Take a minute…

Think about the people that your work with.

Now pick one

• Your go-to person. The one that you turn to. The one that seems to always have the answer, the time, the energy for you. The one that “gets it” and get’s you.

Now, what if they got a new job? What if they weren’t there to support you?

Maybe you need a PLN!

What is a PLN?

Personal Learning Networks are systems that help learners take control of and manage their own learning. This includes providing support for learners to:1. Set their own learning goals2. Manage their learning; managing both content

and process3. Communicate with others in the process of

learning and thereby achieve learning goals

Simply put:A PLN is a system for lifelong

learning.

Reasons to NOT start a PLN now

• You have a ton to do already.• You are stretched in multiple areas.• There aren’t enough hours in the day.• You already have professional development,

meetings, phone calls, texts and more email than you can handle.

But, a PLN could provide you with…

• Professional development • Resources for your job/classroom, such as free

websites and software• Lesson plan/PD ideas from master teachers• Information about new technologies and how

to integrate them into your PD/teaching• Collaborative solutions• Interesting links to education news

Where can you go to start your PLN?

• Social Networking – Keeping up with personal, more social contacts like friends, family, and former students (Facebook, Google+)

• Microblogging – Populated with educators from around the world who share best practices and resources in short bursts (Twitter, EdmodoBlog)

• Professional Profiles – Find other professionals and experts in your field (LinkedIn)

• Wikis – Community-monitored sites that can function as websites or for group organization and projects (Wikispaces, pbwiki, edublogs)

• Blogs – Great sources of information as well as personal opinions; Blogs monitor the heartbeat of new trends in education and the commenting back and forth leads to many great ideas and relationships (WordPress, Blogger,)

• RSS Reader/News Aggregators – RSS means “Real Simple Syndication” – an RSS reader is a tool that allows you to keep up with many of your favorite blogs, all in once place (Google Reader)

• Nings – Communities of people interested in similar topics, with forums and messaging (Classroom 2.0, Future of Education)

• Social Bookmarking – Share bookmarks with others, see what others are bookmarking; you can join groups and get email updates on new bookmarks (Diigo, Delicious)

• Webinars – Live, on-line presentations or conferences, with real-time chat, hosted by experts on specific topics; Great way to learn about new things and to meet new people (Classroom 2.0 Live, Elluminate – host your own, Delaware Digital Learning Conference: Online)

• Backchanneling of conferences – When there are neat (and expensive) conferences that you can’t attend, follow conversations and links about the highlights using hashtags (Guide to Twitter Hashtags, Top education Hashtags)

So, let’s share!

WENDY’S PLN

#5 – Center for Digital Education

#4 – Tech & Learning K12 Blueprint

#3 - Edutopia News

#2 – Tech &Learning eNews

#1 – DLC Steering Committee