Comments on: Personal Learning Environments

By: Ashley Pelfrey

Ashley Pelfrey — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 23:30:13 +0000

It is definitely true that the more learners in a society, the better the society. A quick look at statitics on the education of different parts of the world will prove that. Stereotypes label our part of the country as less educated than many other areas. It is a stereotype that will be very difficult to overcome. In order to create more learners, we must use tools to first encourage people to take the first step toward bettering themselves. People often find themselves in situations that do not allow them to attend regular classes in a traditional setting. I believe the tools that we are gaining from this class will be the a wonderful addition to the toolbox that is needed to create more learners. Creating more opportunities for online classes that would allow people to complete an entire degree program would create more learners.

As teachers, we should alawys be adding tools to our tollboxes. As times change and our educational system changes, we need new ways to gain the attention of our students, while not leaving behind the simple tools “that don’t require electricity.” Students, in the same way should also always be adding tools to their toolboxes. Although many of the learnining stategies that we teach them as young children are the same that they use as adult learners, they must continue to “sharpen” these tools.

By: Tim Toews

Tim Toews — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 10:03:37 +0000

I like the concept of a Personal Learning Environment. It turns the onus of the educational process on the person who is being educated, if done properly. Only the student truly knows what he wants and how he wants to go about learning. The teacher/mentor/expert should be able to adapt to that student’s needs and meet him where he needs to be met. if he works best straight out of a book, let him work that way. if he needs video conferencing, then let him use that.

By: msujc

msujc — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 03:06:30 +0000

Content knowledge should indeed be part of a teachers toolbox, but if they are not required to go beyone what is on the test, then a curriculum map and book will suffice just fine. teachers toolbox will be different depending on what content they are teaching but should include a few things in common, method of organization, knowledge of available technology(notice I did not say of all technology, because all technology is not available in all schools especially rural one). Teachers should also have good planning for conductive classroom and means to implement that planning.

Students toolboxs should include desire, willingness to learn, and most importantly the support of the teacher. I didn’t go into material objects because I personally feel material objects are not in the mix here.
Another thought is to look at some of the worlds great teachers in history, they had nothing other than what was in their head. Take Socrates, he just walked around and talked with people and asked questions. I am certainly not saying technology, binders, etc have no place, they certainly do, but at the very root of good education you need a teacher with content and a desire to teach and a student without that content knowledge and a desire to learn.

By: Toolboxes « Adelliott08’s Weblog

Toolboxes « Adelliott08’s Weblog — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 02:25:39 +0000

[...] Wow! Nate’s blog has once again made me scratch my head as I ponder what he is truly wanting to know. (I am [...]

By: Kim Clevinger

Kim Clevinger — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 01:53:05 +0000

The more learners we have, the better off our society is–how true!! But, are our children really learning what they need to? They learn that they must do well on a test, but what about life? Are they learning enough to make it in the world when “tests” are over? We need a system where we think of the best interest of our students and not just how our school is going to score for the year–we need a system where that students are accountable for their education and want to do well.

To teach and learn students and teachers share many of the same tools such as listening (just as our students listen to us teach, we must listen to them to know how to teach). However, there are also many tools that would be different. One is that teachers have been trained in content (so it is in their toolbox) and they are expected to put it into the students “toolbox”. I think that teachers and learners need many things that are common such as good listening skills and patience. Teachers and students learn everyday–we learn without even thinking about it. We need to use our tools to be lifelong learners and educators who want to create lifelong learners.

By: Elizabeth Freeman

Elizabeth Freeman — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:49:56 +0000

I think that teachers and learners have a lot in common because teachers are still learners. I am still learning everyday. As a teacher and learner you have access to many of the same tools. It is how the tools are used that makes them effective. I can have resource books, manipulatives, access to computers, smartboards, etc but if I don’t actively use them they do me nor my students any good. When it comes to tools as a teacher and learner the older you get the more tools you have access to. Teachers need accurate resources for teaching because students, especially at a young age depend on their teachers for accurate information. A learner depends on the tools a teacher has and learners should have access to many of the tools that a teacher has in their possession. Teachers determine from their standpoint what a student needs to know. We are looked at as the key to knowledge in our classrooms. We teach students how to learn. I do think that a teacher is not required for all learning to take place. We need to provide students with tools that promote self-learning/exploration. A learner need to have a curious mind. When the mind is curious we learn. I have seen teachers with many tools that just sit in their classroom. What good is a Promethean board that is not used? I have seen them take up wall space in classrooms.

By: Amy Howard

Amy Howard — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 22:17:57 +0000

The one thing that will be different inside a teacher’s tool box is the knowledge of content. The student lacks the content and needs to aquire it. After students aquire the knowledge then the content is in both tool boxes. A teacher’s toolbox is going to have motivational tools to have the student engaged in learning the content. The teacher is going to have research the core content. Some things that are the same is communication tools like email, Instant Messaging, virtual classrooms, wiki’s, MUDs, webquests, video, photo, camera, classroom, desk, pencils, paper, and so on. All these tools will be used by the teacher and student to learn. All the communication tools will keep the learner connected with the teacher and other students around the globe. Students will socialize and learn from others. Simulations and games will have students learn through fun play. Teachers can learn from these types of communication and find other proffessionals to collaberate, like at Tapped In. The same with games and simulations, a teacher will play and learn to use the software to teach students. The basic tools like paper, writing utensils, manipulatives, the classroom, textbooks, are tradional technologies that students will aid in research and recording infromation. The classsroom is the environment that students will use informational posters, students, and the teacher to learn content. The teacher will use those tools to prepare the content and teach. Everything we use to help students understand content is considered a tool and both students and teachers need to use the tools.

By: Shellae Peters

Shellae Peters — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 17:22:09 +0000

Not only did I love the excerpt above but I loved the whole article and video! Graham Atwell hit the nail on the head when he said the “Learning, and education, is a public good – the more people in a society that are learners, the better off that society will be. We have become so focused on education (or should I say, scoring high on the test) that we have lost sight of the true goal, which is learning! We (everyone, not just kids) should be learning new things everyday, and not just what is in a textbook or what the teacher says. That is not the way to be a life long learner. You learn more by, here we go again, interaction. Being engaged is still the key to all learning, whether in the classroom or up in the hills somewhere.
Opinion here: if there is not some type of intervention, then the “education system” (politics being strongly emphasized) is going to break the quality of learning. When we teach kids that the test is all that matters, even if we don’t specifically say that they learn more from our actions and they are constantly bombarded with it at school, then what are we really teaching them. Why should they care about learning anything new if there appears to be no benefit for them?

By: phaedrus » Blog Archive » Putting Tools Together

phaedrus » Blog Archive » Putting Tools Together — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 11:22:04 +0000

[...] is winding down but it’s not over yet. This post from 2006 is, amazingly, still current. Personal Learning Environments. As we talk about tools and as we think about the issues many of you face in rural and poor [...]

By: Traci Prater

Traci Prater — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 02:56:50 +0000

As I stated in another comment (which I can’t remember which blog I was answering) I will be going to a conference for four days in which I have to leave my students. I find this very troubling because no matter how much work I leave for them, they never seem to accomplish the task I set before them. I plan on using one of the tools, probably Tapped-in, to help with this problem I have had in the past with my students being in one location and me being in another. My intention is to set up an environment (on-line) where I leave them assignments during their class period and they must submit their responses electronically to me while I am gone. Another tool I mentioned in that same blog (it is all coming back to me now – it was the one about innovations) is the ability to monitor my students through a website both visually and auditorily at any given time. Now I understand that this type of techonology has been in existence for many years regarding home security systems, etc. but how wonderful would it be if it were available in all classrooms for each and every teacher! Those are two tools that I would love to see come to light in my classroom – one I can currently work on, the other is hopefully in my future.