TASK 8. "PLE" - Analyst

 

Analyst: Sofía Lorente García

In this task we have had to do some research and we have discovered what PLE is, something that has really surprised us and we have found very interesting.

 The best thing about this task in my opinion was being able to discuss and debate with my teammates, seeing our similarities and above all our differences. Although we are all the same age, live in the same city and study the same degree, there are many things that differentiate us. Each of us has our own PLE, our own context, timetable and free time…

The worst part for us probably was to understand the final objective of the task, due to the fact that we didn’t really understand what was PLE and we thought that we needed to make a consensus or an agreement between us of the things we had in common but indeed was the opposite, we at the end focused in our differences and what makes each of us unique and our different circumstances. Thanks to Linda’s videos and the chapter of the book everything was clear, besides the fact that for us this topic was a great discovery and we kept looking for information on the Internet so that our task would be as complete as possible.

In the work of the group, I believe that the best moment of the week was when we finally understood everything and we collaboratively started working and discussing the topic. We were very productive and it was very interesting listening to my colleagues and we put together many ideas for the presentation. Another good moment in the group work was when Lidia and I were working and advancing the task after class as we were not on a tight schedule. This is something that I wanted to point out as it is very important to find people involved and interested to work with because at the end of the day, the university is not a compulsory space were you have to be, it is a professional place so you have to be responsible and have a proactive attitude towards your tasks because if you don't give your best, it will affect the whole group. 

And regarding the worst moment of the week, it would probably be when we were a bit lost but the truth is that we are generally very resolute people who end up understanding everything and if it is not the case we ask our classmates to help each other or the teacher as well.

In this assignment we have learned many things related to the topic of the assignment but also about ourselves. We have learned that the PLE is something that is not just a set of tools but something much more complex and this has made us ask ourselves many questions related to technology such as: have you spent a whole day without your mobile phone, what would you do if there was no WiFi connection?, what is the app where you spend the most time?.... We have realized that some of us spend more time on social networks and others not so much, but in the end we have agreed that when you are born surrounded by technology and you spend so much time with your mobile, it becomes a big part of your life and of you also. We have also learned that the relationships that we get thanks to the relationships with the devices go beyond, they do not depend only on the device but also on the context and thanks to the Google Form we have seen all the aspects that affect us in the use of these tools. The relationship between the technological, physical and mental world is something complex and thanks to the discussion between us we have realized that some people may have a difficult environment of learning and others no.

As a group, what we must continue to have for all tasks is undoubtedly the good vibes and good learning environment that we have and continue to take every opportunity to learn new things we can, being open to last minute changes and knowing how to manage the problems that appear along the way. We have to continue to support each other and to understand and respect the different contexts we come from, but without forgetting that we have to work hard and keep working hard until the end as we have done so far.

We have a lot of things as a group but obviously there are also many things that can be improved both individually and as a group. It is a very positive thing to reflect and think about how we are doing and to stop and realize the failures we have and this should not only be done by the analyst but also by each member and have a bit of self-criticism in order to improve. Many times in my opinion we are very positive and sometimes you have to be more realistic and realize that there are people who could do more work or change something because in the end the best critic is yourself, self-exigence and the ability to overcome and the effort for me are fundamental when working with other people so that everything goes well and also is something good to acquire for life in general. As a group I do not think we have anything specific to improve, maybe having all more up to date and above all the communication between us it is very important when we see that something could be improved. I believe that in reality we should improve all individually for the good of the group as in the end as a team we must help each other and contribute as much as we can.

It is a very positive thing to reflect on how the contents of the different subjects are related since as we have studied, the significant learning is the one that establishes relationships with the knowledge that we already had previously and the new content that we can relate to our experiences and other knowledge acquired over time. The PLE being a new approach to understand the learning processes with ICT is something very beneficial to study, since teachers and future teachers have to be continuously training to be able to offer the best educational experience to their students and technology and education are not static realities but they are changing and it is a  very useful and interesting to know. PLE could be related to many of the things learned during the different subjects but as it is a set of tools, sources of information, connections and activities that each person uses to learn and each one of us has our own could relate to the diversity of students since each one of us has our own skills, needs, context and ways of learning. It is very interesting for teachers to develop professionally and it also serves to generate a different education or school, the PLE is in many things and also relates to pedagogies that we have studied in the subject of psychology such as constructivism.

The PLE has made us realize something that we already knew but that is very important and it is that in the end we are different when using tools or learning, each one has their different approaches. We have to take into account that learning activities are something that emerges and relationships between technology and people are complex. Teachers should be aware of this topic and take into account the different contexts and needs of students so that education and school improve and with it improve society also because school and society are not two realities isolated, everything is connected. Teachers should address and reflect on these issues because their work is not limited to putting information in the heads of their students but helping them to start creating and reflecting on their own cognition (metacognition) and also their PLE. 

As for the relationship of this new content with some social evidence, we realized that unfortunately there is a big gap between classes and also between countries and that we do not all enjoy the same tools in education. It can be said that the PLE is something personal to each person but it is also conditioned by the social, economic and cultural context in which you find yourself because in a country that is in the first world and very developed technologically more advanced tools will be used and there will be more variety of devices and in a country with less technology will not use as many or will have less. Although Spain is quite a digitalised country and education is still progressing, we must not be conformist in my opinion and always be willing to use new approaches and be up to date with new tools to use with our students. The way of teaching in which the teacher is the only source of knowledge, the memorisation and direct instruction should end and students should create their own knowledge through works, creations, research, debates... using ICT. Finally, I attach a link to the Red Cross website which explains something related but in Spain, what the digital divide is and how to prevent it from causing inequality.