REFLECTION:
PERSONAL LEARNING NETWORK
Reflect on the current policies in place
regarding social networking in your school or district. How has this workshop
shaped your opinions about the potential of these tools to facilitate learning
and collaboration? What are the challenges you face regarding incorporating
these tools and allowing teachers and students to network virtually? Describe
how you plan to address these challenges in the coming school year.
Wow! This was a
very informative class. I am happy to
know that with the RSS (Really Simply Syndication), I now have a tool that will
allow me to update and modernize my own PLN on topics that directly impact the
way I will now select and conduct technology professional development training
for the stakeholders in my school/district.
Also, I will now be able to share with all stakeholders information
(i.e., articles, video, current news updates, etc) that can possible provide
best practices that have been utilized by other school/districts.
Even after
being asked by a school/district to conduct technology professional development workshops on tools that
would allow administrators, teachers and/or students to network virtually, many
of the sites are blocked. My challenge
has been to try to convince that school/district
that “unblocking” these sites would allow (1) the stakeholders to apply what they have
just learned (2) an opportunity to connect, communicate and collaborate with all
stakeholders effectively in a timely manner.
For the upcoming year, I plan to
address the challenges by:
(a) Obtaining permission to have access to websites (i.e.
teacher tube, Google, etc) prior to scheduled training
(b) Offer technology workshops for administrators and
teachers to include Blogs, Twitter, Podcast, RSS Feed and Google Reader
(c) Offer scheduled workshops and follow-ups that offer
CEU credit via Professional Learning Community (PLC) during prep periods, after
school and during inservice on developing Personal Learning Networks for administrators
and teachers
Wendolyn, You bring up such as important issue that is a challenge for everyone. Blocking is so frustrating and prevents us from being able to do our job with ease. It would be so great if you could unblock it for all of us. I'm sure that your efforts will be appreciated by teachers in your district. Jeannie Fine
ReplyDeleteJeannie, I believe you feel my pain. I should have added the other concern/challenge, is that when they "UNblock" the sites for training sessions, they "BLOCK" the sites after training....the teachers have really enjoyed that logic.
DeleteHave a very blessed Thanksgiving!
There is nothing more frustrating than having everything planned out for professional training and then, the sites being blocked when the teachers get in there! Your plan looks great! I wish you the best with implementation.
ReplyDeleteMerr, thank you and have a blessed Thanksgiving!
DeleteGreat Blog! We have blocked sites too and are a "work in progress".
ReplyDeleteYou made a great point about blocked sites. I've been to training sessions and returned back to school and could not implement anything because of blocked sites. My school system has unblocked several sites this year such as Teachertube, Youtube, and Twitter. Offering training sessions for administrators is a plus. I am a classroom teacher and too many times I've witnessed administrators trying to enforce the use of a tool or device, yet he/she does not have proper training.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for reading my blog and your feedback.
Delete