Month: March 2021

Professional learning networks

Learning networks are fundamental to achieving effective educational improvement, with evidence supporting the use of PLNs in assisting school improvement. Traditional top-down professional development models have historically embraced synchronous, face-to-face activities that require dedicated time and sometimes physical travel (Trust, Carpenter, & Krutka, 2018, p. 137). In contrast, a Professional Learning Networks (PLNs) as a professional development model is a group who engage in collaborative learning with others outside of their everyday community of practice to improve teaching and learning in their school and/or the school system more widely The long-term collaboration typically seen in PLN’s enables group members to share and utilize the expertise of others to develop new approaches to teaching and learning. (Brown & Flood, 2019, p. 4). Importantly, those who participate generally tend to be increasingly motivated, enthusiastic and passionate due to PLN activities being voluntary (Trust, Carpenter, & Krutka, 2018, p. 138).

Social Media and the PLN

Social media has been posited as an effective learning tool, and the utilization the various platforms for learning enhance our professional learning networks. Social media encompasses a large and dynamic array of tools with Facebook, twitter and LinkedIn featuring prominently. Twitter has featured throughout literature as an effective platform for micro-blogging, facilitating the exchanging of ideas, sharing of resources and delivering news synchronously and asynchronously across geographically dispersed networks (Colwell & Hutchison, 2018, p. 6; Swan & Keating, 2014; Gonzales, 2017).

References

Brown, C., & Flood, J. (2019). The Emergence of Professional Learning Networks. In Formalise, Prioritise and Mobilise: How School Leaders Secure the Benefits of Professional Learning Networks (pp. 1-14). Emerald Publishing Limited.

Colwell, J., & Hutchison, A. (2018). Considering a Twitter-Based Professional Learning Network in Literacy Education. Literacy Research and Instruction, 57(1), 5-25. https://doi.org/10.1080.19388071.2017.1370749

Gonzales, L. (2017). Top 10 for PLNs. www.techlearning.com

Swan, M., & Keating, G. (2014). Using Social Media to Enable Lifelong Learning. www.aitd.com.au

Trust, T., Carpenter, J., & Krutka, D. (2018). Leading by learning: exploring the professional learning networks of instructional leaders. Educational Media International, 55(2), 137-152. https://doi.org/10.1080/09523987.2018.1484041

Who is the 21^st Century Learner and what are the skills they require?

A 21st-century learner is a communicator, collaborator, and creator as well as an observational digital citizen (Qatar Academy, 2009). Teaching and learning in the twenty-first century must prepare learners for engaging in a complex and dynamic community heavily influenced by globalisation and acceleration of digital technology (Strawser & Kaufmann, 2019, p. 41; OECD, 2018, p. 2; Brown, et al., 2020; Jones, 2018; Joyce, 2019; Seet, et al., 2018, p. 11; Gekara, et al., 2019, p. 21). The heterogeneous student population of the twenty-first century are expected to rise to the challenge of thriving in this competitive world (Wong, 2020, p. 186; Placklé, et al., 2018, p. 29; Charteris, et al., 2018, p. 20). Understanding the implications of digital technology on the 21st-century learner is imperative to the development of skills, attitudes, and actions to be a successful participant in the digital economy (Qatar Academy, 2009, p. 3). Inevitably, the education and training that sustains some traditional skills will be rendered obsolete, however, demand for digital skills and capabilities is rising sharply, requiring vocational education and training providers to rapidly adjust to meet this change (Seet, et al., 2018, p. 8).

Foundation for Young Australians (2017) identify that learners need a set of transferable skills, the necessary skills with the highest increase in demand over the past three years in Australian internet job postings were digital literacy (up by 212%), critical thinking (up by 158%) and creativity (up by 65%) (Foundation for Young Australians, 2018, p. 10; Payton & Knight, 2018, p. 6). Additionally, (Qatar Academy, 2009) have identified that the development of skills such as creativity, innovation, problem-solving, collaboration, leadership and communication is necessary. Seet et al. (2018) suggest that in consideration of technological advancements, digital skills are clearly a fundamental skill, and their demand is expected to rise. However, Gekara et al. (2019) note that not every worker will require the same level of digital skills or expertise in the use of technologies, but most will need the skills to work with technology (Reeson et al. 2016). Based on this, Gekara et al. (2019) detailed the four levels of workforce digital skills required:

Level 1: having a basic understanding of digital devices and their operation, enabling data and information to be searched, captured, retrieved and transmitted

Level 2: understanding and applying digital knowledge to the management and application of digital systems to process, analyse and manage data and information in order to facilitate efficient organisational operations

Level 3: innovatively using digital technologies to create and enhance organisational systems and capabilities

Level 4: having a broad and general digital culture and mindset to operate confidently, comfortably and safely within an entrenched digital environment (p.12).

References

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