Presented by Kay Cantwell

Education Officer: Digital Learning

What is a PLN A PLN is a system of interpersonal connections and resources that

support informal learning.

Why would I want a PLN? Access resources inspirational ideas when and

where you want

Engage in professional sharing

Connect with leaders in your field

Model contemporary learning

Are PLNs based on Research?

Flanigan, R. L. (2011, October 26). Professional Learning Networks Taking Off. Education Week.

Siemens, in 2004, outlined his theory of Connectivism, which is a theory of

learning that moves from within the individual, where traditional learning

theories such as constructivism and behaviourism, and explores the act of

making connections between various data sets or sites of knowledge or

information.

He suggests that learning resides in diversity of opinions, and that it may

reside in places other than humans (i.e. within computer networks such as

the internet). Connectivism is a learning theory for the digital age, as it

suggests that the capacity to know is more critical than what is currently

known, and that the ability to make and maintain connections (between

people, ideas, concepts etc) is a major purpose of learning.

With this in mind, construction of a ‘Professional/Personal Learning

Network is essential for anyone who wishes to maintain currency in a

rapidly changing information environment. It is a skill we must develop as

professionals, and one we must teach to students.

The amount of information available now exceeds our physical human

capacity to store it – therefore we must become experts in knowing how to

access and evaluate information, rather than experts who hold the

information.

Alec Couros neatly sums up this changing approach to the role of the

educator in the graphics below:

cc licensed ( BY NC SD ) flickr photo by courosa:

http://flickr.com/photos/courosa/344832659/

cc licensed ( BY NC SD ) flickr photo by courosa:

http://flickr.com/photos/courosa/2922421696/

Now! Then!

Need more convincing?

Here is the evidence from a real-time experiment using my own PLN:

Ok…so how do I do it?

Work found at http://www.vecteezy.com/nature/4197-

vector-abstract-tree /

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/

(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/)

To develop an information aggregation PLN you need an RSS reader.

e.g. www.google.com/reader

There are many tools you can use to develop a social network PLN.

The focus of this workshop is to provide you with familiarity with Twitter,

one of the most commonly used social media pln tools.

Building your network:

1. Start small

2. You don’t have to tweet at first…you can just follow

3. Find a few key ‘tweeps’ then see who they follow

A suggested starting point:

2 ‘experts’ – e.g. @joycevalenza and @gwynethjones

2 colleagues e.g. @daniellecart and @ jennyluca

1 academic e.g. @ lyn_hay

What are hashtags?

They are essentially keywords that help define a tweet.

You can search via hashtag to find lots of tweets about a similar topic.

Most conferences not have hashtags also, so you can follow what is being

tweeted at the conference.

Great hashtags to follow:

#tlchat #titletalk #edtech

Find more here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VelhMDERt4RxrX4rsF8aq8N2tma-

gDme8fLpYMip4M0/edit?hl=en&pli=1

Attending conferences virtually

With professional development funding almost non-existent, attending

conferences is sadly out of the reach for many TLs. At least with Twitter

you can attend ‘virtually’ and pick up a smattering of the resources being

shared and what is being said.

You don’t have to sit in front of Twitter all day to gather these posts; use

Storify (or similar tools) to gather these tweets automatically, then read

them at your leisure.

From the recent Australian Computers in Education Conference:

http://storify.com/KayC28

1. It’s easy to create a story; log in using your Twitter account.

2. Hit ‘create story’.

3. Select Twitter from the tab on the right hand side, and search

for the conference hash tag. Click add all.

4. Leave the tab open and revisit occasionally, adding all.

5. Hit publish to save your story for later reading.

How to stay on top of it all? 1. Devote a regular time to your PLN – 10 minutes each day is all you

need to stay up to date and to discover a wealth of resources.

Need proof?

This is what I discovered in 10 minutes on Twitter:

Tweet Resource

http://www.library20.com/forum/topics

/transparency-is-the-new-black

http://cdn2-www.ec.commonsensemedia.org/ sites/default/files/backtoschoolguide_all.pdf

http://www.edutopia.org/files/existing /pdfs/guides/edutopia-mobile-learning-guide.pdf

http://edudemic.com/2012/09/9-surprising-ways-schools-ipads-world/

It can seem overwhelming, so use a tool like HootSuite to keep an eye on

everything that is happening on one screen: http://hootsuite.com/

Don’t expect to have a fully-fledged PLN overnight…it takes time and just

like a garden, regular tending.

Want to read more?

Cantwell. (2011, November). Social media and schools as professional learning

communities. Retrieved September 26, 2012, from

http://www.curriculum.edu.au/leader/social_media_and_schools_as_professional_learni

ng,34164.html?issueID=12502

Maiers, A. (2008, December). 26 Keys to Twitter Success. Retrieved October 3, 2012,

from http://www.angelamaiers.com/2008/12/26-keys-to-twitter-success.html

Siemens, G. (2004, December 12). Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age.

elearnspace. Retrieved September 28, 2012, from

http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm

Wagner, D. (2012, January.)Personal Learning Networks for Educators: 10 Tips Getting

Smart. Retrieved October 3, 2012, from http://gettingsmart.com/news/personal-learning-

networks-for-educators-10-tips/

Why Educators Should Spend 15 Minutes a Day on Social Media. (n.d.). Retrieved

September 26, 2012, from http://www.centerdigitaled.com/training/Why-Educators-

Should-Spend-Time-Daily-on-Social-Media.html