My Personal Learning Network (PLN) isn't as developed as I wanted it to be at this point. I joined "Twitter", which I'm still trying to figure out how to use to its full advantage. Basically, my PLN consists of only two websites as of right now. The first one is freetech4teachers.com. This website I found through one of our blog assignments. It's a great source for teachers who want to incorporate technology into their classroom. It has a lot of "how to" posts and videos that are perfect for someone who feels lost when it comes to using technology in the classroom.
The second thing I found was abcya.com. The description on the website states:
"ABCya! is the leader in free educational kids computer games and activities for elementary students to learn on the web. All children's educational computer games and activities were created or approved by certified teachers. ABCya! educational games are free and are modeled from primary grade lessons and enhanced to provide an interactive way for children to learn. ABCya! games and activities incorporate content areas such as math and reading while introducing basic computer skills. Many of the kindergarten and first grade games are equipped with sound to enhance understanding. Great kids Holiday games and activities are available in grade level sections!"
This is a quick, easy way to introduce students to the many ways to learn through technology, and lets them see that learning can be fun. It is also a great starting place for the teachers who want to use more technology, but just don't know where to start.
I would also like to mention that symbaloo is the greatest invention ever. I now have it as my homepage when I pull the internet up and every website I visit on a day to day basis is one click away. Wonderful.
Again, I know my PLN isn't very impressive right now but I plan on learning a lot in this course and finding things I can benefit from in the future when I have my own classroom.
Remember the PLN is not just internet but also people and places that are a part of your learning. Regarding Twitter, use the topic search (about half way down the right side) and search topics like "elementary education," or "technology in education," or whatever topics might inform your learning. Follow people you find interesting under those topics. Add these people to your PLN.
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