Professional (Personal) Learning Networks

Sherry Crofut

http://conference2009.tie2.wikispaces.net/Professional+(Personal)+Learning+Networks

What is a PLN?

• I asked my PLN and these are some of their responses:

What is a PLN?

What is a PLN?

What does MY PLN do for ME?

• I go to my PLN for many things:– Learn new things– Ask questions– Collaborate– Validation– Camaraderie– Stay in touch with friends

• Many of you may have heard about this:

Screen shot taken at 10:13 AM on 4/19/09 at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/16/ashton-kutcher-vs-cnn-twi_n_187835.html

•Twitter is a micro-blogging website that allows you to form your own PLN (Professional/Personal Learning Network)•When you become "friends" with people with similar interests, you can share ideas and collaborate with other teachers from other cities, states, or even countries!

• Plurk is another micro-blogging website that allows you to form your own PLN (Professional/Personal Learning Network) like Twitter

• It is more conversational than Twitter because it allows conversations to stay threaded

Reasons to use a social bookmarking network:• Saved bookmarks will not be deleted when computers are re-imaged

• You can access your bookmarks from any computer with the Internet from anywhere

• You can form a network and share bookmarks with friends and colleagues

Blogs

Blogs are not about writing. They are about conversation. Because of the power to leave comments about another’s thoughts, real conversation and possible collaboration happens. I have had numerous conversations and even disagreements in blogs!

Blogs

• Finding blogs to read is easy–You can use a site like bloglines–You can find one to follow and see if

you can follow who they follow–Check out your friend’s Delicious

links–Ask!

Blogs

• You can start your own blog–Blogger–Wordpress–Edublogs–Many, many more

RSS Feeders

• Rich Site Summary or Really Simple Syndication

• A way to bring new blog posts to you• Many available

– Google Reader– Bloglines– Pageflakes– Suprglu

Google Reader in iGoogle

Discovery Educators Network

LearnCentral

And more…

• Google for Educators• Innovative Teachers• PBS Teachers• Linked In• Ning• Jaiku• Kwippy• Ping• Second Life

• Diigo• Podcasts• YouTube• TeacherTube• Ustream• Wikis• Google Docs• Slideshare• Skype