Growing Your Personal Learning Environment:

A personal learning environment is just that - personal. It's something you create, assembling the people, tools and spaces that support your learning path. An important step in the growing of your PLE is identifying your goals. These are the seeds in the process.

Download the Goal Setting Overview

Tools:

Aggregate

Google Reader , Netvibes Several RSS readers that lets you stay up to date on new information coming in from a variety of blogs and websites. (If you want to test it out try add the sites recommended at the bottom of the page)

Delicious: . Allows you bookmark things on the internet. It’s more handy than the ones in your browser as it allows you to tag, search and share the bookmarks, as well as access them from any location. Be sure to install the browser extension in order to make adding and searching bookmarks easier.

RefWorks: Helps you to do research by collecting and formatting your sources. Integrates with UBC Library.

Collaborate:

Wiki A space to openly work on content with others.

Google Docs: An online document editor, lets you collaborate with others and your documents are available wherever you have internet.

Quizlet: Online collaborative flashcards, lets you create flashcards then test yourself and your friends using them, in a very fun way. (Also available on a bunch of SmartPhone apps).

Organize:

Mint: Automatically tracks how you spend your money and lets you set goals on how you want to spend in future (try it for a month, you will see just how delusional most of us are about where our money goes).

Evernote: Create and organize notes on any device that you have. Lets you upload and search pictures.

Google Tasks: , Remember The Milk: There are a ton of free task tracking and managing applications out there. Having all the tasks you need to do out of your head and on paper really helps to relieve a lot of stress.

RescueTime: Monitors the applications and websites that you access on your computer, providing a detailed breakdown (also, very scary to see where your time goes) and letting you set goals for how you want to change your browsing behaviour.
Google Calendar: lets you keep your life organized by keeping a selection of calendars. If used properly, you won’t forget about an assignment, class or meeting again.

Daytum:

MindMapping: Allows you to visually organize data in a way that may make more sense to your brain. The resources page has a collection of some of the best tools and resources.

Create

Prezi: Allows you to make fun, visually appealing and creative presentations.

Blogs: Allow you to express yourself and your ideas. Let’s you synthesize and reflect upon you learning.

Creately: , Gliffy: Drawing tools that allow you to quickly and easily make then share diagrams online. Great for any kind of complex diagram that you need to create.

Connect

Blogs: Allows you to gain feedback on your thinking as well as engage with others studying in your field of interest.

Twitter: or Facebook Curate a network of people to communicate and connect with over the things that you love.

Forums: Find or contribute to a community's body of knowledge.

Linkedin: Connect to people within a work network.

Mobile apps (for the iPhone and other smartphones) allow you to connect on the go with YouTube, your favorite news sources and your social networking sites.

Learning Commons resources:

Blogs to follow:

Zen Habits: A blog dedicated to simplifying and forming good habits.
Scott Young: A student and productivity blogger, has a lot of material on how to successfully form new habits.
Study Hacks: A student that writes a lot about how to be better at school.