1) The document discusses personal learning environments (PLEs), personal learning networks (PLNs), and the author's experience in an online course about connecting and reflecting. 2) It describes the author's initial difficulties with online learning and unfamiliar tools, but also their exploration and growth in using various web 2.0 tools and setting learning goals. 3) The author reflects on activities from the course that challenged their perceptions and how blogging, feedback, and reflective models helped their learning.

1. Personal Learning … A story of adventure, exploration discovery, challenges, learning, reflection and the expansion and development of a personal learning environment and network. Fiona Ross

2. A Personal Learning Environment PLEs , according to Stephen Downes, are ‘a collection of interoperating applications’ for ‘sharing and collaborative knowledge creation’. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PersonalLearningEnvironment The term, Personal Learning Environment, is used to describe the online learning environment and has an emphasis on learning through community as opposed to more traditional, teacher centred learning. We can manage how and what we learn by using Web 2.0 tools and desktop applications . http://www.dontwasteyourtime.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/DavidHopkins-PLE.jpg

3. My online PLE http://blog.infoaxon.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/elearning_TreeOfKnowledge.jpg

4. A Personal Learning Network “ APLN is a network of people and connections that can be face-to-face or online” We need a PLN to make sense of our world and to access a world of opportunity. Sarah Stewart www.slideshare.net/sarahs/why-you-need-a-pln We may never meet some people within this network but share and create knowledge for personal development. Elements of each of these may meld and they change to reflect different needs and experiences. http://ckendall.wikispaces.com/file/view/connected_teacher.jpg/94702990/connected_teacher.jpg

5. My Current PLN Workplace Students Community Colleagues Facilitators & Colleagues Communities of Practice Family

6. Communities of Practice

7. What lead me to Connect and Reflect? Early in 2010, I became an e-traveller with the ACFE E-Mentors Project. I experienced elluminate sessions and learned of the many ways people were using open source tools in training and assessment practice. I actioned a distance learning training and assessment strategy to meet the needs of a client as part of this project. When this course was offered, it seemed like a natural progression and an ideal opportunity to improve my professional practice. I also wanted to experience training in an online environment to better understand the process.

8. In the beginning In the beginning, we were asked to introduce ourselves and to provide a picture to represent where we were at in our travels. I have experienced formal education but many years ago before computers were so readily available. My many essays were produced through researching library resources and on a portable type writer. My typing skills left much to be desired (still do). Finishing work at three in the morning had much more to do with typing than my ability to research, write and manage time. So here I was! I faced the conundrum of having ‘traditional’ skills in learning but being a novice in the online world. http://www.likemypricesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/baby-reading11.jpg

9. The Bread crumb trail ... This story begins with exploration. This was my first experience with an online Learning Management System. I listened to people refer to the ‘moodle’ but where was it? The penny dropped; I was using the moodle. It was the web site I was thoroughly enjoying exploring. Then people were discussing the problems they were having with the ‘breadcrumbs’. Yep! I had a problem. I didn’t know what they were! Breadcrumb trails? Hansel and Gretel? Ah ... I get it! Two lumps on the head now! http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/supplemental_1-web_8322.jpg

10. Learning Goal/s? I had difficulty identifying a specific learning goal for this course. I have so much to learn and want to learn it all at once! So it was very necessary to identify a beginning point for learning. I finally narrowed my learning goal to improving communication skills, learning from participating in online training and exploring open source tools to enhance my own training practice. This helped direct and extend my PLE & PLN. I knew where I needed to go to have the conversations for learning and sharing. whoissvenwolf.com

11. Web 2.0 Tools Wow! Web tools are for fun, creativity, planning, organising, collaborating, connecting, sharing and so much more. They are a basis for a Personal Learning Environment and a means to stay connected to the world wide community. They are the tools to connect in a Personal Learning Network. They are tools to achieve what you will and they are an ever changing and growing resource. And for me, they are a fabulous distraction from my assigned work and one I readily access.

12. So Many Tools!

13. The E-portfolio Experience I had no preconceptions of how mahara should work so am happily exploring and developing my e-portfolio. I have found it useful to organise all the artefacts I want to use on my desk top before uploading information to Mahara. This gives me the opportunity to review artefacts and to reflect on what is most appropriate for the chosen criteria. I have chosen this opportunity to prepare a portfolio for RPL and have approached this from the perspective on an assessor; organizing artefacts to reflect criteria. While selecting and collecting artefacts is a source of reflection, playing with mahara is fun. http://sites.google.com/site/holmesglentees/_/rsrc/1255299042446/embedding-e-learning/eportfolio%20artefacts.jpg

14. Student of Archaeology Collecting and selecting artefacts is an interesting exercise. I dig through my computer, external hard drive and flash drives to excavate artefacts. I have found a few and brushed them off. This exercise has shown me how disorganised my files are! Time to spring clean the computer cupboards! It also gave cause for reflection and I can see how my skills and knowledge have grown since beginning work as a trainer and assessor and where gaps exist. frantziskl16.blogspot.com Collected, selected and organised = Competency

15. The View The final collection and selection is aimed at determining equivalence with TAE40110 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment. This requires selection of artefacts that demonstrate equivalent knowledge and skills with three core and one elective unit from this qualification. These artefacts will be a collection of past assessment tasks, resources prepared for the delivery of TAA40104 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment and other work I have undertaken. I need to review my selection, add artefacts that demonstrate equivalence to elective units and use artefacts more efficiently as storage room in mahara is limited.

16. Organising and accessing PLEs & PLNs My desk and surrounds are chaotic but I know where everything is. Really! So, just in case, I have adopted iGoogle to manage all the tools that form my online PLE and PLN. I entertain myself by adding and removing gadgets and changing the theme. My favourite is the Leunig theme as I am a great fan and I love the way it changes throughout the day. I find this a great diversion from assigned work so between Web 2.0 tools and this page, I spend a lot of time exploring, playing and ‘avoiding’. http://lettere2.unive.it/ridi/reference1trasp.gif

17. Teamwork Teamwork gave us the opportunity to interact more closely with colleagues, to share knowledge and skills and to negotiate outcomes. It also afforded the opportunity to lead a team. Reflecting on my experience as team leader leads me to conclude that delegation and negotiation are important to achieve a team goal. http://www.vijayforvictory.com/wp-content/gallery/ngen_gallery/team_work_explained_2.jpg

18. Reflective Practice Reflecting weighed heavily on me. I became quite disconnected as I sorted through a series of incidences that had impacted me and others. I have learned to use a model to reflect on incidences which trouble me or for future planning. I favoured the proDait model of reflective writing but in the future other models may prove more effective. I will continue to apply models of reflective writing as needs arise and will advocate these models to future students. http://storybird.com/iriszagocs/artwork/modify/

19. Challenging Perceptions Activities poweranimalsunleashed.com northeaststage.com There are many learning activities in this course and I learned from all of them but the activity that had the most impact was the video, The Monkey Business Illusion, by Daniel Simmons. The gorilla in the room stood out to me like a sore thumb and I saw the person leave the black team. However, I missed the curtains changing colour in this video. This brought home to me that I don’t always see the whole of what is happening.

20. Reflecting through blogging ... Blogging is a great way to document and share stories. Blogging brings the opportunity to receive feedback through the posting of comments from anybody who chooses. This can lead to conversations that help us reflect on our professional and personal practices and the opportunity to build a community around a blog. I am a little tenuous with blogging but have had a lot of fun learning to create blog posts; not always reflective. This blog is a potential link to others and is therefore a part of my PLN. I will write reflectively in future and when I think the content is appropriate, I will record this on the blog I created for Connect and Reflect. http://fiiona-e-learningjourney.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2010-12-03T20%3A15%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=7

21. Reflecting through feedback... Effective feedback is a very important tool for reflective practice. Feedback leads us to understand what we do well and where areas for change exist. Being open to receiving feedback encourages people to provide comment and through this we can engage in conversations which lead to greater understanding. A PLN is vital to this process as it extends the forum for the conversation. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-9R5v7OV2s0/Szmk_GK6uoI/AAAAAAAAAZs/BK87AAo7_cA/s400/dog-open-arms-cartoon.gif http://www.simswyeth.com/wp-content/uploads/speaker-evaluation-for-audience.JPG http://newprioritiesnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Time-for-change.clock_9.jpg

22. 7 habits of highly connected people Highly connected people: React to other’s comments Respect that everyone’s goals and principles are different so ‘go with the flow’ Make connecting with others their priority Share freely Make an effort to learn independently Apply protocols to their online communications Reflect aspects of their life to their digital persona Advice from Stephen Downes http://www.downes.ca/post/44261 http://www.greenmarketing.tv/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/social-media-conversation-prism.jpg

23. Ethics and Codes of Practice As a trainer and assessor, my professional behaviours are guided by legislation, standards and codes of practice and principles that are interpreted in organisational policy and procedure. http://fiiona-e-learningjourney.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2010-1 2-03T20%3A15%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=7 But there are many other influences such as personal values, culture and personal characteristics which influence behaviours and we need to be aware of these when we communicate online as we have no visual, and sometimes no auditory, clues to gauge people’s response to our comments.

24. Minding the Ps & Qs in online communication Behaving ethically in online communications requires that people are given the same respect as in face to face communication. Offensive language, behaviours that are bullying ,harassing and in any way demeaning to others are unacceptable. Personal attacks are unacceptable on or offline. The opinions of others should always be respected even when we disagree with them. Using Caps Lock should be avoided as this can be interpreted as shouting. We need to be careful using humour as comments can be easily misinterpreted. We should always remember that we are communicating with people even when we can’t see or hear them. http://mienmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/social-network-etiquette.jpg

25. From this … Sense of Humour

26. … to this