Blog #4: Choose Your Own Topic

What exciting thing have you discovered - related to your PLN?

First of all, I have to say that Personal Learning network was a new thing to me until recently, and then I started to learn more about. While I was reading about PLN, I have seen a lot of people who wrote some articles about PLN and referring to it as Professional Learning network instead of personal Learning Network. 

What I have discovered about PLN through reading more about it was that PLN can be beneficial for both personal and professional learning as long as the person put some effort into learning and choose the wisely what he or she adds to their learning network. Another thing that I feel was a great suggestion from a classmate was to include some local blogs in the PLN which can help keeping up with local companies and may help when deciding to get a job at one of these local companies.

Blog #3 Adding People to my PLN

I have always liked using new technology and the internet, and this is what made me choose computer networks as my field of study. Since 2007, I have been studying and learning more and more about technology, the way it works and the way we use it is two different things. To consider myself an IT professional, I would have to know both ways of dealing with new technologies.

I have based my computer network technology studies on Cisco Networking Academy’s program, I have spent 3 years studying for the CCNA certificate and looking forward to continue my studies to achieve the CCNP and CCIE certificates. With me busy with other courses at school, I believe adding a computer networking blogs to my PLN will be very helpful and keep me updated with what is new and remind me to read and practice in order to not to forget the information I learned. I have added two blogs to my PLN that I feel are closer to my professional career goals and the blogs are internetworktraining.com and ciscoiseasy.blogspot.com

Hopefully these two first blogs on my PLN will be helpful and I hope that one day I can have a bigger and more beneficial PLN.

Blog #2 Professional Learning Networks "PLN"

          Professional learning network to me is a way that I can both learn and contribute with others in my learning network. Especially nowadays, with the increasing demand and dependency on the new technologies and the internet, it is possible to have a professional learning network with people in your field of interest that you can both learn and share ideas on how to do or work with something.

          A professional learning network or PLN is a way to keep up with the new events in our fields of interests that we may not notice. PLN is also a very effective and helpful tool for teachers around the world , according to Torrey Trust, a Ph.D. Student at UC Santa Barbara “ PLN’s allow teachers to collect information from various websites and access it in one organized area so they can stay up to date on the latest teaching techniques, pedagogies, and changes in the field of education.” (Trust, 2011)

          I think with the large number of networks around us, teachers, student and everyone with an interest of learning or helping others learn should have his own PLN.ping others learn should have his own PLN. 

Source:

http://goo.gl/4w6Wqb

Blog #1 Technology and Learning

Technology has a huge impact in improving our way of living and our education. Apparently, most, if not all schools uses as many technologies as they can to improve their learning experience.

My experience with technology and learning has started when I first used the computer for the first time; I used the calculator to do some homework for school and was impressed. Also since the first time I was introduced to the Internet, I have been thinking how is it possible to see a picture posted by a person in another country and be able to watch and read things posted by others and this was one of the things that made me choose my major, which is computer technology specialized in Network Technology. I have always wanted to know the details.

I feel lucky having technology around whenever I need it; I cannot say how important technology is in my life and how it is one of the most powerful tools that helps me and other students in our education. For example, without the internet and online courses, how can someone study while having to work? Also another example is writing papers on the computer instead of handwriting.

Technology is a great tool that helps with education, with all these online databases, libraries with books and articles; it helps everyone with their researches.

I know there are too many stories where learning and technology intersected, and I think the best story is what we are doing now in this class, we are using technologies like computer, websites, applications and the internet to learn and connect with each other.