It's not what you know, it's the quality of your PLC!

At the IT Summit in Saskatoon last spring, Will Richardson had a lot of great ideas for us. I asked him what was the best way to build an on-line personal learning community. He said that he started blogging 9 years ago and we as teachers should consider professional blogging as well. I agreed wholeheartedly and am enjoying the journey.

As well as being very fun to do (primarily because of the learning you must do to write one), blogs are a great way to show the world what you have done, what you have to offer, what you believe in and that you believe in the power of a personal learning network. He suggested that the days of getting a degree and submitting a resume to employers may soon become (or is now)outdated. It is very important now to leave a digital footprint. With a keystroke, employers can access your profile on-line through blogs, facebook, twitter and many other social media. One presenter stated that if you don't have an on-line portfolio today or if a google search of your name comes up blank, you might as well not even exist!

Will Richardson has written a blog post on the importance of e-portfolios. He writes eloquently and convincingly and educators need to heed his warning and help students learn how to market themselves and their ideas on-line and to build safe and productive on-line learning communities. He writes,

"the traditional two-page resume has been turned into a “personal productivity portal” that empowers prospective employers to quite literally interact with their candidate’s world".

How are you doing this in your school? In your classroom?



We need to talk about and use facebook, twitter, blogs, wikis and other social media. Students not given the opportunity will power down and will miss the opportunity to learn how to survive and thrive in the world of the 21st century.