PLN

Personal Learning Network

From [] 

Professional Learning Network
Many educators in successful schools are involved in their school's professional learning community and perhaps they even collaborate with other schools in the district, city, state, country or beyond, but Innovative Educators also have personal learning networks (PLNs) enabling them to connect with other learners around the globe. If you're new to this world, personal learning networks are created by an individual learner, specific to the learner’s needs extending relevant learning connections to like-interested people around the globe. PLNs provide individuals with learning and access to leaders and experts around the world bringing together communities, resources and information impossible to access solely from within school walls.

This 3:45 second clip from Will Richardson provides great insight into the importance of developing your PLN. Here is some advice to get started. media type="youtube" key="mghGV37TeK8" height="344" width="425" ** Link [] **

** 5 Ways to Begin Building Your Personal Learning Network 1.0 **
1. Join a professional social network. I belong to [|Classroom 2.0] (for educators using Web 2.0 technology) and [|EduBlogger World] (for education bloggers) and I launched a social network called [|The Innovative Educator] (enhancing instruction with tech across the content areas). I have found great value in each of them. I am also a member of Linked In but haven't found much value in that as an educator. 2.  Pick 5 Blogs you find interesting and start reading them. In addition to my own blog, I follow [|weblogg-ed: learning with the read/write web], [|Tales of a Technology Omnivore], [|The Brazen Careerist], [|Cool Cat Teacher], [|Ted Talks], [|Dan H. Pink]. You may want to look at some of these as well as find other [|Education Blogs] or explore the listing of [|International Edubloggers.] 3. Set up an [|iGoogle account] using your professional email and subscribe to the blogs you selected in [|Google Reader]. Caution: Limit your reader to five to start. Keeping up with more blogs will be difficult. I suggest the professional email (the one from your work/school) because it is professional, colleagues can find you, and you can keep it separate from your personal contact. 4. Become a part of the conversation and start commenting on the blogs you read. I invite you to begin here! (If you're following closely you may note this is actually PLN 2.0 tip thrown in for those who are ready for a head start, and because I'd really love to get to know my readers through comments here). 5. Join the microblogging phenomena by reading Tweets at [|Twitter]. Start by selecting 5 well-known Edubloggers to follow and watch all the great stuff they have to share. You'll learn a lot in minutes that fit into 140 character sound bytes. I'd recommend starting with **[|willrich45]** ** / Will Richardson, ** **[|coolcatteacher]** ** / Vicki Davis, ** **[|stevehargadon]** ** / Steve Hargadon, ** **[|acarvin]** ** / Andy Carvin, ** **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">[|penelopetrunk] **/ **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">P ** **enelope Trunk**, and because you can, why not follow **[|BarackObama]** **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> / Barack Obama. **Just get ready because once people start following you, you may feel compelled to start engaging in exciting activities worth posting…in 140 characters or less.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">So get to it and start building your learning network. Join a social network, subscribe to blogs, comment and Tweet

Type in the content of your page here.