TASK 8. "PLE"- Star

 

Emilio José Ruiz Franco

STAR´S PRESENTATION:

• What is a PLE and it parts.

• Diagram and legend with stickers (laptop, mobile and tablet) and colored clouds (pink, orange, green) and say why is each tool located there.

• Differences between the members of the groups when using the tools.

• Reflection on tools.

So the topic of this task was PLE, which is the set of tools, information sources, connections, and activities that each person uses on a regular basis to learn. 

In addition, PLE is a new approach to understanding learning processes with ICTs. We all have a PLE and thanks to the internet, we can access infinite information easily and quickly, and we can also comment, recreate and discuss it, and we use that information at the time that suits us best, in the device, language, form and place of our choice. So the use of technologies has multiplied, diversified and personalized our learning environment in an extraordinary way.

The PLE could be said to have 3 components:

1. accessing information (reading in paper or digital and not only tools but also how we search for that information), 

2. creating and modifying information through reflection (doing something with that information with a blog or a wiki for example) 

3. sharing and recreating with others (the social part, as on Twitter or in a forum).

Even though we, as a group, discussed and chose for “Task 5 Ethics” the 9 tools here are shown (show diagram). However, in this task, we have realized that each of us has their own experience and uses them in a specific way. After a discussion among the members of our group, I’m going to explain why each tool has been placed in that place and also in the context in which we use it, although each one differs in aspects from the other members.

Talking about the use, we have noticed that we all use the tools for basically the same: WhatsApp for texting, DeepL for translating, Miró to create content like conceptual maps or diagrams, Blogger and PBworks to write long texts and review content or add images and videos…etc.

In relation to the stickers next to the tools, we wanted to illustrate where most of us use those particular tools. As you can see, the stickers represent the tablet, computer, and mobile phone. whereas, we have created a color code for places:

• Home: pink cloud
• University: green cloud
• Bus: orange cloud

We also realized that we differ in some aspects: 

Regarding the devices, Sandra, Eloy, and I use the computer to use these tools, Lidia and Noelia use their IPad, and Sofía uses her phone. Each of us finds it comfortable with the device we use. 

With reference to the way we access, in general, we all use Canva, Google Documents and DeepL with the downloaded app. Meanwhile, we search in the browser for Miró, Blogger, PBworks and ArcGIS StoryMap. In the case of WhatsApp and Aula Virtual we use both, for example, all of us have WhatsApp in our phones but some also have it in the laptop as WhatsApp web. The same happens with Aula Virtual, some of us have the app downloaded but others prefer to use the browser because they don’t like the app or because they have become accustomed to it. By the way, some of us use both depending on the place we are at the moment of using it. 

We also find the setting and the physical space a very important aspect which affects the use of these tools. All of us use these tools for university work so the environment in which we work needs to be calm and relaxing, for example, our home, the library or the faculty. By contrast, Whatsapp is one tool we also use for pleasure and for chatting so we use it basically everywhere where there is Internet connection. In the case of Sandra and Lidia, they also use these tools in the bus because they spend a lot of time commuting from home to college so they take advantage of that time to use the tools. Eloy also uses some tools in the street or on the bus such as whatsapp or DeepL because WhatsApp is also used by us to discuss how we are going to organize the task and if he has to translate anything he does it with DeepL.

To conclude, we have realized that although we all use the same tools as a group, everyone has their own PLE to a greater or lesser extent and everyone has a different context and uses each tool for different things than the others. We have realized that each tool can be used for many things for example: the blog is for writing/reflection but if our classmates give us feedback and write comments we are already sharing with other people.

And finally here are the notes that the star did to help him in the presentation: