Learning Networks

After learning about learning networks, we actually had to join one and get in on the action. I'm not gonna lie, I was not very excited about having to engage with someone I didn't know. For one, I felt that since I wasn't a teacher, some of the net workers wouldn't really be interested in what I had to say. Also, I had this fear of doing something new and going out of my comfort zone. When I realized I was just being stupid and lazy, I decided to join the Classroom 2.0 site. This site seemed to be strictly for education and required approval from the site owners to gain access.

When I joined the site I made sure to put up a profile picture and put a little bit of information about what I was doing on the website. I didn't know exactly where to start when it came to conversing with the other teachers so I put that part off for a day or 2. When I finally went back on the site, I started reading some of the other conversations that teachers had been posting to the forums. Some of the discussions were very interesting, but I wasn't sure if I had enough expertise to give back any good feedback. I quickly came across a posting about a teacher asking if she thought that Facebook could be a useful tool for education. I got really excited and immediately replied. I told her about our Art Show project and how Facebook, so far, has been the best mode of communication for the students. I haven't received any replies back yet, but when I do, I'll have to comment back on this post.

Overall, I think that Classroom 2.0 is an excellent way to increase your learning networks. It still amazes me what we can do with technology and how we can use it in such a positive way to enhance our learning and communication. I can speak to a teacher from half way across the world and share ideas and collaborate. When I have a problem trying to create a difficult lesson plan, or am having trouble trying to reach a difficult student, I can post my troubles online and another teacher with a great idea can post back to me and offer advice on how to deal with these problems. Yay!