Blog Post #6

The Networked Student
The idea of a networked student never really occurred to me until I watched this video. Ms. Drexler may be on to something here. After all, everything we do these days is so network based. Networking almost dictates every aspect of daily living in the 21st century. Whether someone is looking for friends or jobs, networking skills have become imperative, especially with the social networking craze of twitter and facebook. Teachers might do well incorporating web based networking into the classroom; it has become the most popular mode of gathering information and communicating.

However, this is very revolutionary, and I feel the networked student concept needs to done in baby steps. It will also require close observation. And it should remain experimental until there is hard scientific evidence of success. Meaning, people, namely parents, are going to want see how this has benefited a student after they have finished school before there is mass endorsement.

Furthermore, I think Ms. Drexler does a great job admitting the challenges of the concept of the networked student. As a bit of a skeptic, I always like to see someone admit they do not have all the answers. But not having all the answers does not mean this is not a good idea. The video does a good job illustrating the teacher’s role as an effective and open minded filter. As a future educator in the 21st century, I am definitely willing to give any new idea a try for the benefit of our future generations.

A 7th Grader’s Personal Learning Environment
This post was impressive. I continue to be blown away by the many virtual learning techniques available today. People are always so worried that kids are using the internet for the wrong things. This 7th grader’s PLE is proof of kids using it for the right things.

I have always been a fan of taking notes in class. I literally have to in order for me to remember what was discussed in class. This is better than taking notes. It is twenty-four hour access to the class. I especially like the student having the ability to get the opinion of an expert anywhere in the world. It teaches them to value the opinion of another. This is all new to me, but it is interesting.