Personal Learning Environments

Personal Learning Environments

I have decided to set up this blog for two basic reasons. As the head of the e-Learning Centre at the University of Ottawa - I wanted to find a method by which my team and I could keep up with developments occurring in the world of Web2.0 - and explore (individually and collectively) the ways in which these emerging tools impact on pedagical practices in general - and on what and how we produce, in particular. Invariably - these issues are inextricably tied.

In the process of researching strategies for how we - as knoledge workers - might keep abreast of these developments - I came across a few very interesting ideas.

The Bambo Project / My Personal Learning Environment is a great introduction into the philosophy and benefits of creating PLEs.

Stephen Downes' Blogs as PLEs argues that the best way to learn about these tools is to get your hands dirty and work / play with them and embark on creating a PLE for yourself starting with the creation of your own blog.

Another interesting blog I found reminded me that we are not alone in having to find methods for updating knowledge about Web2.0 developments. 23 Things: Staff training into Web2.0 provides a week-by-week Web 2.0 syllibi created for staff members of the Public Services Technology Director for the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County (PLCMC).