Defining PLEs and PLNs – My current working definition / explanation….

I thought I knew what a PLE and a PLN was prior to this week, but I have had to adjust my thinking based on the readings I have done, the posts I have viewed and the Wednesday Session.

Prior to this course I thought of a PLE being a blog, my RSS feeds, etc, the more tool part of an PLE, and then the PLN was a group of people whom I would read what they had written or watch them present. I also felt that my PLE fit into my PLN, kind of like another hub in the network. I was also very much a lurker/observer, consuming and rarely if ever engaging or even commenting (creating) on something. But I now am seeing that a PLE and a PLN are something much more.

So, one week in to the course, I am seeing PLEs and PLNs differently. I think it would be interesting to express what I think a PLE and a PLN means to me now, and then revisit it towards the end of the course and see what has evolved.

So, a PLE is indeed, my personal learning environment, but it is not course based, or even institutionally based, but rather a tool/resource bag that is always evolving and changing which I use to manage my learning, whatever my current learning may be about (raising my son, Photoshop, PLEs, etc) regardless if it is some my professional development or for my personal life.

(I intend to create a diagram of my PLE and insert it here)

My PLN, and I am not sure I am totally comfortable with the Personal part, so for now I think I will call it just my Learning Network (although does not the “my”, make it personal?) is the group of people I consult with and interactive with to further my understanding. I think I was definitely missing this part. Because this involves connecting with the network and creating (even if its just a comment or a question) whereas I tended in the past to more just consume (lurk/observe). I need to get out there and interact / dialogue more. More Sensemaking…

I will endeavour to visit this topic in eight weeks, and see what has changed (if it can change so much in one week, I can not wait to see what it will be like in eight).