A Look into Personal Learning Networks (PLN)

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What is a Personal Learning Network (PLN)?  PLNs are networks, whether online or in person, that allows you to connect with others in your field to learn, discuss, and gain more knowledge to become better in your field.  Thanks to the Internet, PLNs have gone online and allows you to connect with others all around the world.

I recently created my own PLN via Twitter (@dyleeGoBlue) and it has so far been an amazing and eye opening experience.  I've heard from others how beneficial PLNs have been for them, but I was skeptical and never felt the need to join in and on top of that, I was never really a fan of Twitter.  From a personal standpoint, I didn't feel the need to read short blurbs from my friends or celebrities about what's going on in their lives.  However, with a more professional focus, Twitter has been an amazing tool to connect with other teachers and other professionals around the world who have similar passions, interests, and questions that needs answering.

One resource that I found from @rmbyrne recently was his blog post on alternative websites other than Youtube.  I found this resource extremely helpful since Youtube is a blocked site within our school district.  Although it is accessible for teachers (after you type in your credentials), it is blocked for students.  Therefore, it was often pretty hard to use that video resource for kids to watch on their own (perhaps for a flipped classroom activity).  The blog shared a few new video resource sites for teachers that I never heard of and I quickly shared that with my school staff to use.  I've already heard some positive feedback from coworkers on some of those sites.

I also had the opportunity to participate in a Twitter chat.  A Twitter chat is similar to joining a chat room about a specific topic, without there really being a room.  Instead, you participate by including the specific hashtag assigned to that chat so that those following the chat can see your response.  There usually is a moderator who posts questions for others to answer.  Here is a list of various education related twitter chats if you are ever interested.  I used Tweet Deck for my Twitter chat, since it allowed me to create a separate column specifically for my Twitter chat, making it easier to follow as seen below:

Personal Photo 

The Twitter chat I joined was #edtechchat and the topic of discussion that evening was cyber security.  Several members joined in on the chat and the biggest takeaway was that most of us in the ed tech field had no idea that October was National Cyber Security Awareness month.  We had a great discussion on the importance of teaching students how to be better digital citizens and we were able to share resources with one another.  I had the opportunity to share how I used Google's digital citizenship program with others and I got to learn about the Netsmartz program.

Overall, I would say that I've been converted.  PLNs are a big plus in terms of learning from others from around the world as well as a resource if you're stuck or need a question answered.