Tool # 2 Building Community & Comments

1. What are your thoughts about building an online education community and participating in a PLN?

I believe that building an online education community is valuable, since technology, especially in the Western society, has created opportunities for virtual exchange of ideas in place of the tete-a-tete. Being an educator in the 21st century, one cannot avoid the fast-paced change of things, especially in the school setting. I appreciate this opportunity to learn and being proactive in the creation of a PLN (personal learning network) in education. I think that we already do that in other areas of our lives, such as cooking, crafts, health, etc. It is inevitable to want to look for more information and exchange ideas with others of similar interests; why not in education?

2. What point stood out to you from the commenting advice?

Cyber-bullying could be a hindrance for quality discussions in the virtual classroom. Explaining appropriate blog commenting etiquette is important to keep in mind when using blogs as a teaching tool. One advice that stood out to me was of "being humble." In the 10 Techniques to Get More Comments on Your Blog, it is mentioned that "people are attracted to humility." How true; I want to be aware of that when commenting, and want to impart that to my students whenever possible.

3. What five blogs did you select for your comments?

These are the five blogs I decided to comment on:
Live 2 Learn & Learn 2 Live
Thornwood Music
Poffenberger
Always Learning
English with Rosa