Blog Post #7 The Networked Student

Part 1: The Networked Student
by Wendy Drexler
Wendy Drexler, in her video The Networked Student, offers a window into the future. This look she provides gives us an opportunity, to not only see what technology will be like, but also some of the skills our students will need in order to succeed. Networking is simply an individual linking themselves to other individuals, in some manner, who have common interests or who may be able to provide a service or information at a later date. These networks can be of a social, business or academic nature. Networking has been around for eons and has been a major tool for the success of the average individual. Networking has gone from a list of phone numbers, to email accounts and now to blogs and websites. The internet lets us come into contact with leaders in every field in moments no matter where they, or we, are in the world. We can do now in minutes what would have taken days, or longer, as little as ten years ago.
The future is going to be a very competitive place in which to live and work. Who ever can complete work in the shortest amount of time and at the lowest cost will be successful. This is where networking comes into play. The stronger and better the personal network the faster and more efficiently an individual can accomplish whatever task may have been set before them. The internet is an incredible networking tool and when used correctly and efficiently can help an individual build a network second to none.
So if an individual can do all of this then one might ask why do we need teachers? We need teachers to teach our children the skills they need to build their own network. Sure an individual could ultimately teach themselves the appropriate skills necessary to build a good network but we want them to build a great network! We as teachers are needed to teach them the finer points of networking. Teachers, along with parents, need to teach our students proper social skills. We need to teach them how to communicate properly and respectfully with those they are networking with. Teachers need to instill in our students the ability to separate the good information from the bad. Teachers are also needed to provide inspiration and encouragement throughout the network building process. So as you can see, despite all of the advances in the future, there will still be a place in the education process for teachers.

Part II: A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment
This is a brief look into one 7th grade student's personal learning environment or PLE. A PLE is nothing more than a collection of information, and contacts, on various subjects brought together by a single individual. The individual then can use this information for all kinds of things.
This 7th grade student's PLE is amazing! She has so much information, on a huge assortment of topics, stored on her personal site. I thought it was incredible how many different tasks she was able to complete using her PLE! I also found it quite interesting that she had both academic and social links on her site. Most people don't think the two should mix but I think this is a great way for students to learn!