HOW MY PERSONAL LEARNING NETWORK

HAS GROWN…

MODULE 12MY PLN REFLECTION

Joanna Zerbinos

@joannazerbinos

I chose to use Twitter as my Personal Learning Network because I felt it was already a social media site that I was familiar and comfortable with.

In the past, through my personal Twitter, I had observed people I was following creating their own PLNs and I always wondered what the benefits of doing something like that would be. Through this class, I learned that there is an endless amount of benefits that can be had through the creation of a PLN that is strictly for your profession.

In the next few slides, I will be showcasing the growth of my PLN…

TWITTER

For this class I created a brand-new Twitter account that would just be used as a personal learning.

This was the earliest screenshot of my Twitter page that I could find on my computer. Although the followers and

following tabs are missing, at this point, I had zero followers and was following zero Twitter users. I started

out by following 30 people/organizations.

A SCREENSHOT OF MY PLN FROM SEPTEMBER

19, 2013

2 MONTHS LATER…

This is a screenshot from November 19, 2013. I began following the

instructors of this course and throughout the semester I was exposed to many other

Twitter users in the education or educational

technology world.

On December 1 I had 2 more

followers, taking me from 32 to 34. I

also started following 4 more

people!

ANOTHER 2 WEEKS LATER…

5 TWITTER FOLLOWERS THAT INFLUENCE MY

PLN THE MOST:

Toby Price was one of the first people I started following on Twitter. Twitter suggested I follow him based on the other people I was following and immediately after perusing his Twitter feed, I knew he would be a great addition to my PLN. Toby posts great, thoughtful, and relevant tweets. He is an assistant principal, which gives him a very interesting perspective on teaching and education. I always look forward to reading the articles he posts! He usually posts a few inspirational quotes relating to education each day, which really gives me the motivation to continue on the path I am on.

1. TOBY PRICE

As soon as I set up my account, it was obvious that I would follow Ed Tech Services. Since the beginning of the term, I frequented the Ed Tech Commons and everyone was and is so willing to help! A HUGE thank-you to all of you in Ed Tech Commons! The staff with Ed Tech Services are really awesome in that they update their Twitter regularly and it keeps me up to date. I have come across some really great resources through their Twitter feed and read some really interesting articles. They do a great job of keeping things current and informed. I have learned a lot about technology from the little tips and pointers they post! I also love their encouraging posts. Sometimes on a Wednesday, a “Happy Wednesday!” is just what I need to make my day a little better!

2. EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY SERVICES

Although many of the educators I follow on Twitter are American, I find the resources they post to be universal and extremely helpful. Seeing what other education systems are like through these Twitter users really helps me gain perspective. Justin Tarte’s tweets often make me think about why I want to be a teacher and how I can be the best educator I can be. Above, I shared one of my favourite tweets of his. His posts have purpose and are usually very thoughtful and philosophical. He is very involved in #edchat, which got me involved in it too!

3. JUSTIN TARTE

Although the Canadian Teacher Mag requires a subscription, there website offers some great resources for teachers. I think this would be a great magazine to have, especially in the beginning stages of my teaching career. The magazine includes current events, educational news, and personal accounts from educators. I really think it would be of great value. Their Twitter updates you on the new articles they have in their magazine and the content of their latest issues.

4. CANADIAN TEACHER MAGAZINE

Nicholas Provenzano has some really interesting tweets! He is a teacher himself and shares a lot of his experiences. I really love his blog [thenerdyteacher.com]. One of my favourite blog posts of his can be found at: http://www.thenerdyteacher.com/2013/11/have-you-turned-on-music-20time.html. Give it a read/watch. He has some really great insights. I love his take on teaching. So inspirational!

5. NICHOLAS PROVENZANO

HOW I MAKE CONNECTIONS WITHIN MY PLN

Being introduced to the concept of a Personal Learning Network made being a pre-service teacher more fun, interactive, and different! Now, when I log onto Twitter, I feel like it has a purpose. I’m not just logging on to Twitter to read ridiculous updates by celebrities or to read the latest in fashion. I absolutely love having Twitter as an educational resource! There are so many intelligent, like-minded, and education-oriented individuals out there. It blows my mind how much I can learn from simply logging onto Twitter.

I love sharing articles, resources, websites, and blogs on my Twitter. When my followers retweet me, it really makes me realize that I too am making a difference. Someone is reading my tweets and actually paying attention to what I think is important. It feels so great to interact with people from different countries, even continents, who are involved in education in some shape or form. Connecting with people from different parts of the world brings things to my attention that I may have never encountered otherwise.

Connecting with other educators through chats like #ntchat (new teacher chat) and #edchat has brought so many issues and resources to my attention! When I first began my PLN journey through Twitter, I was quite skeptical, to be honest. But now, being at the end of the term, I have reflected on so many of the things I have learned. Almost every day I log onto Twitter and read something that changes my thoughts on something or gives me something new to think about!