Using Web 2.0 Tools to Build and Maintain a

Personal Learning Network

E. GregoryNovember 27, 2009

Gold Trail School District Non-Instructional Day

Do you…

Use email? Use del.icio.us/diigo?

Use Twitter? Blog?

Have a Flickr Account? Use RSS feedburners?

Have a facebook account?

Taking the temperature…

Tim Berners- Lee invented the world wide web in the early 90s

Web 1.0 vs Web 2.0

Web 2.0 is interactive, collaborative, and user centered.

What is Web 2.0?

Not a new concept Learning together with others ‘PLN’ = Professional development + Web 2.0

tools My favourite PLN tools:

What is a ‘Personal Learning Network’?

My PLN in the last year:From local to global

The ClustrMap on my blog shows where my readers are:

The Networked Teacher - Update October 2008 (Alec Couros)

Will Richardson's thoughts on PLN Understanding how to use Web 2.0 tools to extend our

own learning allows us to then help our students do the same

To learn from and with others

To help others learn

To be a better teacher

Why create a PLN?

Questions?Comments?

Here comes the fun part…

Del.icio.us/diigoEdublogs/BloggerAggregators/RSS

TwitterNings/CEET/Wikis

Flickr

Time for the Web 2.0 Tools!

Purpose: A way to organize and share favourite sites

Much more than saving a website to your ‘favourites’

Access your bookmarks from any computer

All sites in this presentation tagged “Nov2009NID” on http://delicious.com/emisle

Social Bookmarking in Plain English

Social Bookmarking

1. Del.icio.us◦ Install the buttons to your toolbar◦ Use tags when you save your bookmarks◦ Start creating a network to learn from/with

others

2. diigo – takes this further◦More organization and search features◦ iPhone app◦Sticky notes◦Collaborative features (groups)

Two Main Social Bookmarking Sites:

Much, much more than an online journal ‘blog’ is short for ‘weblog’ 900,000 – average # of blog posts in a 24 hr period Many free hosting sites (Edublogs, Blogger)

Multiple purposes:◦ To read and write◦ To think, plan and reflect ◦ To gather/organize/share information◦ To explore new ideas ◦ To collaborate and start/continue dialogue◦ To connect◦ To learn

Blogging

The Top 200 Education Blogs

Blogs I Read from Just a Thought (my blog)

Do a Google Blog search

Whatever interests you!

Blogs to read:

Purpose: Helps to efficiently gather information

Have the content you want come to you! RSS in Plain English Aggregates syndicated web content (blogs,

podcasts, etc.) on one site for easy viewing Google Reader◦Like checking your email – check mine◦Collaborative – you can share with others

Netvibes – good example Art 2.0 Blogroll Pageflakes

Aggregators

Twitter – 6 million users in April 2009 Original purpose: To answer a simple question -

What are you doing right now? “has blown my professional mindset wind open” Limited to 140 characters Very current, THE way to be connected You ‘follow’ people, people ‘follow’ you You can block people – check your followers Can become dialogue Can retweet Can share links, resources, photos, etc. Use an application like Tweetdeck or Twhirl

Microblogging

Purpose: “to create and join social networks for your interests and passions” (www.ning.com)

Nings – so many!◦Easy to create◦Used by teachers for pro-d and with students

Flat Classroom Project Classroom 2.0 – over 34 000 members! The Educator’s PLN Art Education 2.0

Online Learning Communities

CEET - Community of Expertise in Educational Technology◦B.C. based◦Started in the spring of 2009

Wikis – collaborative website with editable pages

Social Networking Sites◦Facebook – 200 000 000 active users

More Online Communities

Online photo management/sharing site

Online community – groups/collaborative◦Every group you can think of!

Popular with bloggers as a photo repository◦Creative commons licences◦Use www.behold.cc to search based on copyright

Over 4 billion images as of October 2009

Flickr

Questions?Comments?

PLN Yourself by Sue Waters

NovNID2009 tag on http://delicious.com/emisle

Observe, lurk…

Try, comment!

Read, ask for help…

Share, question, reflect!

Create, encourage!

Where to start?

Face to Face (f2f) is important too!

Think about who you want in your PLN. My requirements…

Netiquette◦ Grandma Rule: If you wouldn’t say it to the nicest of grannies, don’t

say it on the internet◦ Read up on these sites before you start – lots of ‘beginner tips’ or

‘newbies advice’ information out there

Privacy◦ Anonymous email address (gmail is great)◦ Decide on your comfort level◦ Never put any personal information online◦ Watch indirect references to locations, etc.◦ Get creative with your photo!

Just remember…

Networked teacher image by Alec Couros accessed on November 26, 2009 at http://www.flickr.com/photos/courosa/2922421696/in/set-72157615129270288/

http://thefuturebuzz.com/2009/01/12/social-media-web-20-internet-numbers-stats/ – accessed November 26, 2009

Wikipedia – accessed November 26, 2009

www.ning.com – accessed November 26, 2009

References: