GaGa for Goo.gl (& QR Codes)

You may find this hard to believe, but it's sometimes easier for me to make a short video than to write a blog post. I think this explanation works well in this format.

The Most Important Thing

I'm in the midst of preparing a workshop for staff based on an earlier presentation: 'Collaboration: Top Ten Trends'. In polishing an interactive session, I'm offering educators from around the world, the opportunity to help me teach a valuable lesson.

Step #1: Engage Google forms to create a simple survey;

Step #2: Elicit the cooperation of Twitter colleagues, in sharing the message;

Step #3: Embed the form in my blog to gather more suggestions from the edu-blogosphere.

Step #4: Publish the survey results. I'm thinking at present of engaging Wordle, but also hope to consolidate the data into a Top Ten list.

What's the Most Important thing You've Learned from Your PLN?

Tomorrow morning I'm taking a road trip to attend the ABEL Summer Institute where my session on Personal Learning Networks should dovetail nicely with the theme "Intersections: Where Learner, Literacy and Technology Meet."

In my session, I'll be highlighting a number of online tools that educators and students can harness to develop learning relationships with colleagues around the world. To this end, it seems a natural segue for me to invite members of my own PLN to contribute to the session.

While you are welcome to read the responses of other educators by scrolling to the bottom of my brief Personal Learning Networks Survey, I'd love to know "What's the most important thing you've learned from your PLN?" Who knows, you might one day find yourself teaching others about PLNs, by revisiting the results of this survey...

For the benefit of attendees and others interested PLN development, my workshop materials are located here: The Golden Fleece Wiki, Teacher 2.0, HomePageStartup, Delicious, Google Reader, Twitter.

Workshop attendees are invited to share their comments on the Social Networking for Teachers workshop by clicking the 'comment' button below.



Image Credit: Wordle has been used to reframe PLN survey responses.

Wisdom of the Collective

What's the most important thing you've learned from your Personal Learning Network?


"If I'm struggling with something, chances are someone else is too! Seeing others take risks helps me take them more confidently, too." Adrienne Michetti

"Regardless of how boring the material that you have to cover might be, using web 2.0 tools makes students active participants in the education process. I am getting so much more feedback through the blogs, email, and classroom response systems than I ever did with asking a student for an answer" Brian Licata

"...I've learned that there is an on line community there to support you in whatever way you need at the this very moment. You just need to take a risk and ask." Elona Hartjes

"...My PLN supports my learning in many different ways. I can propose an idea and get feedback, or I can explore others' writings to get a different perspective. That's at the conceptual level. At the tools level, I can get help on a specific tool or I can learn about new tools. And when I need some information about a topic, I turn to my PLN for the information directly or pointers to where it can be accessed. My learning is deeper and richer because of my PLN." Cindy Seibel

"The most important thing I have learned from my PLN is I cannot keep up or stay current on my own. I can benefit from other educator's experiences at the click of a button so I don't have to read it all or do it all myself. My favourite phrase is "We not me"" Doug Sadler

"...I've learned that a PLN is absolutely critical for me to keep up with things going on in education. I simply cannot wait for the "guru" articles & books to be published because things are changing too fast. But I can learn a ton from people who are sharing via blogs & podcasts. For the first time in my teaching career, I don't feel totally isolated in my job. My PLN has been a life-saver (and a sanity saver)." Kelly Ady

"Start slow it can be overwhelming. Don't lurk, participate. Be willing to contribute and don't get bummed if you don't get a response. It will take some time." Paul R. Wood


Add your wisdom, or follow the link and scroll down to reflect on the thoughts of others.

Photo Credit: Stephen Downes

What's Good for the Kids...

A study of grade 7 students in Montreal shows too many are spending too much time in front of 'screens'. According to the report as published in the London Free Press:

"The bulk of the kids studied -- about 60 per cent -- spent an average of 20 hours a week in front of a screen, whether that was to watch TV, play a video game or navigate the Internet for recreational purposes.

But about a third spend closer to 40 hours a week in front of a screen. And between seven and 10 per cent of the teenagers logged 50 or more hours a week of screen time, researchers found."

Has anyone ever conducted a similar study on adults? In my own daily work, I necessarily spend many hours a week in front of a computer screen... maybe I should track this time?

If such 'activity' is related to a sedentary lifestyle, leading to heart disease and obesity, maybe we should concern ourselves with the state of the nation rather than the state of teens? In a world where a 35 year old woman can spend two years on a toilet seat...

A late breaking anecdote to consider: At today's synchronized swimming competition, I thought a dad had found a novel place to catch up on office work. After discovering a power outlet in the spectator area, he had plugged in his notebook computer... to play solitaire! Yikes. Ever thought of bringing a deck of cards? Maybe we really do need to take inventory of 'screen time' by adults!

Photo Credit: Tom: An Untrained Eye

Top 100 Tools for Learning

The Centre for Learning and Performance Technologies in the UK, has released its 'Top 10 Tools for Learning'.

Based on contributions from 118 educators, this list contains a very high proportion of free tools (maybe Wired magazine is on to something...); and highlights many of the social tools that have been the focus of the edublogosphere for the past many months.

Of note:
Del.icio.us is the new Number 1;
Google Reader has climbed within the top ten to Number 4;
PowerPoint may finally be beginning its slow fade;
Twitter skyrockets from 43 to 15;
Jing and Wetpaint both debut in the top 50;
Google Earth was only recommended by 3 of those surveyed...


Top 10 screen grab from: http://www.c4lpt.co.uk/recommended/top100.html

Does anything in the survey results surprise you?