Making sense of PLEs and understanding new approaches

With all the information we’re exposed to on a daily basis, sometimes a juicy little nugget comes along that states succinctly what many others write volumes about. Here are two such nuggets that (I think) are perfect to use to explain (1) a frequently discussed concept (PLE) and (2) what new technologies do for learners:

D’Arcy Norman rant:

PLE (Personal Learning Environments) is a verb, not a noun.“PLE” is something you do, not something you have. It’s an action, not a thing. It’s a way of interacting with others, not a way of “getting personalized learning.” You can’t go out and set up your PLE. You are part of your PLE. You have it already. You can’t seek to personalize your learning – if your learning isn’t already personalized, you’re not learning.

George Siemens on social networks:

New technologies are not necessarily replace existing approaches; instead, they are enlarging the range of options for learners. We’re not doing away with email. Or even learning management systems. We’re adding blogs, wikis, social networking, virtual worlds, and numerous other technologies to current practices. And that’s exactly how it should be.

(JC)

defining ple | D’Arcy Normal Dot Net | D’Arcy Norman | 29 October 2008 AND Social Networks, the Next Educational Tool? | elearnspace | George Siemens | 31 October 2008

Tagged as: PLE, Social Media, Social Networks