Blog Post #7

The Networked Student

      I think that more and more schools are going to move towards procedures like this. It is an awesome opportunity for students to learn on their own. Through technology and the appropriate tools, students are not constrained to just the information in a textbook or in their notes that they take in class. It gives them a broader learning point. 
      On the other hand, the students who may not learn as quickly, and the students that learn better in a classroom environment may struggle with this process. Not all students are the same. Some learn visually, while others are more kinesthetic (hands-on). Without the classroom environment and the one-on-one teaching, students that are more tactile may find this way of learning difficult. One thing about this system though is that it is forcing students to take an initiative. They will have to learn on their own. It will set apart those students who are eager to learn from those that are there solely because they have to be. 
       Why does the networked student even need a teacher? Well, with all of the information that a student can access, there needs to be someone around who can tell them how to organize this mass amount of info. Students need guidance. They need help managing a blog or website, finding correct and reliable sources, sharing ideas, and finding information that will enhance their knowledge. Without teachers, students would be left to wonder the internet. Who knows what they could come across and believe to be a reliable source? I believe this system of learning is catching up with the our technological world, and I believe that in some ways it will definitely help. 

A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment
Students who learn using a PLE are definitely going to learn a valuable lesson in responsibility. Each student has to keep up their blogs while working on their own schedule. It looks like a really fun way to learn! It gives the students freedom to use the internet's millions of resources to answer their questions. A PLE organizes a students resources onto one space that can be easily accessed from any computer. No textbooks or paper required which is a very green approach. Once again, I only see a limited purpose for a PLE in the PE department, but I'm definitely keeping an open mind.