After reading Peps Mccrea's article How Personal Learning Networks (PLN) Are Evolving Staff, TeachThought. “3 Ways Personal Learning Networks Are Evolving.” TeachThought, 2 Mar. 2015, www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/personal-learning-networks/#google_vignette. Accessed 24 May 2024., I am convinced that PLNS are important and that change is necessary. In this article, Mccrea discusses three types of PLN evolution. She discusses how to make personal learning networks (PLNs) more genuine and agile, how to test oneself within their PLN, and how to professionalize them. It was refreshing that Mccrea suggests sharing your ideas with your PLN before they are completely formed to seek feedback. I'm always anxious that I won't be able to communicate with others unless every word is perfectly worded. I am quite self-conscious and concerned about how I will be seen. My main concern is that I will be perceived as incompetent. She adds that you should tell who affected you and how you built on others' ideas and ran with them.
Additionally, Mccrea also suggests that you follow individuals on social media whose views are different from your own. Publicly challenging oneself and keeping in mind that the purpose of debate is to criticize the subject matter, not the other person. Others who have interacted with people whose ideas differ from their own have offered the same advice—which is perhaps easier said than done. Her recommendations for professionalizing your PLN around your skill set. Work together, exchange ideas, and utilize a variety of platforms to forge and promote your identity.
Resources:
https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/personal-learning-networks/#google_vignette
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on Peps Mccrea's article about Personal Learning Networks (PLNs).
ReplyDeleteThe suggestion from Mccrea to share your ideas with your PLN before they are fully formed to seek feedback is interesting (and a little scary). I, too, often feel anxious about communicating my thoughts unless they are perfectly worded. However, Mccrea's advice to acknowledge who influenced you and how you built on others' ideas is a great reminder that learning is a collaborative process.
The suggestion to follow individuals on social media whose views differ from our own is also insightful. It reminds me of the classic idea of two people's worldviews coming together in a Venn diagram, where the overlapping area represents the expanded understanding and perspectives gained from each other. Engaging in debates focused on the subject matter rather than the person can help broaden our viewpoints and challenge our thinking. While this may be easier said than done, it is a valuable practice for personal and professional growth.
Mccrea's recommendations for professionalizing your PLN around your skill set are practical and actionable, making this process feel more attainable.
Your reflections on this article highlight the importance of embracing vulnerability and openness in our learning journeys. I look forward to hearing more about how you plan to implement these strategies in your PLN.
- Patience
I always need to be reminded that when someone gives me a critique, it's not me that is being critiqued. I am at times resistant to giving a suggestion because I don't want to hurt their feelings. I need to know that this isn't the case. By being positive in the suggestions gives the other person another perspective without feeling attacked.
ReplyDeleteAsking others to give their opinion on a subject or a project is the showing of maturing and wanting to produce work that is above par.
They might give you a suggestion that you hadn't thought of before and would make your project/presentation that much more professional and informative.