to becoming more comfortable with my Twitter account, and I might finally send out my first tweet tonight! I am still trying to build up the courage. I am also still exploring the Tweetdeck tool. I definitely think it helps organize and see the new tweets coming in. It is a great tool for a first time Twitter person.

Here is my Twitter Username for those that what to follow me.  :)

My username is MrsConrad1019

https://twitter.com/MrsConrad1019

Personal Learning Networks = DIYPD

I am very excited about my very first blog! I tried to start one a few months ago, but I never got it up and running. I was able to customize my page the way I like it and add a background. There is still a little more I would like to do with my blog, but it's a work in progress! I was just excited about my first post.

The name for my first blog post came from a part of the text I thought was very interesting. The text mentioned people sometimes refer to personal learning networks as "do-it-yourself-professional-development." While I have some knowledge of personal learning networks and experience with a few of my own networks, I never really thought about it being do it your self professional development. When I  used to think of professional development, I thought of sitting in a seminar for a several hours trying to absorb all the information the speaker is saying. Our technologically advancing world and the world wide web has completely changed that. Through these personal learning networks, I can communicate, collaborate, and learn from other people all over the world while sitting in my own living room or classroom. I can chose what I want to learn about and find several tools that will show me how to use it. Personal learning networks allow me to customize my professional development and build upon it when I want to.

PLNs offer more than just a one time learning experience.  Richardson and Mancabelli (2011) explained, "Learning networks substitute free resources from around the world and then embed a support system for implementing the work" (p. 33). You are not just given tools. You are given the tools plus the help to implement them into your classroom. You can ask questions or get clarification about the tools with the click of a button. You have people on the other side of the screen who can give you examples, advice, and their own experience with subjects and tools that are available to you.

One of the things I loved about the text from this week was the honesty of the how complex and difficult learning networks can be. While they are such a wonderful source of information, they can also be overwhelming. There is such an abundance of information online! You can find information on just about anything online. With such large amount of information, comes a little bit of trouble. You have to be able to sift through the learning networks that are helpful to you but that are also reliable and authentic.

I like the idea of using a variety of online learning network tools, and it was nice to read about the different tools that are available. I already use a few of the tools the text mentioned such as Diigo, Facebook, and now Blogger! I am not as familiar with Twitter, but I look forward to learning more about it. I also found this awesome article called "The Teacher's Guide on Creating Personal Learning Networks". The site offers the importance of PLNs, tips of how to use them, and other helpful resources.