Blogpost #1 – Defining Personalized Learning and Building a Personalized Learning Network – Michael Donkers
How do you define personalized learning? When I think of personalized learning, I think about a course I took this past summer called Transformative Inquiry. In this course, we were able to explore our own learning and really dig deep into our own personal journeys as educators. By the end of the course, the goal was to have engaged in our own guided inquiry and share that with the class. This was a very powerful process for me as I really explored how I could find a career that feels authentic to myself. It offered the opportunity to take charge of my own learning and when I think of personalized learning this is exactly the example that comes to mind. I felt so supported and enabled to engage in this learning because I was able to take charge in a topic that really interested me. That is what personalized learning is all about, giving students a chance to engage in meaningful learning.
How might building a Personal Learning Network (PLN) benefit you? Just like with personalized learning, I think there are many ways that using social media to build a personalized learning network would be a big benefit to myself. One benefit that immediately comes to mind is how many more people social media gives you the ability to network with. It offers the opportunity to engage with others that if not for being able to contact them through social media you might not be able to communicate with if there are distance or other barriers to being able to meet in person. There are many other benefits to building a PLN, as it offers such a unique way to build new connections. It’s a great way to connect with others that share common interests and through this connection can lead to even further connections. Through this PLN I could really explore areas of learning that may really intrigue me and find others that have knowledge or perhaps even questions of their own in those very same areas. It also offers a way to stay in touch with people with the network, and maybe even find new ones that were right there all along. As I explore further and continue engaging with others, this could lead to finding there are other people that may be able to offer support as well.
What motivates you to participate (or not) in networked publics? How do you balance personal and professional presence online? In terms of keeping my personal and professional presence online balanced I try to mostly use social media as a way of engaging with friends and family in positive ways. I find networked publics as a great way to keep in touch with people as I’m from Ontario so it allows me to keep up with all the things going on back home that I don’t get to see from day to day. I also use it to engage in my community such as finding out about local events that are of interest to me. I have also used networked publics, just recently in fact, as a way to seek out professional learning opportunities as well. It really is a great way to stay informed and network within my local community and even see what’s going on in other places.