My Personal Learning Network

Networking. What is it? Why do it? In the article ""Understanding personal learning networks: Their structure, content and the networking skills needed to optimally use them" by Kamakshi Rajogopal, Desirée Joosten-ten Brinke, Jan Van Bruggen, and Peter B. Sloep, the authors define networking as "the act of making connections with other[s], with or without the intention of making long-term ties with them". We see this largely in business. However, I can say that as a new, international student at university, networking was one of the first things on my mind. Pressure to find classmates, housemates, neighbors, friends who I could turn to for support academically and socially as I begin this personal journey through grad school. Is that different from how businessmen network? I don't think so, although I didn't realize what I was doing--purposefully networking--until after my first lecture of Future of Learning.

After reading the above mentioned article and realizing the parallels between professional networking and educational networks our group had a discussion about our own Personal Learning Networks (PLNs). Where do we find support, help, answers to questions, information on weather and sports? We each took a few minutes to draw out what we thought our PLN looked like, see mine below:

As I wrote my PLN out, I started with the basic question, who do I ask for help? Friends, family, teachers/professors, etc. Additionally, the class had been discussing the impact of technology on our PLNs. I started adding Google, phone apps, websites, television and Netflix. Upon reflection I realized that even when I am asking my mother for help with something, I am using technology--as smartphone--to text or call her. We were asked to come up with a percentage of how much of our PLN is online vs. offline, and I can say my percentage of online learning is massive. I'd say 80-85%. While this was the case with most of us in class, there was a point brought up that even when we find information online or via technology, often we still ask friends or family for their opinions, for validation. Is that part of learning, I wonder? Opposite that, we discussed how often we've asked a person in our lives a question and received answers like, "Go do it yourself," or "Why don't you just Google it?"

One thing we didn't discuss in much detail is how our life experiences shape our learning and should be, in my opinion, heavily included in our PLNs. My life wouldn't be the same if I hadn't lived and taught in Mexico, where I experienced a huge learning curve in terms of language and culture. Work experience shapes our knowledge as well, yet no one brought it up as the discussion went on. It is only now looking back at my mapped out PLN that I realize how impactful experience is in my PLN.

Something I would like to strive to do is continue reading and learning from physical books. As a true bibliophile you'd think this would be easy, however during term, much of our reading and assignments are available and completed online. I don't think I will ever lose my love for the smell and feel of a book in my hands. I also want to make a goal to try not to rely exclusively on Siri and Google, but to be "brave" enough to ask friends, family, professors and others questions, even if it is not the most convenient or independent way to solve a problem of query.  I'd like to read more blogs and listen to podcasts, rather than watch YouTube videos on how to DIY, leaving some element of a project for me to figure out myself.

This class discussion was powerful for me. I'd never taken inventory on where I get my information, how I learn. The article we read for class stated about students, "As they are partly supported in their learning by interaction with their peers, an essential life-long learning skill they need to develop, is the ability to find and to connect with relevant others..."  Networking is not just a business skill. I've decided it is a life skill, and it is one I'd like to try to further develop in my life, especially while the world around is becoming more and more technology based.