PLNs: Finding the Right Network to Network In

I would say that I feel the affective benefits of PLNs and have definitely sought help, while teaching in an inner-city,  alternative high school where the students are trickier to get to learn. Therefore,  new and exciting activities became necessary and I needed materials (having less funds the teachers were required to build their own curriculum from scratch, and as you can imagine as a new teacher... that is a lot of work!-- PLNs certainly became incredibly important to me), so utilizing outside resources and gaining materials within the Teach For America network became essential to building a productive and successful classroom.

When I started learning about Professional Learning Networks and the different ways that we can track, filter, and feed info I was excited to try several different assignments from the Tic-Tac-Toe assignment board. The first including attempting to connect with one of my favorite authors on twitter. While I don’t personally enjoy using twitter, mostly because I find it hard to speak my truth in 140 characters or less, I can see why following celebrities and influencers can be beneficial in the education industry, because you can pool content and connect with others all around the world with similar pedagogy and practices as you.

I attempted to contact James St. James, who originally wrote “Party Monster,” had a second novel called Freakshow, which was just turned into a film by IFC and released this month.

 

To Purchase this Novel Click Here

(Puffin Books)

The film did a great job bringing the characters in this story to life, particularly Billy Bloom and Flip Kelly. It is a fun film (and book) for young adults as they consider gender related issues in the modern world. This book deals with LGBT-related issues and was very important to me when I was a teen growing, having felt a little different, wanting to unleash the “freak” in me.

Symbaloo Account Username: cameronselder

Find Me on Symbaloo Here

When I attempted to first use Symbaloo I was a bit overwhelmed because I didn’t know where to click with all of the different cubes coming at me. However, once I was able to narrow my search results and find different networks for different content categories, I was very pleased with the types of resources I was finding. For example, I have taught creative writing for several years now and always do a unit where we write using pictures and how sensory details enhance our writing and there was a resource that discussed story layout, introduced the pictures, and sent the students on their way in a gradual release manner. I am impressed by this resource and want to use some of these materials to enhance my own classroom practices for certain subjects/lessons based on what I have found so far… and that’s only for the part of my life that pertains to education!

5-Factor Personality Test Results:

(OodlesStudio)

My two strongest categories are Openness to Experience (95%) and Agreeableness (73%), which makes sense because these traits seem to go hand in hand. I would describe myself as the creative, thinker type, rather than extroverted and constantly working to maintain the social aspects of my life. I am independent and very able to be successful when working on my own, which is conflicting considering the nature of PLNs and growing my online presence(s). I hope that with time and more practice I become more confident in my online relationships and ability to navigate these new and exciting resources.

Had I not taken the test first, I do think I would have scored myself highest in these two categories: Openness and Agreeableness.

I was surprised to see that my lowest scoring factor was conscientiousness. This is something that I want to push myself to become more aware of and make a valiant effort to change. Perhaps... sometimes I get too focused on what I am working on that I overlook or sweep over other issues that those I'm interacting with might be facing? Regardless, I am happy that I took this test because it is interesting to see how the scoring sheds light on who we are and how we see ourselves, which is a useful tool for reflection and growth.

Take the test yourself: 5 Factor Test

(Definitions and Results copied from Psychologist World, 2018)

Extraversion Your Score: 70% Extraversion (also "extroversion") is marked by pronounced engagement with the external world. Extraverts enjoy being with people, are full of energy, and often experience positive emotions. They tend to be enthusiastic, action-oriented individuals who are likely to say "Yes!" or "Let's go!" to opportunities for excitement. In groups they like to talk, assert themselves, and draw attention to themselves. Introverts lack the exuberance, energy, and activity levels of extraverts. They tend to be quiet, low-key, deliberate, and less dependent on the social world. Their lack of social involvement should not be interpreted as shyness or depression; the introvert simply needs less stimulation than an extravert and more time alone to re-charge their batteries. A simple explanation is that an extrovert gains energy by associating with others and loses energy when alone for any period of time. An introvert is the opposite, as they gain energy from doing individual activities such as watching movies or reading and lose energy, sometimes to the point of exhaustion, from social activities.
Openness to Experience Your Score: 95% Openness to Experience describes a dimension of personality that distinguishes imaginative, creative people from down-to-earth, conventional people. Open people are intellectually curious, appreciative of art, and sensitive to beauty. They tend to be, compared to closed people, more aware of their feelings. They therefore tend to hold unconventional and individualistic beliefs, although their actions may be conforming (see agreeableness). People with low scores on openness to experience tend to have narrow, common interests. They prefer the plain, straightforward, and obvious over the complex, ambiguous, and subtle. They may regard the arts and sciences with suspicion, regarding these endeavors as abstruse or of no practical use. Closed people prefer familiarity over novelty; they are conservative and resistant to change.
Conscientiousness Your Score: 64% Conscientiousness concerns the way in which we control, regulate, and direct our impulses. Impulses are not inherently bad; occasionally time constraints require a snap decision, and acting on our first impulse can be an effective response. Also, in times of play rather than work, acting spontaneously and impulsively can be fun. Impulsive individuals can be seen by others as colorful, fun-to-be-with, and zany. Conscientiousness includes the factor known as Need for Achievement (NAch). The benefits of high conscientiousness are obvious. Conscientious individuals avoid trouble and achieve high levels of success through purposeful planning and persistence. They are also positively regarded by others as intelligent and reliable. On the negative side, they can be compulsive perfectionists and workaholics. Furthermore, extremely conscientious individuals might be regarded as stuffy and boring. Unconscientious people may be criticized for their unreliability, lack of ambition, and failure to stay within the lines, but they will experience many short-lived pleasures and they will never be called stuffy (i.e. dull, boring, unimaginative).
Agreeableness Your Score: 73% Agreeableness reflects individual differences in concern with cooperation and social harmony. Agreeable individuals value getting along with others. They are therefore considerate, friendly, generous, helpful, and willing to compromise their interests with others’. Agreeable people also have an optimistic view of human nature. They believe people are basically honest, decent, and trustworthy. Disagreeable individuals place self-interest above getting along with others. They are generally unconcerned with others’ well-being, and therefore are unlikely to extend themselves for other people. Sometimes their skepticism about others’ motives causes them to be suspicious, unfriendly, and uncooperative. Agreeableness is obviously advantageous for attaining and maintaining popularity. Agreeable people are better liked than disagreeable people. On the other hand, agreeableness is not useful in situations that require tough or absolute objective decisions. Disagreeable people can make excellent scientists, critics, or soldiers.
Neuroticism Your Score: 70% Neuroticism, also known inversely as Emotional Stability, refers to the tendency to experience negative emotions. Those who score high on Neuroticism may experience primarily one specific negative feeling such as anxiety, anger, or depression, but are likely to experience several of these emotions. People high in Neuroticism are emotionally reactive. They respond emotionally to events that would not affect most people, and their reactions tend to be more intense than normal. They are more likely to interpret ordinary situations as threatening, and minor frustrations as hopelessly difficult. Their negative emotional reactions tend to persist for unusually long periods of time, which means they are often in a bad mood. These problems in emotional regulation can diminish a neurotic's ability to think clearly, make decisions, and cope effectively with stress. At the other end of the scale, individuals who score low in Neuroticism are less easily upset and are less emotionally reactive. They tend to be calm, emotionally stable, and free from persistent negative feelings. Freedom from negative feelings does not mean that low scorers experience a lot of positive feelings; frequency of positive emotions is a component of the Extraversion domain.

Definitions from [1]