[OLR] Exercise 4.3 Social networking tools for your "PLN"

Using your set of own heuristics, Make up a new new table from lists A and B showing which sites have ordo not have potential and challenges as platforms for:

i) Learning?

ii) Professional development in the workplace?

Basically my 'Too hard' choices are because the sites appear to be gossip, or too full of advertising, social networking with an implication on chat rather than discussion. Plus many of these sites are far too uncontrollable to ever fly past my Education Department's ICT Block guidelines - for example if I get students onto Facebook they are on Facebook - I can't control who they befriend choose to talk to. At this point in history I believe that parents and schools and communities expect that their students stay within the classroom - even though learning transcends classrooms (a contradiction, I know). Viewing the world Web 1.0 style fits within that view of staying within the classroom more so than having interactions such as the Too Hard choices. I guess what I've learnt for myself here is that the sites that I've chosen allow for what I perceive to be a more focused, less open, more controlled Web 2.0 type of co-collaborative experience. I really value the learning and building of knowledge. Delicious has uses for educators moreso than students in yr 6/7 I think - although it's principles of sharing are good. Flickr has problems with inappropriate content, but I'll put it on the OK list anyway. Ditto youtube. Youtube's a wonderful resource that provides so many rare and engaging snippets to demonstrate lesson points with. Teachertube as well of course, but it's much more limited in scope.

b) Make a up a social profile at two new social networking sites, using one from each list or from any you found online.

Ning: This could be very powerful to support a rich student learning online experience within a relatively controlled environment.

Facebook: I've been surprised how much I like Facebook. It's a great way to keep in touch with other teachers that I've worked with over the years, touch base and share ideas. Who'd have thunk it?

c) Visit http://sites.google.com/site/buildingapln/Do you have a personal learning network? Look at the potential and challenges of each new site as platforms for learning and inclusion in a PLN?

No, I don't have a PLN - that sounds a bit too grand for hunting and pecking on the net. Frankly I find the noise / info ratio a little too high. In my personal life I do have a PLN - to do with cameras and photography. Curious that I don't have one for work. I worry about getting sucked into the noise. Plus there's merit in less ideas more deeply thought about. One shouldn't be ashamed to try less - but more deeply - at the expense of (potentially) trying to try everything in a shallow and superficial manner. For example I found LC MOO a bit old school in the light of more 'modern' GUI alternatives. But who knows, through deep use (and understanding of LC MOO) I could start to see all sorts of opportunities and strengths / virtues in it that aren't obvious at first encounter. This really raises the deeper truth: Good educational tools et al are the tools that you understand most deeply how to use and be empowered by / empower others with.