Reflections on Mapping Learning Connections

To be honest, I never looked at my daily sources for communicating such as facebook, personal and professional email accounts, and blog feeds as learning resources. However, once I took a look at the information that can be acquired from them, I became aware of the wealth of knowlede that is at my fingertips.

Acquiring a Facebook account exposed me to so much more than a connection with friends and family. I have established relationships with individuals from a variety of professional backgrounds, which is an excellent source for instructional designers because it is a universal field. Additionally, through this site I have made connections with a variety of educators, thus providing an opportunity to discuss strategies and share ideas.

My personal and professional email accounts are excellent resources for sharing as well as recieving information. Both accounts recieve articles, web resources, and training information that increases my knowledge as an educator. I am able to incorporate new information and strategies into my instructional program.

Having earned a M.S. in Education with a focus on content area literacy, my personal library is filled with books and articles that cover such topics as educational theory, content area writing strategies, and school reform. This is perhaps my most valuable source, because the information seems to be infinate. For example, although learning theories are often disputed, the information will always be relevant.

As an instructional designer, My blog subscriptions are a valuable tool because the information found here is both universal and infinate. The blogs I subscribe to are not limited to the field of post secondary or secondary education. The information found in these blogs keeps me abreast of current instructional design trends in the fields of medicine, business, and secondary education.

As I reflect on my learning network, more sources seem to come to mind. Information that can be used to enhance my instructional program and design strategies can be found in so many different aspects of my life. Perhaps that is the key to finding success as an educator and designer, utilizing a variety of tools to design instructional programs that meet the needs of all learners regardless of background or point of reference.