A Personal Learning Network or PLN is a great way to get a tremendous amount of information and multiple resources in at one place. I chose scoop.it as my PLN because for me it seemed the most user friendly and easiest to follow. I chose the resources that appear on my PLN because Physical Education is a topic that is near and dear to my heart and I want to stay abreast of my profession. Finding other people who share my same passion and sharing information with one another is of great value to me as an educator. Common core made its presence in my district this year in the core subjects with the rest of the subjects to follow in the next few years. As an educator I want to get the best information I can get and start learning about it so I am prepared to implement it in my course work in September 2014.
The internet has impacted my personal learning tremendously. I have always been a person that wonders about random things and previously they were just passing thoughts that caused me pause for a few moments and then I continued about my business. With the introduction of the internet I find myself running to Google to type in any keyword or phrase and being mesmerized at the search results in a matter of seconds. The internet has allowed me to act on the thoughts I have. Google is not my only go to site. I also use YouTube very frequently. The convenience of how to videos is perfect for this mother of five!!! I see the internet as a never ending classroom environment. You can learn about anything your mind or heart desires. Like all good things, the internet can be distracting. Sometimes when searching for pertinent information I do find myself wandering away from the initial target. It is important to be disciplined when you are using the internet for research in online courses or other school assignments. I am more open to technology now that I am older. I see the value it has to offer and the fact that technology is the future and the future is now!!! I am already so technologically challenged that I can't afford to lose another minute not learning about and from all the internet has to offer. The advances in technology over the years is just mind boggling to me. I am hungry to learn all I can since starting this class. I see it opening my eyes to all I have missed over the years!
From a very young age I focused almost all of my time on sports. By the time I was in middle school friends would comment on my "obsession" with sports and the fact that my sports were all I ever did. I used to feel bad about this and would try and shy away from the sports and venture out to other things, but I would always return to my love, my passion, my desire. Hearing Marcus Buckingham speak about playing to your strengths and really using them makes me feel better about the choices and decisions I made. All of those years spent feeling bad about being a sport maniac, was really time wasted. I feel validated by his video! I totally agree with his statement in which he said, " If you can find a role that you play to your strengths most of the time-everyone wins." What better way to share your gifts and talents than to play to your strengths. I feel that way every day in my role as a physical educator. I find my "sweet spot" in teaching new skills and concepts to my students. From the time I was 11 years old I wanted to be a physical education teacher, and I know that this is my natural strength. There are times when I feel out of my areas of strength and this would be in managing 54 students at one time. There are times that lessons call for assessing and testing, and those times can make you question your classroom management. It is definitely an area that makes me feel out of my strength. I also had an "Aha moment" when he talked about the myths. It is so true that people tell you your focus will change as you get older and you'll become interested in other things, when in fact the most dominate parts of your personality stay the same. Additionally, I am going to change the way I have been parenting my 5 young children. I don't want to be part of the process that ingrains the myth of "you will grow the most in the areas in which you are the weakest." It is so true that we grow the most in what we already know. I can see this already with my oldest child, and I see that she has learned in her areas of weakness, but she has done so with great effort and difficulty. I want them to see the leaps of learning and feel it as well. I will encourage them to focus their creativity and energy in the areas where they have natural strength.
Microblogging is a great way to reach many people instantly. In education students can use microblogging to send notes, links, files,m alerts, assignments, and event to each other. I see this as a way to remind my students of upcoming assignments, events, tests, or a change in plans previously discussed. It is a tool that definitely all athletic programs should look to incorporate. It can tell fans about upcoming special events, game results, or a change in schedule. It can be used to remind people to come support the individual teams. And because the advertising is free, it can be used to attract new fans. It is an essential tool in reaching a broader fan base than other technological means like email or a website. Many people microblog on a regular basis so the information sent can be seen by a vast array of people. Just as microblogiging can promote a program it can also damage the reputation of it as well. The key to successful microblogging is keeping posts appropriate at all times.
I have never heard of a Personal Web Presence (PWP) until enrolling in the Master's Program at Fresno Pacific University and getting handed this assignment. I have no reference on what a good PWP looks like or the information it contains; I will have to search that out. Its sounds as though the PWP is being used as a self marketing tool for universities and employers. It appears from the description that you can put a lot of information on the PWP and have it act as a resume, or portfolio if you will, that is easily accessible. From the looks of the directions contained in the assignments, it appears that I am going to build on this PWP as the course develops. Hopefully it will not continue to be a pitiful representation. I will consider this a work in progress at this time and hope to make it better moving forward.
My name is Sharon Moore-Pulsifer and I know absolutely nothing about blogging, twitter, Facebook, or any other social media. I am already extremely behind in this course and not feeling very hopeful right now that I will be successful in figuring all of this out. I am exceptionally overwhelmed at this moment. Besides that, I am married and have five children. I have been teaching Physical Education for 20 years at Jordan High School in Long Beach, California. I teach Intro to KPE to the freshmen students. My favorite activity of all time is basketball. I have played it, coached it, kept stats and scoreboards, and I watch it as much as I can.
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