Blog Post #7

1.) The Networked Student by Wendy Drexler.

Call me weird, but I like attending class on campus and actually interacting with my professors and fellow students in the same room. When I started college, and started signing up for my classes,I tried to avoid the web-based classes. But the past few of semesters I have not been able to avoid them. One web-based class I had to take was Speech. When signing up for this class, I thought to myself "How can you take speech online?", and I found out that it was possible. I have also found that the reason I do not like these classes is because I actually have to take time out and make myself work. Leaving my house and going to class is so much easier because there are less distractions. Whereas if I stay at home, I get sidetracked with doing something else, or I want to take a nap all of a sudden. But when I started EDM310 I found that I can actually teach and learn things on my own.

The Networked Student video, informs us on how students can use these web-based classes to learn on their own. Students realize, in taking classes like that, that they are capable of teaching themselves and actually learning something. Students can become connected with people from all over the world, such as students like themselves, professors and experts, that they can interact with and ask questions and discuss things with. Not only can students be taught in the classroom, but they can then take the questions they have and do more research on those topics allowing them to explore things they never thought possible.

One question raised and asked in this video was "Why does the networked student even need a teacher?". To me, the teacher is there to lead and guide you on your learning journey. To help answer any questions you may have along the way. Teachers help students build a foundation to their learning. Learning does not stop once you leave the classroom, we can learn new stuff everywhere we go.

2.)What is a Personal Learning Environment? Well before this class and this video, A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment(or PLN) I was not really to sure. This video give you a good idea of what can be done with creating your own Personal Learning Environment. It is a great way to organize things that would help you with your classes or work. You can take your own PLE and either focus on one class like this 7th grader did for her science class; or you can do what I am going to do and create it for the purpose of connecting with websites and other teachers all around that can give me insight on how to be a good and influential educator.