Blog #9-Analyzing your PLN
MAKING CONNECTIONS
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| Lisa and Oliver Douglas Photo: http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/ |
The popular sitcom "Green Acres" of the mid 1960's humorously highlighted life in rural America. The hardworking suit clad husband leaves city life to fulfill his dream as a farmer. The beautiful actress, Eva Gabor is cast as his high maintenance, socialite wife who comes along dragging her high heels and lamenting how much she will miss her Park Avenue, New York lifestyle.
Within hours of their arrival on the dilapidated farm they begin to discover the characters who make up the social fabric that embraces the boundaries of their newly acquired rural American acreage. They are all well-meaning characters who come to offer advice and to lend a hand to the gentleman farmer and his wife. In a sense, this was a social network of sorts. Neighbors arrived with instructions on how to operate a pitchfork and a tractor and feed hogs and hens. Local news was spread by the telephone party line. In a sense, contemporary social networks continue to provide assistance and learning, even so, in this age of technology and access to virtual environments social networks have changed dramatically.
POWER OF THE PLN
A social network is a connection or a network that allows anyone the space to connect with others. These learning spaces may be face to face or online connections. Both of which are powerful to ourselves and others - the citizens of virtual immersive, connected, global communities. It is through a well developed PLN (Personal Learning Network) where we immerse ourselves in ongoing conversations that fuel our interests and passions. Becoming engaged and sharing with others is a valuable aspect of social networking allowing individuals to become engaged in experiences, other perspectives, and reflective thinking. These networked encounters provoke meaningful, experiential, constructivist learning. With networks we are smarter each day. This is the power of collective knowledge via construction of a well-directed PLN.
TOPICS INCLUDED IN MY PLN
The topics included in a PLN should reflect one's interests and/or fulfillment of learning goals. Often times these learning goals are related to personal and career growth. Over the past month I have developed a PLN that represents personal and professional interests representing the spectrum of personal and professionally oriented knowledge. Topics in my PLN include: education, dentistry, innovation, inspiration, learning, leadership, business, art, and photography. I use Blogger, Twitter, Feedly, and Diigo. On Twitter I currently follow 107 entities an have 26 followers of my own! I feels at this point I have a well-honed direction of organizations to follow and gain from. It is interesting to note I have included art, photography,and inspirational sites to appeal to my visual and spiritual senses to complement and balance the mental input.
TOPICS INCLUDED IN MY PLN
The topics included in a PLN should reflect one's interests and/or fulfillment of learning goals. Often times these learning goals are related to personal and career growth. Over the past month I have developed a PLN that represents personal and professional interests representing the spectrum of personal and professionally oriented knowledge. Topics in my PLN include: education, dentistry, innovation, inspiration, learning, leadership, business, art, and photography. I use Blogger, Twitter, Feedly, and Diigo. On Twitter I currently follow 107 entities an have 26 followers of my own! I feels at this point I have a well-honed direction of organizations to follow and gain from. It is interesting to note I have included art, photography,and inspirational sites to appeal to my visual and spiritual senses to complement and balance the mental input.
I think the show Green Acres is pretty funny but I never thought about it as a social network. But now that I think about it, we have all had social networks for a long time they just weren't technology based. I agree that a PLN can be a powerful tool for advancing our careers. Your PLN looks like it is a good one with lots of variety of topics and connections,.
ReplyDeleteCindy,
ReplyDeleteIn answer to your question to me about what feed tools I have found,In LinkedIn I cane across an organization called Connect Professional Women's Network, Powered by Citi. This group brings professional women from all over the country and they contribute stories, advice, and articles that really make you think. For instance one project manager asked,"What is the #1 thing you would like to accomplish in 2014"? It is a great way to discuss ideas with other people and gather their insights.
Thank you for this response providing valuable resources for me to look into. Love networking!
ReplyDeleteI loved this approach that you took to this assigned posting. Your category “Power of the PLN” should be copy and pasted into Wikipedia so that everyone can get an accurate definition of what a PLN is. I have never seen the “Green Acres” and after seeing the video I marvel at the connection that you found. I would like to provide a bit of insight in my view of what a PLN is. I believe a PLN is mainly a group of connections that include many different people. Those people can then improve my personal area of learning and can help develop my skills in that area. It seems you have a network of people that is growing in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteRight on Royce! You nailed it a PLN is just that a group of connections that should include diversity in persons, subjects, and viewpoints to get the most from it.
ReplyDelete