The online discussion yesterday in #PLENK2010 was very interesting contemplating the nature of data, information, knowledge and the relationship between these concepts. It was new territory for me, and it was a mind-stretching experience. I'm sorry to be missing tomorrow's online session with Harold Jarche, but I'm off to a local conference for the next two days where I will be attempting to share what knowledge I have acquired about PLEs over the past two months. I'll have to catch up on the recording later--that place where I always think I will have more time than now.
When I originally submitted a conference proposal with a colleague, much earlier in the year, that would examine PLEs in relation to ESL/TESL teaching and learning, I must admit my view of the topic was rather circumscribed. With this course, my view has widenend, but in many respects, it's still difficult to grasp, and the ideas are difficult to put into a format for easy presentation. There is so much overlap from one topic to another--online tools can be looked at, categorized in various ways. When is a Social Network more than a Social Network? When does a simple tool, such as a blog, function as more than a blog? I've posted my presentation on a wiki for my professional organization; I've put it there in the hope that it may generate more traffic and interest in the fledgling sig (some real SN perhaps) that I and another colleague have been trying to develop for the past year. Let's see if the fledgling can leave the nest.
At the end of the first paragraph I realize that what I wrote about the future being a place where there is always more time than now very much epitomizes how I handle KM. I'm trying to change this habit because I know only too well that I won't have more time at such future nebulous date unless I wait for retirement--but by then the whole picture will have changed.
I realize that I may miss a lot of valuable content, but I've come to the conclusion that consigning some promising PLENK links to the nebulous "later" is a legitimate way of filtering, despite it being a necessary self-deception. Promising myself "later" is sometimes my only way of disengaging to participate in real life.
ReplyDeleteDear Veronica,
ReplyDeleteRetirement - sounds tempting for me. Unfortunately, we are the generation that will be the longest in the work process in history. But I would not complain, I see it more as an opportunity. We have to deal with the digital age now, that keeps us mentally fit. Whether we want to apply the links and tools depends on our learning group and our expertise. Even if students have all the gadgets, it does not mean that they can use them to learn.
Since I blog for my learners, I find, I get more respect - in the sense of the teacher really knows better.
All the best
Eva