A summary written by Ron Lubensky on the concept of the Personal Learning Environments:
“A Personal Learning Environment is a facility for an individual to access, aggregate, configure and manipulate digital artifacts of their ongoing learning experiences.”
To put it more simple, a PLE is the combination of tools, processes, procedures and experiences we use to Gather, Process and Apply that gathered knowledge. Personal Learning Environments are composed of customizable formal and informal learning tools and processes that we use to find information, aggregate information and apply that information. Most learning is done on our own and not in the traditional classroom setting today with numerous Web 2.0 tools just as blogging, sharing videos on YouTube, sharing photos on Flickr, etc. A PLE ultimately is a place where all of these digital services and tools are integrated in one place, to meet our personal needs. I broke the term down even further and define it word for word.
Personal: individual, your own, belonging and affection a particular person
Learning: The acquisition of knowledge or skills through experience, practice or study
Environment: Surroundings and conditions in which one operates
The idea is that your PLE is completely YOURS. It is what suits you, what betters you as a student of this world. It should meet all of your needs, it should aid you in finding anything you could possibly dream of learning. It should be a comfortable, familiar environment that inspires and motivates you. You choose the software and the sources. You surround yourself with the most beneficial communication tools for you. Michele Martin states in her blog that PLE’s can be thought of as a physical thing like materials and books or as events such as a class lesson. She goes on the say that we should be thinking of them as more of an experience. The Multiple Intelligences theory teaches us that we all learn differently, and that we should approach learning and teaching in a way that meets our individual needs. Personal Learning Environments effectively and efficiently meet each individuals personal learning needs.
In the past few years with the advancement of Web 2.0 tools and the internet, my PLE has changed. I now am able to use blogs, search engines like Google, and Wikipedia to do my research and to learn. Like many of the blogs that I have found discussing PLE’s, I will describe mine in a similar way and organize it into 3 groups: Gathering, Processing, and Applying or Using the Acquired Knowledge.
Gathering
When I begin gathering information on a topic or skill, I always begin at a search engine, usually Google. From the sites and blogs I find through the search engine, I can filter out what I’m really looking for. I usually dig deeper and deeper into the area I am researching because I find that related sites usually have the more specific information than those that come up in search engines. I often rely on other more traditional sources for information like magazines such as ComputerArts, which is geared towards designers and artists.
Processing
I use my computer to bookmark useful sites, and after the last class period I am now familiar with such sites as Delicious and Netvibes. I can use these sites now to organize my blog feeds, the newspapers I like to keep track of and other sources I often find inspiration in. I still like to take traditional notes on paper and sketches in my sketchbook to help me accumulate important ideas and information. However, I am finding that there are useful Web 2.0 tools for note taking as well that I may soon use. I keep a personal blog to “ramble” on about my inspirations and in some of my many “creative streaks” I like to express my visions for web site ideas, t shirt designs and etc.. I can later go back and retrieve that.
Applying and Using the Acquired Knowledge
Depending on the type of knowledge or skill I am pursuing, I apply it very differently. Often, the knowledge is stored in the back of my brain until needed for a certain art project or situation. Sometimes, I jump right into that skill to create something with it. Sometimes the end result is something as simple as an essay for a class.
Sources:
The Bamboo Project: PLE
The Bamboo Project Blog: My Personal Learning Environment - This blog gives a very in depth description of her own PLE.
eLearning & Deliberative Moments: The Present and Future of Personal Learning Environments (PLE)
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