WELL DONE!
I'd like to start this week by saying well done on last week. There was a great level of engagement with the group discussion with 34 individual comments, questions, challenges, advise and sharing gong on. It was great to be involved with and you guys are really running with the idea of the online PLN. There are a couple of prompts at the bottom that relate to how you think this PLN is going. Keep it up, you're all doing really well. Onto this week...
Your ARP
Continue Stage 3: Data Gathering - Observation of practice
You can use your E-Journal to help record your reflection on
the data you are gathering - this will be useful for Stage 4
Begin your thinking about your School ICT Change Plan
Go throught ICT Change planner and begin some discussion
about what you want to see happen in your school and how do you think you might
get there. You can find the planner on the bastow 307 site, Meredith will be emailing it out too.
The section about creating a vision and setting goals is a
great place to start. Feel free to
contact me for ideas and direction if you feel like it.
Weekly E-journal Entry - What have I learned?
In this week's E-Journal entry, reflect on:
- How your e-confidnce assessment has helped you understand about the skills and needs of the teachers in your school.
- You current feelings and reactions to your experience in this course
- What you are learning and what have been the most powerful learning experiences for you
- A significant event for you this week and how you felt and reacted
- Issues or questions
Our Group Discussion
Along with the course reading and viewing, this week we are
going to discuss our vitual PLN as well.
Now that we're about half way through the course we're going to share
with each other how we think our group is going.
We've tried to set up a supportive virtual community, a
dynamic Professional Learning Network (PLN) that exists both face to face and
online. It was established artificially
for the course but I'd like to discuss here if it has helped to support us
along the way and some of the learning that has occurred about what makes an
effective PLN.
- Do we have an effective PLN here yet?
- When has the group been most effective?
- When has it been least effective?
Some things to ponder and discuss this week...
Is there anything burning that you would like to share or
discuss about the reading or viewing this week? Anyone get a laugh out of the "dancing guy" clip?!?!
Has anyone found anything interesting on twitter or
elsewhere online this week?
In relation to our Mentor Group...
Has the group provided you with ideas, support and
direction?
How is the sharing and collaboration going?
What has been your role in this - are you an active and
contributing member of the PLN?
How does this reflect Dr Alec Couros' "Connected
Teacher" model?
I'm seriously struggling this week. HELP! Managed the readings, managed to post a comment on Twitter (instead of here), managed to complete Stage 1 of the Research Project - the thought of an ICT Plan is killing me. There is a SIPS training day in Swan Hill this Friday on planning but already filled. Really don't have time to look at it yet...funny how when we were together everyone felt they were coming out the other side - I have just entered it!
ReplyDeleteYou'll be fine - at the next workshop DET will talk a bit about the SIPS...and of course you've got Matt and I to help you along the way. One step at a time Cheryl.
DeleteWe are very conscious that you're here on your own so are here to support you. :)
Do we have an effective PLN here yet?
ReplyDeleteWhen has the group been most effective?
When has it been least effective?
Hi everybody,
I personally believe that we have a fairly effective PLN group. I think after the initial hesitation at the start it is becoming easier to write on the blog. I personally find it easier and less risky to write on the blog after one or two people have started- I think this may be because I then know that I am 'on track' with what is expected. I find the group helpful when people are at their most honest and are prepared to share their thoughts and feelings towards things- I have related to almost everybody and their posts.
I am making more of an effort to post one lengthy comment and then check in later in the week where I might comment quickly on another person's post.
I agree Marty, we are going along pretty well as a group now. It's hard to put your self out there sometimes and being tentative is a result. Do you think the face to face helped make you feel more comfortable?
ReplyDeleteFor me I think online communication like this is a really level playing field. No one holds any rank online and I like the egalitarian nature of it. You could be chatting on twitter with an international thought leader in one chat then a first year grad or uni student in the other. Everybody's opinion holds equal value, 140 characters.
I think we have an effective PLT here (although a little quiet this week, everyone catching up from long weekend). The week leading up to And after Mildura session was probably when we were most effective. When we comment, question, challenge, respond is when it is most effective. In saying that, if you go away for a couple of days it can be a little difficult to reingage in the discussion. I think it's important (though I haven't achieved it this week) to read, comment, question, then come back after a short time to keep updated and keep engaged.
ReplyDeleteI agree Joe - this is a great interactive group....but understandably a little quieter over report writing time. Hopefully the next (and remaining) 8 weeks will see you all hitting it out of the park:)
DeleteI agree with Joe. Hi everyone I know I am a week behind, but I am slowly catching up after having the flu for a week. Not ideal, seeing as this and reports are all happening. Annnnd I got the flu shot this year!!
ReplyDeleteMatt in answer to your question earlier, having that face to face certainly helped me be more of a participant. I now know who I am talking to and a little about them. But its a little funny because if I continue to blog or tweet or whatever I do online, I will not always get to meet people face to face. So in a way that comfort will most likely never be there. This is something I have to consider for my colleagues as well. They might be hesitant because they would rather meet face-to-face, but reality is, more often than not that wont be possible.
It's so hard to leave the conversation and then skip it for a few days then come back. I need to get into the habit of opening up eblogger and twitter as soon as I do compass. That way of a morning, I can check all three. Perhaps I could even set my self a challenge and have those tabs open all day, and check back in every now and again. As I find the same with twitter, once I've missed a few days I'm forecer scrolling down to see what I missed. There are too many links I want to open up and check out!
All in all I think we are an effective PLN, but I believe with a bit more self motivation and push from us all, we can be much better.
Cant wait to see you all again soon :)