Personal Learning Networks 101

Since this is my last course in finishing my TL diploma program, this inquiry could not come at a better time.  On one hand I am so happy to be almost done the program but at the same time I will miss the constant flow of new information and sharing among colleagues.  Throughout my years of teaching I have not done much outside of my school community to connect with others.  I have relied on professional development at the school level and occasionally at the district level and often times it was not directly related to my work as a teacher librarian. 

It is now time for me to take charge of my professional development and to make a plan of how I can stay connected.  As the teacher librarian I am often asked to keep the staff in the know when it comes to literacy and Web 2.0 technologies.  Creating my own personal learning network (PLN) has now become essential to my job. 

During my online search I came across websites that provide tips and strategies on how to develop a successful PLN. Below are links to a selection of such websites:

Personal Learning Networks for Educators: 10 Tips

Learning to Network and Networking to Learn

Create a Personal Learning Network

20 Tips for Creating a Professional Learning Network

After gaining an understanding of how to begin my network I have come across many great ways of staying connected.  Below I have listed some of my favourite and sustainable ways of developing this network.

1.       Blogs- There are countless blogs that teachers contribute to on a regular basis.  The number of blogs that are out there can be a little daunting however now that I know how RSS readers work it would make reading and managing them much easier.  The links below list some of the top teacher librarian and teacher blogs.  I also managed to find a local blog in SD 41.  One frustration in looking for local blogs is that many of them had great information but have not been updated in a number of years. 

99 Best Blogs for School Librarians

Top 50 School Library Blogs

Burnaby Teacher Librarians

I have had to create and contribute to my own blogs for courses and I enjoy having my thoughts, discoveries and interesting links in one location but I don’t feel that I will likely have the time to continue contributing to my own blog right now.  I do hope that at a later time I will be able to find the time to create either a personal learning blog or one for the school library.   

2.       Twitter- Before this course I had no experience with Twitter.  Since I knew so little about Twitter I had never even considered this as being a way to stay connected with teachers. I have heard great things about Twitter from classmates and a number of websites suggested that starting with Twitter would be an effective way of making connections.

I found these sites that explained how Twitter works and thorough lists of education hashtags

Top Twitter Hashtags for Librarians

Educational Hashtags

The Complete Guide To Twitter Hashtags For Education

3.    There seems to be a wealth of online education networks to help teachers stay connected.  On these networks you can find information on any given topic and easily access communication with other teachers.  This would be the easiest way to begin my PLN and to quickly establish some connections.

Classroom 2.0

Teacher Librarian Ning

edWeb

Educator's PLN

4.       Another area for me to explore would be to create a professional learning network with other TLs in my school board.  Apparently in the past the TLs were meeting regularly.  It seems that there is still an interest in meeting but no one has stepped up to organize the meetings.  We currently meet only twice a year.  Ideally I would like to meet every 4-6 weeks to share new resources and ideas.

This video helped me remember the importance of sharing with others.  When creating my PLN it is important that I use the network to learn but also to contribute.  This sharing of my learning will ultimately guarantee the success of my PLN.

After exploring all the different avenues of staying connected, I’m excited to explore these sites and to build my own PLN.  Creating and growing my own network is something that is going to take a bit of time and work to establish.  By taking small steps and exploring new technologies to feed my network I feel that I will be well on my way to remaining relevant and becoming a professional resource for my school.