Building and Sustaining a PLN

Building and Sustaining a

PLNby Eric E Castro

@eecastro

Why

How

What

Schools should offer courses that are

• interdisciplinary

• hands-on

• focused on real-world problems

–John Donne, Meditation XVII, 1624

“No man is an Island, entire of itself”

Curriculum advice, comparison, and inspiration

Instructional guidance

Social-emotional support

–Richard Tirendi, 1992

“If you’re the smartest one in the room, you’re in the wrong room.”

Why

How

What

Too Big to Know: Rethinking Knowledge

Now That the Facts Aren't the Facts, Experts Are Everywhere, and the Smartest Person in the

Room Is the Room

Networked knowledge systems include: • Core technologies • Critical

interdependencies • Knowledge engines and

agents • Performative actions

Metcalfe’s Law

the value of a telecommunications network is proportional to the square of the number of connected users of the

system

Ana

log • On-campus groups

• Regional networking opportunities

• Not: a mentorship

Dig

ital

• email listserv

• Social networks — but not just as a lurker

• Blogging

• MOOCs

Why

How

What

On-campus

• Discipline- or level-specific teams

• Topic-based (SBG, 1:1 pilot)

• Cohort-based

Regional networking

• BAISNet, CUE, NAIS, CAIS, JSN, ad infinitum

Cohort-based

Email listserv

• BAISNet

• ISED

• College Board

• Discipline-specific email lists

Social networks

• Twitter (Follow, list, hashtag-based chats)

• Ning

• Google+

Blogging

MOOCs

What have you done

that’s worked well?

@eecastro

Eric E Castro

ecastro@siprep.org St Ignatius College Prep