Week 2 Report & Reflection

Before creating my Personal Learning Environment (PLE) Mind Map, I was wondering what that even was! A definition of PLE which helped me navigate the creation process of my own was the "A Bridge in the Cloud?" Slideshare presentation (to view it, click HERE). A PLE is a system that helps learners have autonomy, allowing the learner to set goals, manage learning and idea share with others!

I created a Personal Learning Environment (PLE) Mind Map of the different tools I am currently utilizing to support my own personal learning goals using Bubble.us (check out this cool tool by clicking HERE). It took me creating a mind map to truly realize how many tools I use to support my own understanding! I based my PLE model off the Malan model (to check this out, click HERE) but I also added a "Review" category since I find myself using online tools and computer programs to help me perfect my writing. 

Stark, S. (CC) 2016.

The best way to critically assess whether my PLE is effective is by reviewing individual "personal learning environment habits". The personal component of this involves some envisioning. In 5-10 years, I see myself with a successful career within a post-secondary institution in a role which allows me to support student success. In order to excel in this field, there is still some exploration of online tools to do in the future!

Learning more about various Photoshop tools will help me increase my knowledge in the "Create" section of my PLE and allow me to add to my knowledge of Adobe InDesign, while also being able to use photos I have edited within my own graphic design work. I know through working with Career Services that knowledge of creating marketing content is very important in many post-secondary positions and is an area I would love to work on. Although this addition between my current PLE and my future PLE seem small, it is indicative of the vast array of resources and tools that can be incorporated into my existing PLE!



Stark, S. (CC) 2016.

This week, I also explored another neat tool called Wordle (to explore this site, click HERE). I was able to see the top words used in my last blog post, with the most used words being positive, digital and footprint. Since having a positive digital footprint was the focus of my last blog post, it was nice to see I was using buzzwords effectively so readers understood the main idea of my post.

Overall, I learned a lot about myself through all of this online exploration. I learned about the tools I use to help me become a better learner through the creation of a PLE Mind Map. I learned about the quality of my writing through the Wordle activity. Finally, I also discovered areas of improvement I can work on in the future by reflecting on my personal learning environment and identifying tools I should incorporate into my PLE toolbox!

Thanks for reading!






"A Bridge in the Cloud?" Presentation: http://www.slideshare.net/timbuckteeth/a-bridge-in-the-cloud/20-The_one_and_onlyhttpchrissaadwordpresscomSteveWheelerUniversityofPlymouth2010

Growing Your Personal Learning Environment Slideshow: https://prezi.com/-xhpuupxgjin/growing-your-personal-learning-environment/