Beyond One-Size-Fits-All
The pieces on personalized learning that I read this week really touched a nerve with me. Learning was something that I had to do at school, at home, sitting in lecture halls and working through curriculums that may or may not have been mapped to what I was interested in. It was a one-size-fits-all formula for education. Personalized learning turned it all on its head by shifting from the practice of instruction to partnership.
When I first started to explore topics of interest and stopped to think how I wanted to pursue a certain learning path, it all seemed foreign. Why donât I just read the textbook chapter by chapter and be done with it? The more time I spent online, though, the more real it became: I could dive deeply into a topic, find experts and colleagues to work with and learn on my own time. The realization dawned on me: PLNs are a network of such connections and interests that we can access continuously.
Social Media: Tool or Distraction?
A year ago, I joined a LinkedIn group on the future of education and EdTech. I remember checking it out a few times, but what was fun checking the news was a much more rewarding experience when I started interacting with it. I started reading membersâ posts. They would share articles. They would discuss current trends. They would offer me feedback. It was exciting to see education in real-time. We call this a âcontinuous learningâ environment. This is exactly the opposite of a classroom with a class schedule.
The drawbacks of PLNs? Twitter can simplify. Instagramâs algorithms distract me. Social media is not inherently good or bad. What makes a difference is how we use it.
Networking is a Strategy
To me, building a PLN is like constructing an entire environment of knowledge. My PLN would include researchers whose work I follow, practitioners sharing their âon the groundâ experience and colleagues who provide alternative perspectives to challenge my thinking.
In an era of teacher-centered instruction where knowledge is doled out to students, a PLN enables the free flow of information between all sides. When I post insights of my own or share questions, I am providing something of value back to the community. It is a two-way process.
The path from isolated to networked participant is out of comfort zones, but it is an invitation we canât refuse. As I see it, personalized learning through PLNs does exactly what traditional education has a hard time doing: letting us learn what we need, when we need, from perspectives and sources across the world.
When we post, we are building our digital footprint. The risks of putting ourselves out there are substantial, but so are the opportunities of learning as a part of a connected world.