David+Jakes

Plugging In: The Power of My Network
In 2007, being an effective learner means being connected to other learners. This means much more than just a classroom of learners in a school; it literally means a global classroom of learners, all contributing, and as Will Richardson says, sometimes being the teacher and sometimes being the learner. As the result of being connected to a learning network, I've learned more about education, more about teaching, more about learning, and more about myself than I have in the previous decade. That's the power of my network.

In 2007, effective learners take advantage of the power of the network to connect, to people, to conversations, and to resources. The emergence of the tools of Web 2.0 have enabled many to make this a reality and I'm no different. Tools such as [|Twitter], [|Skype], [|del.icio.us], and aggregator technology ([|Bloglines], [|Netvibes], [|Google Reader]) form the foundation of my network and provide me with the connection to some of the most talented and dedicated people from literally everywhere. Additionally, [|Furl], [|Slideshare], [|Flickr] and [|YouTube] are also components of my connection to others through my network. These tools combine loosely to form a very dynamic, fluid, amorphous mixture that can be called a **personal learning environment** (PLE).

The very reason I'm doing this presentation is the result of my involvement with networks, and the people I associate with, associates who are much more than that, as they are now my colleagues.

In 2007, how educators and students learn needs to change, and change dramatically-the world is a different place-and simply stated, the process of how learning takes place in the classroom has to change or risk becoming irrelevant. Fundamentally, this means focusing on what I believe are mission-critical literacies, which I will call the 4 C's of Learning. Students need to be able to :

Collaborate Create Contribute//**
 * //Connect

We've always asked kids to do this. But now we have to ask them to do it differently. Now it means connecting and collaborating with students in another country, not just a classroom, it means creating for a everyone, //**everyone who holds a mouse in their hand**//, and not just for the teacher. And it means enriching lives, including their own, by contributing, by participating, throughout their lives. When we get kids to do that, we can call them educated. And developing a network that can form the basis of a lifetime of learning is essential to all of this...

How to start? Just jump in. Your conference experience here can be one of the most rewarding learning experiences of your career if you develop your own personal learning environment as a result of participating here. Learn everything you can about networks and personal learning environments, and then get ready to share it with the most important group that you network with everyday.


 * //Your kids.//**

Thanks for having me.

media type="custom" key="194817"

Visit my blog at: [|The Strength of Weak Ties] Follow me on [|Twitter] Skype me at david.jakes (Naperville, IL, USA) Visit Jakesonline.org, my Website Visit my [|del.icio.us site] View my [|Furl site] View my [|Flickr site] View my [|public RSS subscriptions] View my [|Flickr account] email me at dsjakes at gmail dot com
 * My networks:**

My "[|What's in Your Network]" blog post at techLEARNING.com My [|del.icio.us feed on networks] My [|del.icio.us feed on personal learning environments]
 * Network Resources**