Seven Degrees of Connectedness... the Infographic While I haven't had time to respond to all the comments I received on the framework I posted yesterday, I did engage in a short conversation with Sylvia Tolisano about turning the Seven Degrees of Connectness into an infographic. After following Sylvia's work online for a few years, I count myself lucky for having the opportunity to meet her first hand at Educon 2.3. After sharing an idea, and engaging in a short conversation, Sylvia produced the infographic that follows. Network- Book In recent years there has been a growing public fascination with the complex "connectedness" of modern society. This connectedness is found in many incarnations: in the rapid growth of the Internet and the Web, in the ease with which global communication now takes place, and in the ability of news and information as well as epidemics and financial crises to spread around the world with surprising speed and intensity. These are phenomena that involve networks, incentives, and the aggregate behavior of groups of people; they are based on the links that connect us and the ways in which each of our decisions can have subtle consequences for the outcomes of everyone else. Networks, Crowds, and Markets combines different scientific perspectives in its approach to understanding networks and behavior. The book is based on an inter-disciplinary course that we teach at Cornell. You can download a complete pre-publication draft of Networks, Crowds, and Markets here.
Digital Portfolios Best Practices Infographic Today's students are the most accomplished and the most connected. Back in the day, no one needed a resume until they were out of school. Now, even middle schoolers are being asked to submit completed resumes to apply for summer programs. This is why an up to date, professional portfolio is now a necessity for students. A portfolio's goal is to showcase your talents, skills, projects and recognitions. When you are building a portfolio, each item needs to have proper details. Set yourself up for success. See also: How to Build a Student Portfolio Infographic Networks-Intro Scott B. Weingart Part 1 of n: An Introduction This piece builds on a bunch of my recent blog posts that have mentioned networks. Some Warnings A network is a fantastic tool in the digital humanist’s toolbox—one of many—and it’s no exaggeration to say pretty much any data can be studied via network analysis. The danger here is two-fold. When you’re given your first hammer, everything looks like a nail. The Basics Nothing worth discovering has ever been found in safe waters. Anyone with a lot of time and a vicious interest in networks should stop reading right now, and instead pick up copies of Networks, Crowds, and Markets[] and Networks: An Introduction[]. Those of you with slightly less time, but somehow enough to read my rambling blog (there are apparently a few of you out there), so good of you to join me. Networks The word “network” originally meant just that: “a net-like arrangement of threads, wires, etc.” A simple network representation from wikipedia.org The Stuff The Relationships
Why and How to create successful Personal Learning Networks Back in the 1950s and 60s, when you needed to make a photocopy at work or place a long-distance call to your counterpart in another city, you couldn’t walk up to the photocopy machine or telephone and do it yourself. A “trained” operator had to do it for you. Today, if there is a particular workplace challenge to overcome, you no longer have to wait for training. By leveraging your personal learning network to get the information you need, you can become instantly productive. The idea behind a Personal Learning Network has its roots in a learning theory, called the Theory of Connectivism, advanced by George Siemens back in 2005. According to Siemens’ Theory of Connectivism, continuous learning in the workplace can most effectively happen when employees personally reach out, beyond the formal classroom setting, and create informal structures within their environment to support their ongoing learning needs. PLNs simplified Why is developing a PLN important? Barriers to workplace learning
Personal Learning Networks for Educators: 10 Tips By Dr. Mark Wagner I often begin my workshop on personal learning networks (PLN) for educators by asking these questions: Who is in your learning network? Who do you learn from on a regular basis? Who do you turn to for your own professional development? Some educators are lucky enough to learn from their coworkers or colleagues at their site. I usually ask these questions at conferences, which are frequently only annual events – and rare treats for many educators. Learning to Network and Networking to Learn 1. 2. 3. 4. Networking Tools and Anecdotes The four tips above are the core activities of building a personal learning network, and they can be applied using various tools to connect with others online. 5. 6. 7. 8. Final Thoughts These final two tips will help keep your initial frustrations in perspective, and help you avoid the temptation to focus on unimportant metrics as you grow your network. 9. 10. Note: I’ve also been writing about this topic for some time.
10 Reasons Every Teacher Needs A Professional Learning Network - 10 Reasons Every Teacher Needs A Professional Learning Network by TeachThought Staff What’s a professional learning network? According to Marc-André Lalande, “a Personal Learning Network is a way of describing the group of people that you connect with to learn their ideas, their questions, their reflections, and their references. Your PLN is not limited to online interactions, but it is that online, global interactive part that really makes it special. As for this graphic? Let us know in the comments if you have other suggestions! 1. Consider: OER Commons Resources 2. Consider: 23 Ways To Use The iPad In PBL 3. Consider: 52 Education Blogs You Should Follow 4. Consider: An example like clarifying the difference between ‘doing projects’ and PBL 5. Consider: Project-Based Learning in your classroom 6. Consider: Why Learning Through Social Networks Is The Future 7. Consider: 50 Ideas For Using Skype In The Classroom 8. 9. Consider: The most popular twitter hashtags in education 10.
Connectivism & The PLN One of the principles of connectivism is that you share. You offer your knowledge, skills, abilities, talents, materials, resources to someone else, free of charge. For nothing in return, you give it away. Now, a true capitalist would smell something fishy in this idea. As a matter of fact, it would not be unusual to hear something like, “There’s something rotten in the state of Denmark.” We sell things. So, let me say up front, I’m a capitalist, and a consumer. Having said that, I do draw your attention to another option, entirely viable, and entirely up to you. I want to give an example of what being connected to you, my unseen and unknown friend(s) out there in Digital Wonderland, what your connection means to me. Connectivism is Sharing - freely 1. So, what can I do when I don’t know what to do? In the case of my management concerns, an excellent presentation was given at IATEFL 2011 in Brighton. Let me emphasize that I got all of this for nothing. Aggregate: Collect a resource.
Develop your PLN There’s a lot of information out there about PLNs, but sometimes you just want a simple guide to get you started. Here it is. This infographic gives a very brief, four step guide to initiating a PLN. Of course, a PLN is not something that you can develop in an afternoon, but by following the steps in this guide, you can make a start, and you know what they say, a journey of a thousand steps… There’s a printable PDF version also if you want to post this in your classroom, library or elsewhere (click the link, or the infographic image below). Below the infographic are links to the other PLN posts I’ve written, so if you want to delve deeper, it’s easy to find them. Creating and maintaining a PLN can be so rewarding – and don’t forget to add me to your network – I’d love to learn with you! Other posts on PLNs that I have written include: PLNs: Theory and Practice Supercharge your PLN – Part One, Part Two and Part Three The Symphonic Magic of the PLN Personalised Learning through the PLN