Right now, I've decided not to create an Twitter account and start developing a PLN. I need to spend more time developing my competence at blogging as well as using other tools we've gotten on class. I feel it will be enough for me to try to keep up with blogging at this time.
I've got new information from blogs that currently applies to my course and its subject matter. Therefore, I will use the blog information that I have right now in class this week. By sharing the information with students, they will have access to a blog that can provide information on the state budget. This is a topic we have covered in class throughout the semester and now, because of my exposure to blogging, I have a meaningful application of my new knowledge.
One of the blogs I read has to do with the misinformation perpetrated by a blogger on Shirley Sherrod. Not only do the blogs provide a way to refute and challenge the content of the original blog, students also now have an opportunity to apply critical thinking skills. "Applying critical thinking skills" is one of the competencies for my course.
Therefore, I will use blogs for now in my course and develop my competency at using other technologies in the future.
I share your hesitancy with the PLN sites. I am going to force my self to check it out. I also need more experience with blogging. I have nine immediate relatives who are in Education. I have told them to watch for up coming exciting news and ideas that I will share from my Educational Psychology class. This will motivate me to master some of these tools in order to share with them and my students.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the Shirley Sherrod example, hopefully people learned not to take these videos at face value, especially from this author. He obviously has an agenda he's pushing.