Chapter five of the book is about the tools needed to create a personal learning network (PLN). The book lists and describes a few different sites that would be useful if creating a blog a website. Some of these resources include Edublog, Google Reader, podcasts, Twitter, Google Docs, Ning, and TeacherTube (Nussbaum-Beach & Ritter Hall 77-86). When using either one of these sites or a different one you may have found, it is very important to keep a good reputation online. According to the book, “Your digital footprint is a collection of the activities and behaviors that are recorded while you interact in online spaces. Everything you post is recorded, for the most part. The trick is to take control of your footprint in such a way that when you are searched for online, the content you want affiliated with your name turns up in the search” (Nussbaum-Beach & Ritter Hall 88).
This definitely relates to me as a future high school teacher because I know students look up their teachers online. I want to make sure my online reputation is professional, but also not embarrassing. Just like the book says, we have all Googled ourselves to see what comes up. I know when I look up my name, there are a lot of links and pictures from things I did in high school. I imagine there would be a lot of activity on my blog because of all of the interaction going on between myself and collaborators, so once I create my own PLN/ blog, hopefully that will become the new first result when my name is Googled.
What are some web tools that you are aware of that would be useful in creating your own PLN?
With me also being a future teacher, I want my digital footprint to be good for not only my friends, but safe in case a student or parent were to ever find my accounts. I know many teachers that will have two separate accounts, one that is public that they only post things that would be okay if their students, parents, and admins saw. Then a second that is private where they post whatever they want. Honestly, I know TikTok hasn't been talked about much, but I think that could be an amazing PLN. I have seen so many teachers collaborate with so many people and bring so much more light to their classrooms and I have found tools I will use in my own room.
ReplyDelete