It’s only been a week since I learned I would be participating in the PLP (Powerful Learning Practice) program this year, spending an exciting year immersed in digital learning theory and practice. Yet in these brief few days, I fear I may have already caused undue stress to the keyboard on my home computer… Wow. If I could sum this week up in two words, they might be INFORMATION OVERLOAD!!
The biggest part of the PLP Pregame Activities is developing a PLN – A Personal Learning Network. Just keeping up with my PLN appears to be the true challenge! Each day I have people to follow on Twitter, blogs to follow and read, sites I subscribe to that post updates in my Google Reader, fellow members of Ning groups that post interesting sites or information, a Wikispace for the PLP Cohort… After finally getting all “caught up” this morning, I was amused to find I had neglected to check my email!! Being connected clearly has its price.
I spent hours looking at blogs of other educators I might want to follow (and the blogs THEY follow), and sites I would like to add to my RSS feeds – and I feel as though I’ve barely scratched the surface. There is so much out there – great resources, great ideas… and only so much time! Hopefully in the coming weeks I’ll learn to be more efficient. In the meantime, I’m glad I spent the holiday weekend learning and exploring – it’s a wonderful way to get excited about teaching all over again.
It is overwhelming. I think it is why many people quit and just think it is too much. I’ve slowed down and I try to spend an hour a day “keeping up.” It isn’t enough, but I do feel like every day I spend a little time growing and learning. Bottom line is that we don’t have to allow this to be all-consuming because we can consume when we want and when we have time. We are in control. That is the beauty of digital learning, we have control over our own leanring!