ILP #2- another webinar!

For my second Independent Learning Project I watched a webinar called “Personal Learning Networks: Using the Power of Connections to Transform Education” by Will Richardson. I find webinars super interesting so I decided to make my second learning project about one as well. I think it's awesome that we can be connected all over the United States and more watching a video presentation live.

This 50 minute webinar talked about what PLNs are, how they influence our learning and future success. It started out with someone introducing Will Richardson then he jumped in. In this webinar, I learned how to begin to construct PLN’s using different Web tools and I understood the implications it had for student’s schools and professional practice. He also talked about safety entering the online learning environment. When you put yourself out there on the internet, you need to be aware that anyone can view what you post. Richardson talked about how education and the internet are connected, saying that PLNs are the “future of education.” He also shared this story about a famous cinematographer named Mark Klassen to show that others can achieve their goals using online resources. He also talks about how we are trying to get students to learn technology instead of flipping the traditional classroom around and having the students learn using that technology. Not only do we need to apply technology in the classroom but teachers need to be educated as well. My favorite quote that he said was “teachers are learners, but teachers networked are learners first.”