This Personal Learning Environment chart highlights the various layers of the network of people and resources I use in my professional life. From specific individuals who help with IT questions to websites and blogs that I follow to keep me up-to-date with the most significant changes being made in the field. I find comfort in this chart, as it reminds me that even though we may teach online, there is a network of people and resources that we are always relying on. I know that this chart will evolve as my online teaching experience does, but it was incredibly helpful to have to sit down and think about the resources that inform my teaching.
The bottom level of the graphic references the resources that I currently use. Accessing my colleagues and reading Facebook feeds about teaching helps to establish a community feeling. Likewise, listening to TED Talks and NPR podcasts, as well as reading content area publications keeps me up to date on the latest discussions. The middle tier represents the areas that I'm beginning to access more frequently, and they tend to revolve around teaching practices. As I complete my fifteenth year teaching, I find that I am looking to expand and build upon what I do in the classroom. Lastly, the top tier represents the resources that I need to become more accustomed with. All of these boxes focus on online teaching. It is a new challenge for me, and I'll be teaching using the Canvas platform, so I need to familiarize myself with it. Also, I'd like to learn more about Screentastic and possibly use it when responding to student writing to lessen the isolation that can be felt in the online class. Open Culture is another resource I'd like to investigate more; being part of an online community is still new for me . . . and the new can always be a bit daunting. I chose to represent my graphic in this way because I feel that it is clean, easy-to-follow, and uncluttered. It makes aesthetic sense and gets my points across clearly