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Learning Networks Could Reconfigure Schools | Steve Regur | TEDxElCajonSalon

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Two is a meeting three is a network. Rebuild schools with Personal Learning Networks to lift up every student. Steve Regur is a founder and the current CEO of the Educators Cooperative, a partner in innovative K-12 education solutions.

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Welcome to our professional learning series on building a PLN.

This self-paced free course guides you step-by-step through the process of setting up your own PLN.

We have an optional PDF workbook t hat will help to keep you on track and focused as you work through the 7 steps of this course. Scroll down and click on the 'download' button under the document to save it to your computer.
The aim of this first step is to:

1. Unpack the definition of a PLN and "connected educator"

2. Help you understand why educators create their own PLNs and how they use them

What Is A PLN?

Back in 1998 when the internet was in its infancy, Daniel R. Tobin wrote an article about the term "Personal Learning Network" which was abbreviated to PLN. This term was used to describe a network of people and resources that support ongoing learning.

Whether or not Tobin actually coined the term PLN is up for debate. As Clint Lalonde has pointed out, others, such as Dori Digenti, also wrote about the term in the late 90s.

Digeni said,

The PLN consists of relationships between individuals where the goal is enhancement of mutual learning. The currency of the PLN is learning in the form of feedback, insights, documentation, new contacts, or new business opportunities. It is based on reciprocity and a level of trust that each party is actively seeking value-added information for the other.

The term has evolved and is now sometimes referred to as a Professional Learning Network - taking into account that fact that most "connected educators" use their PLN for professional growth and interaction.

As Tom Whitby has pointed out, there can even be a hybrid of the personal or professional learning network - the Personalized Learning Network.

...the shift in nuance maintains that participants are both personal and professional learners. A PLN is a tool that uses social media and technology to collect, communicate, collaborate and create with connected colleagues anywhere at any time. Participating educators, worldwide, make requests and share resources.

Are PLNs Exclusive To Education?

PLNs don't just exist in the education world. They are important in all aspects of the business world, various vocations, and hobbies.

We contacted Daniel R. Tobin to ask him about how he came up with the term Personal Learning Network. We wanted to find out if he coined the term in relation to a particular industry or field.

Daniel told us,

It came from my own experience.

As I was thinking about how I had learned to do the various jobs I had over the course of my career, I realized that I had built an extensive network of people who had helped me learn. These included managers and colleagues and people I had met while doing research for my books, speaking at conferences, attending workshops, etc.

As I started writing about corporate training and development, I realized that what I had learned from my PLN was greater and more important than what I had learned from my formal education.

Interestingly, many teachers who are active online have remarked that they've learned a great deal more from their PLN than from any professional development session they've attended.

Are PLNs Something New?

All teachers know successful teaching and learning does not occur in a vacuum. Teachers have always relied on others for guidance, ideas, inspiration, support, and new perspectives. Naturally, some teachers are more active in their interactions than others.

Traditionally, all this interaction might take place in one school community. Teachers might have rarely connected with educators from other locations - apart from an occasional conference or professional development opportunity.

Technology changed all this.

Like in many other industries, educators now have access to people from all corners of the globe 24/7. This may largely be through social media but other platforms as well, such as blogs, online communities, and news sites.

So many barriers have been removed - geography, culture, language, timezones, travel, costs, logistics.

Embracing new networks and building a PLN doesn't mean throwing out your old connections. Of course, it will always be valuable to talk to the teachers next door and down the hall. But imagine the possibilities of building on that network in diverse ways!

Video: What is A PLN?

Want to learn more about what is a PLN? This is Marc-André Lalande's take on the matter in less than two minutes.

Being A Connected Educator

A connected educator is someone who collaborates online and uses a range of tools to build their own PLN.

Watch the following five minute video to learn more about being a connected educator. It shows interviews with educators who explain the importance of being "connected" in order to be effective teachers and leaders.

Why Create A PLN?

There are many reasons why all teachers should develop a PLN.

Here are eight benefits of having a PLN:

1. You are in charge of your own professional development. PD is no longer something that you have to "sit and get".

2. You can explore your own interests, needs, and passions (or your students'). You might have a student who is struggling with reading, or you might have heard of makerspaces and decide you want to learn more about that, maybe you have a student who wants to research global warming, or perhaps you want to find a better system for running a sports day at your school. You can turn to your PLN for advice and support with all these sorts of things.

3. 24/7 learning offers the flexibility to learn and connect at a time that suits you. You don't have to wait for a PD or conference. And 24/7 learning certainly doesn't mean you have to be constantly online either - you decide how much time you want to invest and when.

4. You can learn and connect in a way that you enjoy. This might be via videos, podcasts, text, social media, Skype, blogging ... the list goes on.

5. There can be light and shade to your PLN. You can engage in a general chat about education (or anything) to debrief, laugh, or unwind. Or, you can engage in deep discussion, debate, and reflection that can really challenge and transform your thinking and teaching. The choice is yours and there will probably be a time and place for both.

6. You can stay current on research and best practice, regardless of whether this information is being discussed in your own school, district (or even country!).

7. A PLN allows for broad brainstorming or fine tuning. You might know very little about a certain topic and ask your PLN for any/all entry points into exploring the concept. At the other end of the spectrum, you may have already done a lot of work on a topic and use your PLN to fine tune your ideas and resources.

8. Globally connected students need globally connected teachers. Having your own PLN is a key way to also help your students connect with others and start developing their own networks. We know this is important to enrich student learning and help students thrive in the changing labor market.

Feel free to use the following graphic on your blog or share it with your colleagues.

Four Big Ideas Around The Connected Educator

Silvia Tolisana (aka Langwitches) has written about four big ideas that surface when thinking about connected educators.

I think about the isolation of a teacher within their classroom walls and how connectedness to a global network of experts and peers could expose and add multiple perspectives to their world view and professional practice.

I am amazed every time by the transformative nature of teaching and learning, when harnessing the power of a network to crowdsource authentic data, resources, connections and collaborators.

Last, but not least, the idea of being able to model for our students what connected learning in an interconnected world means is a moral imperative for educators who are charged to prepare our kids for their future.

You can unpack these concepts further by reading Silvia's post.

Building Your Own PLN

The great thing about a PLN is that it's personal!

You make all the choices:

1. What tools you use!

2. Who you connect with!

3. How you want to learn!

4. When you want to learn!

The idea of this series is to guide you through the process of building your own PLN and give you a taste of the opportunities that are out there.

Remember, we each have our own preference of what online tools work best for us.

Throughout the seven part series, we've included popular tools for building a PLN to help get you started.

Conclusion

A PLN is a network of people and resources that support ongoing learning.

We believe all teachers could benefit from having a PLN.

You might be in a fantastic school but in some ways, schools can become echo chambers for the same beliefs and viewpoints. It can be easy to go with the status quo and fail to really question things or bring in new ideas. A simple conversation with someone from a very different community can be so eye opening.

PLNs are all about sharing, collaborating, and learning from each other. So here's your chance to ask a question, comment, and get involved!

We'd like you to add your voice and ideas to our ongoing conversation about PLNs by undertaking one or more of these challenges:

1. PLN Definition: Watch the video What Is A PLN? Leave a comment on this post to explain what a PLN means to you. You might like to share your thoughts on "lurking". What are the pros and cons of this approach? Or, you might like to explain what you think PLN stands for - personal, professional, personalized ... or something else?

2. PLN Benefits: Choose one or more of the eight benefits of having a PLN that's listed above to explore in a comment. Tell us why this is a benefit that resonates with you.

3. Connected Educators: Watch the Connected Educators video. Leave a comment on this post to explain why it's important to be a connected educator and how a PLN can help you. You might like to give an example of one person in the education community that you'd like to follow and learn from or with. This could be a thought leader, or just someone you find interesting.

4. Go Deeper: Write a blog post to explain what you have learned about PLNs. Perhaps your post could be a way to educate or persuade others on the benefits of PLNs. Or you might like to summarize some of the information from this study on PLNs for teachers. Leave a comment with a link to the post so we can have a look at how you went.

Also feel free to leave a comment to ask any questions or share your tips.

How to leave a comment: Scroll down to find the comment box. Write your comment, then enter your name and email address (email addresses are not published). Enter the anti-spam word. Press submit and we will moderate your comment ASAP.
The following information on PLNs was adapted from an original Teacher Challenge post by Australian teacher, Michael Graffin. This resource was updated by Kathleen Morris in 2018. You can check out Michael's original post - What The heck Is A PLN.

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Welcome to our professional learning series on building a PLN. This self-paced free course guides you step-by-step through the process of setting up your own PLN. We have an optional PDF workbook t hat will help to keep you on track and focused as you work through the 7 steps of this course.

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Personal Learning Network (PLN) Benefits, Tools, and Tactics

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What is a personal learning network (PLN) and how are they beneficial? Learn all about PLNs and the tools and tactics you can use to make them successful.

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Excellence in Professional Practice:
Administrators promote an environment of professional
learning and innovation that empowers educators to enhance student learning through the infusion of contemporary technologies and digital resources.:

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3 steps to creating a PLN in your school

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3 steps to creating a PLN in your school

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Recently, a colleague asked me, "What is a PLN?"

She was taking a graduate course on technology implementation and was required to form a "PLN" using digital communities and tools. But after signing up for various wikis, Nings, and virtual professional groups, she was overwhelmed: "Do I have to actually log in and check all of these things on a regular basis?! Is that what 'having a PLN' means?"

Her question prompted me to articulate how I define a professional learning network (PLN) and how I have shaped my own.

A professional learning network is a vibrant, ever-changing group of connections to which teachers go to both share and learn. These groups reflect our values, passions, and areas of expertise.

Teachers build PLNs the same way they build any network: by investing time to find and connect with people they trust, who have shared interests and passions. To me, a PLN includes the organizations, communities, and individuals who help me learn and grow as a professional. My PLN also provides me with a broader perspective on education-beyond my classroom, school building, state, and even nation. It is a blend of face-to-face and digital interactions with professional buddies, mentors, and rockstars.

Although technology is often the vehicle to build connections, a PLN is about relationships. To conceptualize a PLN, envision three layers like the ever-widening rings formed when a rock is dropped into still water. The smallest inner circle represents buddies and mentors; a middle ring holds niche passion groups; and the outer layer comprises professionals and rockstars. The smaller the ring, the closer that group is connected to you in your PLN.

Let's explore how to develop each of these layers of relationships and understand their role in professional learning.

Step One: Find the Professionals

Imagine you were moving to a new city. Initially, you would seek professionals to trust with home repairs, health, and even dry cleaning. You might find these people by asking neighbors and friends or using an online resource like Angie's List.

Similarly, finding professionals for a PLN begins by connecting with educational organizations whose mission statements and resources align to your personal beliefs about teaching and learning. Join these organizations, get on their (e)mail lists, and follow them on social media. You can also connect with published authors, researchers, or speakers who have earned your respect. Follow them on social media, find their blog, and set up an RSS feed to notify you when they post new content.

My PLN "professionals" include the following organizations and individuals. I have memberships with these organizations to receive their print and digital publications, when applicable. Additionally, I follow them on Twitter and attend their yearly conferences to physically connect with other like-minded educators.

* ASCD
* The Center for Teaching Quality
* National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
* Edutopia
* My PLN Rockstars: Pasi Sahlberg, Tony Wagner, Elena Aguilar, Daniel Pink.

Step Two: Find Your Niche Groups

In addition to establishing your professional contacts in a new town, you might begin to frequent places connected to your personal interests, like a gym, coffee shop, or church. In these places, you will likely find others who have shared interests in cycling, well-crafted drinks, or faith. These places make you feel comfortable.

In a PLN, these comfortable places are those where people gather around similar passions or experiences. For teachers, those places can vary based on grade level, subject area, or personal passions. For example, those who teach English may participate in Monday night's #engchat on Twitter or join author Jim Burke's Ning groups. to discuss topics related to teaching English. Fourth-grade teachers might participate in #4thchat on Twitter while following Fourth Grade Friends' Pinterest boards for great ideas to use in the classroom.

Educators who are are passionate about technology have, of course, many options for virtual connection: #edtech chat on Twitter, Google+ groups, and videos from the Teaching Channel on digital literacy.

There are literally hundreds of Twitter niche groups that hold regular chats. To add these communities to your PLN, you might attend a few chats a month that push your thinking and provide you with collaboration and resources around a shared personal interest. On Pinterest, you can do a simple search for terms that interest you and follow people or boards that provide you with great ideas.

Another way to find personal niche groups (without the frantic pace and public nature of Twitter) is through private communities like ASCD Edge, Edmodo Teacher Groups, CTQ Collaboratory, or Connected Educator's Book Club. These groups require a profile and provide a space for educators to go deeper in discussing topics and sharing resources.

Step Three: Find your PLN Buddies and Mentors

It's important to have individuals in your PLN who you respect highly and who will help you grow. Buddies and mentors are those people who you feel connected to beyond one shared interest; they "get" you in some important way.

These people are your closest group in your PLN. You will read almost every blog post they write, and you would probably feel comfortable calling them on the phone or inviting them out to coffee.

Finding PLN buddies and mentors often happens organically through interaction with other PLN groups. Maybe you're lurking on a Twitter chat and discover another educator who is sharing valuable resources, so you follow that person and thank them on Twitter. Perhaps you feel compelled to comment on a discussion thread that someone posted because it resonated with your own challenges or journey. Or you have an opportunity to chat with a rockstar at a book signing, and a more personal connection is formed. These are all opportunities to make and deepen connections over time.

These buddies and mentors become the foundation of any vibrant PLN. They expand your natural tunnel vision, transform your perspective, and encourage you when rock bottom seems near. You might communicate with them via Twitter, blogs, email, or Voxer. Or you could even ask them to go out for coffee once a month. Connection and interaction is key; the platform is merely the medium of convenience.

Feeling Overwhelmed? Stop!

The best part of a PLN is that it is personal. A "professional learning network" is ultimately a personal learning network.

It's important to build your PLNs in a conscious way that makes you feel comfortable. After all, not everyone builds their face-to-face networks the same way, so why would our virtual networks be any different? Perhaps it makes more sense for you to start with individuals and work outward to niche groups and organizations. Or maybe you don't like having your connections and attention divided into so many different directions. Join one organization, explore the niche groups, and connect with individuals who are already part of that community. Your attention will be focused in one place while your PLN still has varied levels of personal interaction and connection.

To my overwhelmed colleague who posed the question, "What is a PLN?" I replied with this: Find the virtual places that feel most natural to you. For me, that's social media like Twitter and Facebook. After you choose a platform, follow the people and organizations that push you to expand your thinking and move past your comfort zone. That's creating a sustainable PLN-one that will help you grow and feel more energized, not deplete you and create stress.

Like moving to a new place, the hardest part is the initial step. Stepping outside of your house to meet the neighbors, being willing to make a wrong turn to find your new doctor, or joining the local book club at the library all require risk.

But communities are essential for our happiness and survival. If your professional life feels stagnant and narrow, or your learning feels stale and predictable, perhaps it's time to step outside the door and seek people who can breathe new life into your professional growth. Perhaps it's time to build a personal, professional learning network.

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3 Steps for Building a Professional Learning Network (Opinion)

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Recently, a colleague asked me, "What is a PLN?" She was taking a graduate course on technology implementation and was required to form a "PLN" using digital communities and tools. But after signing up for various wikis, Nings, and virtual professional groups, she was overwhelmed: "Do I have to actually log in and check all of these things on a regular basis?!