Taylor Chrisman

Chapter 5 mainly discusses many different tools for connecting and collaborating, such as blogs, RSS readers, podcasts, microblogs, wikis, and Google documents. Blogs are “websites that are continually updated with journal like entries, or posts, usually arranged in chronological order with the most recent appearing first” (Nussbaum-Beach, 77). One type of blog is an edublog. An edublog allows instructors to communicate with both students and parents. An RSS reader is a way to subscribe to multiple different blog feed’s and have all of the new content appear in one place. For example, Google reader is a blog reader that will allow you to subscribe to the RSS feed of a blog you like. Next, podcasts are “audio or video files” (Nussbaum-Beach, 80). Podcasts are similar to television series in the way that they both have episodes. Podometic is an example of one, and is a free tool that allows you to record, produce, and publish a broadcast. Microblogs are tools that allow you to share...

Chapter two, “Developing a Connected Learning Model,” makes a case for connected learning in communities through the following categories: connected learning communities, a common language, professional learning communities, personal learning networks, and communities of practice. The connected learning community model advances a three-pronged approach to professional development. There is the local community, which requires face-to-face connections. There is a global network, which requires online connections with a diverse collection of people and resources. Lastly, there is the bounded community, which requires a global group of individuals who have overlapping interests and recognize a need for connections that go deeper than the personal learning community can provide. “Professional learning communities (face-to-face) take a team focus, personal learning networks (online) take an individual focus, and communities of practice (face-to-face or online) take a systemic focus” (Nus...