Having a PLN is time consuming because I will have to dedicate myself to

maintaining who I am staying in contact with, and what I am choosing to

share with my contacts. Essentially, by establishing a PLN I am making a

promise to always be updated in my field and to never stop growing both

professionally and personally.

for the value in establishing a connection with other people.

Whether it is with a previous boss, a classmate and fellow group

partner, or someone online who discusses the inner workings of

the latest novels, I choose to spend my time with these people and

am a better person for it. It is through our discourse of ideas and

opinions that we establish a connection. With more connections

and sharing I am able to join a community that I have deliberately

chosen - that is what my PLN is about.

professionals. These are people who have different experiences

from my own and therefore can offer different insights and

opinions. As a pre-service teacher it is important for me to

understand and be able to work with diversity in the classroom

and a PLN full of people who can give me new perspectives and

ways of making my classroom more accessible.

of other professionals means that a PLN will enable me to truly

and fully immerse myself in both my role as a teacher and in my

fields of English and visual communication. Like all areas of learning,

there is constant change and discovery so I have to ensure that I

am staying updated and teaching my students the most relevant

information. Through my PLN I can be involved with other professionals

and join the conversation about issues I care about - all of this is possible

through immersion in a PLN.