Who Is in Your PLN?

Unless you are a technology junkie like me, I think this title probably has some folks scratching their heads. What IS a PLN? A PLN is your Personal Learning Network.

Ask yourself where you would go to learn? A decade ago, your answer would have been the “library” or possibly “a college class” or “buy a book like Paddleboarding for Dummies,” etc. Well, with the internet, we can easily Get Connected  and learn from all of our contacts across the globe. For example, I rely on Twitter, ITunes University, Blogs, Wikis, YouTube, Skype, Facebook, various online news networks, and many, many more connections to do my learning.

Your Personal Learning Network should consist of * n. – the entire collection of people with whom you engage and exchange information, usually online. The usually online part is the best, because you can be a passive learner -- just watching others. I read several BLOGs during the week from other Principals, and EVERY week I learn something new or get a great idea. I also subscribe to several YouTube Channels such as TED Ed and khanacademy. AND, I also have my own YouTube Channel where I post all of my favorite videos so that I can pull them up easily for professional development with our school faculty and staff – any time and any place.

Here is a perfect example of how the PLN works:

I was searching Twitter for info. about first year principals. I located someone I follow, and she had a book recommendation. So, I clicked over to Amazon and ordered the book. I tweeted that I had ordered the book, and the book’s author (sitting out there somewhere in the twittersphere) tweeted me a “thanks” for purchasing his book. Wow. That was waaaay cool!

Another time, I had prepared a presentation for our LOL Academy (leadership academy hosted by our district HR director, Sharon Michalik). I used EdCanvas to host and present my presentation. Sure enough, EdCanvas began tweeting about my presentation, and then other people who followed EdCanvas were able to look at my technology leadership tips, passively and online. It is sooo risk-free. I love my PLN.

But, I can’t forget the face-to-face elements of PLN!  I have several people with whom I engage and exchange information. I have mentioned in a previous BLOG entry the one group I refer to as Team Willis. I rely on these fellow principals to explore good ideas, dump bad ones, to master current educational research and to simply feel the empathy of the challenges we all face. The pictures here are of us digging into the current research on feedback--notice the books strewn all over the restaurant table. I truly appreciate Denise, Glenda, Susan, and Lendy.

Who is in your PLN?

* Definition credited to: onceateacher.wordpress.com/