Blog #7

 

The Networked Student.

    This video was interesting in the fact that it asked the question of why and how a teachers role in this new technology age is even going to be relevant. In previous assignments, we have explored many different ways in which technology and social media are going to help teachers reach their students better.  The question of why a teacher is relevant once a student becomes so connected is an interesting one, but I also believe an easy one to answer.

    First off, “the networked student” is taught to do things such as, validate sources for his PLN, post findings on social bookmarking sites, create his/her own blog, and even listen to podcasts from other professors around the globe. These are all wonderful things that I hope all of my students will be able to do. But as just as I take this class, it becomes extremely apparent: who is going to TEACH them to do these things? While students are becoming more tech and media savvy than ever before, someone has to teach them to do these things. Maybe its their friends, family, or even themselves who could teach a student to do these things, but shouldn't we, as educators, do everything we can to ensure that they at least are shown a method that might possibly be better, or safer, or even more productive? I sure hope so.

     At the end of this video we are shown several adjectives to describe the ideal teacher of this networked student. Theses ides include: learning architect, connected learning incubator, modeler, network sherpa, change agent, synthesizer, and learning concierge. All of these terms are wonderful, but the underlying truth beneath them as they are all the responsibility of today's educator for these students. Every student absolutely needs to learn how to make the most of these resources. Just as every student needs to make the most of these resources, every teacher needs to try and ensure that every student is shown a way in which to accomplish that goal.

    I personally have grown up extremely connected. I have been on Facebook since high school and can text with my eyes shut, but I didn't know how to make a blog or validate a source for my PLN until this class. I’m sure I could have figured out how to write a blog, but I may never have appreciated how important it is to have one, without a  TEACHER showing me another side to this. It's not that every student absolutely needs a teacher to show them how to do these things, then again I may be able to figure out open heart surgery, but wouldn't we all sleep better knowing that qualified teacher showed me how too?

A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment (or PLN)

    This young student Wendy is a very bright, articulate, a well connected young lady, and I am extremely impressed. One thing that I wish she would have done is possibly given the teachers a little more credit for showing her how to do these things and how to use them, but oh well. As far as how her PLE compares to my PLN, I would hope to have something similar, yet more in depth than her. While she did have several links to Youtube videos, Facebook, and Skype. I did not see many personal connections in her PLE. As her teacher, I would encourage her to follow actual people and to learn and interact with them, whether through email, skype, blogging, twitter, or even actual face or phone time. All in all this young lady shows a lot of promise, and my hats off to her and the teachers that got her there.