After reading the second third of 25 Years in Ed Tech (Weller, 2020), I see blogging as having the most relevance in my education. Although blogging has been around since 2003, my first experience with it was recent as a MALAT student using the WordPress site provided to me. Weller (2020) stated that in WordPress, “templated versions can be implemented for all students, so they have their own space to develop their identity, create assignments, and develop something akin to an e-portfolio” (p. 73). Having templates to work off of has undoubtedly made the transition into writing academic blogs much more manageable and allows students to choose their layout. I am looking forward to having an e-portfolio that will follow me through my journey as a graduate student, as it will be great to reflect on in the future. Listening to the serialized version of Weller’s book, Clint Lalonde speaks in between the chapters about his experience as a stay-at-home dad blogging. He made many connections and referred to his blogging community as a “stay-at-home dad blog network” (25 Years of Ed Tech, 2021, 2:41). In this network, all the stay-at-home dads would support each other by commenting on each other’s blogs. Blogging in the MALAT program has also created a community where students share their perspectives on the material we are learning and contribute to each other’s blogs by leaving comments. Overall, I enjoy the blog posting aspect of our courses and reading my cohort’s views on what we are learning in this program.

Personal Learning Environments (PLE) would conflict with my teaching practice at Humber College. Much of the work in a television-broadcasting program is completed in groups. Students typically film interviews, documentaries, commercials, and other work that require several students in different roles to complete these projects. PLEs would make it difficult for students to meet the learning outcomes of the courses in the program. Weller (2020) states, “personalization erodes the sense of a cohort and shared experience with others, which is a significant part of the educational process” (p. 27). This is especially true in providing students with an authentic learning experience that will prepare them for the industry. While PLEs can provide flexibility for the student, Weller (2020) claims that it may be stressful for students to direct their learning and participate in it. At Humber College, the Learning Management System (LMS) we use is called Blackboard. The LMS is laid out in a way that is consistent throughout all courses, making it easy for students to navigate the courses and have discussions with each other. Thus, PLEs would not be an effective way for students to learn about television broadcasting.

References

Weller, M. (2020). 25 years of ed tech. Athabasca University Press. https://doi.org/10.15215/aupress/9781771993050.01

25 Years of Ed Tech: The Serialized Audio Version. (2021). https://25years.opened.ca/2021/01/14/between-the-chapters-blogging/