Technology Blog #1: Developing a Connected Learning Model in Relation to My Major

            Chapter two of The Connected Educator: Learning and Leading in a Digital Age is primarily about how to and why creating learning networks for personal gain in fields such as education are beneficial in the modern day. Learning networks prior to modern internet and media for educators were through workshops provided by the schooling system and regional authorities themselves. These are referred to as professional learning networks. If something was not taught directly by the specific mandatory systems of which someone was receiving their career education information from, there was not a likely chance that any learning past what the career's set up educational system directly taught. People would have to go out of their way and search out untaught information that could take from hours to weeks... if there is any success in the search at all! Despite the struggles of the past, the current age has removed this to a great extent with the invention of two things; the internet and social media.

             The use of many media apps such that of YouTube or Reddit can be the cornerstone to a successful learning network in our modern world. Alongside the typical professional learning network (which is also changing through the use of online educational prerequisites), the modern era has brought upon a new network, known as the connected learning network. The connected learning network is an expanded set of learning capabilities from the professional learning networks and the communities of practice, with more added on. With the use of the internet, access to information to advance oneself intellectually is far easier and far faster. Social media services like X, Reddit, YouTube, and more help people learn quickly and effectively. The internet and media is helping advance learning networks drastically compared to what as possible in the last few decades.

  

            In my future field of Law Enforcement, learning networks do typically come in the form of required workshops set up by the local or state law enforcement agencies. However, this is not the only place where a learning network can influence those of law enforcement. Law enforcement media does exist on such places such as Reddit, or on broader terms within the infinite pages of a google search. Within Reddit, people can ask questions as law enforcement to other law enforcement around their region and nation to decipher how they can do better in their field. Asides from Reddit, a quick google search on a given question can very quickly give someone the information they need on specific laws or rights that may slip under the cracks of typical workshop training given from local, state, or federal agencies. Overall, the connected learning networks possible today were not available before our time, and are advancing far faster than people before us would have ever expected.