1. The document discusses 10 strategies ("10 B's") for developing an effective personal learning network (PLN) and positive digital footprint as an educator. These include being organized, smart, connected, helpful, open, safe, in the know, active, picky, and focused when using social media and online tools for professional learning and networking. 2. Specific tools and resources are provided for each strategy, such as using Diigo for bookmarking, attending webinars on SimpleK12, participating in #edchat on Twitter, maintaining a public Facebook page and blog, and focusing PLN efforts on areas of interest like using Pinterest boards. 3. The overall message is that educators must strateg

1. My Digital Footprint and PLN
10 Be's

2. © Gretel Patch 2012
Masters of Educational Technology Student
Boise State University
www.edtechdidi.com
gretelpatch.wordpress.com
@edtechdidi
www.facebook.com/edtechdidi

3. In today's world
We're expected to
be Know Do
everything

4. The Networked Teacher
Used under Flickr Creative Commons langwitches

5. Where to even begin?

6. What picture do we want to paint?

7. What story do we want to tell?

8. What trace do we want to leave?

9. Personal Learning Networks
What?
Connect tweet
read Archive/Bookmark
follow comment
Grow write
Source: http://bit.ly/rJ2E1i

10. http://youtu.be/MqSH5TMYlz4

11. Personal Learning Networks
Why?
Connect learn
goals contribute
professional share
development
ideas 21st century
skills

12. Personal Learning Networks
How?
online
communities
following
blogs
social
bookmarking

13. A favorite leader once gave youth six B's for
better living.
Here's my own strategy of 10 B's
for growing my PLN and leaving a
positive digital footprint.
Be
Source: http://bit.ly/NY7P5s

14. © 2012 R. Patch. Used with permission.
Be ORGANIZED

15. Be ORGANIZED
Social bookmarking
• Diigo
I love Diigo because I can keep track of sites using tags and also annotate,
make comments, follow, and share. Here's an in-progress K-5 math
resource list I created and shared with colleagues.
• Symbaloo
Webmixes are a visual collection of hyperlinks and a great way to
categorize bookmarks. Here is a webmix I created for a professional
development discussion on PLNs.
• LiveBinders
Store resources, websites, images, PDFs, and videos in a digital 3-ring
binder. Here is one I like called An Educator's Guide to Twitter.
1.

16. Be SMART

17. Be SMART
Webinars & Twitter chats
"With the advent of social media, learning
occurs anytime, anywhere, and students
[and teachers] regularly pursue knowledge in
networked and collaborative ways..."
(Nussbaum-Beach & Hall, 2011, p. 1)
2.

18. Be SMART
Webinars & Twitter chats
• SimpleK12
This learning community of teachers hosts interactive webinars on specific
Web 2.0 tools, skills, and strategies. I attended (and helped present) a
recent smackdown of free Web 2.0 tools.
• EdTechTeacher
This 21st Century learning site offers free webinars throughout the year,
mostly focused on iPads, 1:1, and technology integration.
• #edchat
This Twitter chat takes place every Tuesday and gives educators a forum
to discuss education issues and share resources. Transcripts and RSS
feeds are available.
2.

19. Backchannel
a real-time online conversation alongside live
spoken remarks
Even though it takes superb multitasking, I try to
contribute to the backchannel using the Twitter
hashtag and/or chat room to:
• benefit the learning of the entire learning
community
• build my PLN
• connect
Source: http://bit.ly/fUpxvC

20. Be CONNECTED

21. Be CONNECTED
Online learning communities
"There is a path for every person into this
networked learning space, and all that is
required to make good use of it is a
willingness to participate."
(Richardson & Mancabelli, 2011, p. 34)
3.

22. Be CONNECTED
Online learning communities
• Classroom 2.0
This vast social networking site brings together people interested in Web
2.0 tools, social media, and integrated technology in the classroom.
Classroom 2.0 LIVE hosts live webinars through iTunesU. I love this site
(and even had founder Steve Hargadon over for dinner in Nepal–fun!)
• Edmodo
10 million users might be on to something. In addition to being a great
classroom management tool (as shown by Everything Edmodo and this
resource page), many educators use Edmodo to create or grow their PLN
• Educators PLN
This ning site is a personal learning network for educators. I like its video
and podcast collection, discussion forum, list of blogs.
3.

23. Be HELPFUL

24. Be HELPFUL
Twitter
"Educators really can't afford to NOT be on Twitter.
Our educational landscape is changing very rapidly. Our
students are using this technology every day, and as
educators we must continually be growing and finding
new ways to learn and to reach our students. Is Twitter
perfect? By no means. But used correctly, Twitter can
really become a catalyst in transforming your
classroom, your school, and your teaching."
(Nesloney, 2012)
4.

25. Be HELPFUL
Twitter
• Twitter Power
I'm just discovering the power of Twitter and its PLN possibilities. It can
save me time by offering useful resources, ideas, and connections.
Experts say 90% of what is tweeted should be helpful (Lepi, 2012).
• An Educator's Guide to Twitter
This digital repository links to the basics ("Twitter in Plain English" and
"Twitter in 60 seconds") and on up ("Twitter as a Tool for PD" and
"Teaching and Learning with Twitter.") This is a great resource for
newbies and experts alike.
• 2012 A-Z Educational Hashtags
I choose to follow these hashtags: #edchat, #edtech, #futureofed,
#edutopia, #mlearning, #edapp, and #slide2learn and have found oodles
of helpful resources. I also like Edchats.
4.

26. Be OPEN

27. Be OPEN
Branding
"If the world is listening to us when we are
[on] the web, then let's make sure what we
say is interesting, engaging, positive and
representative of our better selves. "
(Digital Citizen Adventures)
5.

28. Be OPEN
Branding
• Facebook
I maintain a public Facebook page that is completely separate from my
personal account. I am very deliberate in what I post: resources and links
that represent my professional interests.
• Learning Log
I keep an academic blog, partly to fulfill my M.ET. requirement and partly to
record my e-journey. I post artifacts and reflections that represent my best
academic achievements.
• Consistency
I show my work online, post my teaching philosophy, tweet resources, and
engage in "open" learning and teaching environments (Rogers, 2011).
5.

29. need a good photo here
Be SAFE

30. Be SAFE
Authentic digital footprint
"It's a consequence of the new Web 2.0
world that these digital footprints–the online
portfolios of who we are, what we do, and by
association, what we know–are becoming
increasingly woven into the fabric of almost
every aspect of our lives."
(Richardson, 2008)
6.

31. Be SAFE
Authentic digital footprint
• Google Yourself
I took this challenge, making sure I was logged out and looked through
several pages. So far, I have not found anything alarming and was glad to
see several of my edtech posts listed. This infographic is worth viewing. I
also liked this how-to guide on Online Reputation Management.
• Common Sense Media
This site offers digital literacy and citizenship PD training and resources. I
like how this video gives a poignant depiction of privacy and responsibility
online. It's a good reminder (and great for students!).
• Netsmartz
This site for youth and educators contains many helpful resources to keep
everyone safe online. It has full lesson plans, presentations, and videos.
6.

32. This is a raw word cloud made from my learning log. What's my story?

33. Be IN THE KNOW

34. Be IN THE KNOW
Blogging
"There are so many real educators out there
who want to get better at what they do so
that they can always do what is best for
kids." (Shareski, 2010)
7.

35. Be IN THE KNOW
Blogging
• Write Blogs
Not everything fits in 140 characters. I blog to share, connect, reflect, and
give back in some small way to the universe of knowledge I benefit from. It
also keeps me transparent and accountable (Couros, 2012).
• Read Blogs
I've never been one who likes to reinvent the wheel. I read blogs to keep
up on what educators, administrators, and edtech professionals are doing,
trying, and sharing. I follow best practices and establish my own.
• Google Reader
I created simple instructions for adding any RSS feed to Google Reader.
It's my way of getting information to come to me so I don't have to go
wandering for it.
7.

36. Be ACTIVE

37. Be ACTIVE
Comment and contribute
"It's not enough to just follow and read, you
need to connect. Leave comments, reply to
questions, and start your own
conversations." (Venable, 2012)
8.

38. Be ACTIVE
Comment and contribute
• Reach out
My chemistry teacher always told me I would never understand chemistry
until I taught it to someone else. Similarly, the more I contribute to my PLN,
the more I gain. When I help others, answer questions, and share
resources and links, I learn something and become a go-to person in my
field (Lepi, 2012).
• Share
I want to share lesson plans, presentations, and documents so that others
can benefit from them (Venable, 2012). Sites like Facebook, Edublogs,
Tumblr, Google Docs, and Slideshare are great for sharing.
8.

39. Be PICKY

40. Be PICKY
Pick areas of interest
• Pinterest
I don't have time for everything, so I choose what will be most beneficial.
Pinterest can be a great tool to create pinboards organized by topic. This
one shows PLN resources for educators and this playlist compiles
resources for using Pinterest as an educator.
• Quora
Here is a tool that "connects you to everything you want to know about."
Ask questions, post answers, and see what is out there on many subjects.
Quora also helps organize the findings.
9.

41. Be FOCUSED

42. Be FOCUSED
Eyes on the goal
"So, how can we be sure to only plug in at
the right time and the right place? ... There
are times when engaging with students and
colleagues requires disengaging from
[devices]." (Ginsburg, 2012)
10.

43. Be FOCUSED
Eyes on the goal
• Make me a priority
I deliberately make time to establish and grow my PLN. I take time each
week to review the various Web 2.0 tools that connect me to the world. If I
don't set this time aside, it won't happen.
• Know when to unplug
Technology is meant to enhance my life and my profession. I will not
become so lured in that I don't know when to say when. One educator calls
it the new digital divide. I have one day a week set aside that I turn
everything off and I teach my students and children to do the same.
10.

44. References
Couros, G. (2012). 21st-Century PLNs for school leaders. Edutopia. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog
/21st-century-PLNs-school-leaders-george-couros
Lepi, K. (2012). 25 ways to use Twitter to improve your professional development. Edudemic. Retrieved from
http://edudemic.com/2012/09/25-ways-to-use-twitter-to-improve-your-professional-development/
Nesloney, T. (2012). Twitter - A Necessity for Educators in 2012. Texas Principal. Retrieved from
http://www.texasprincipal.org/index.php/texas-principals-education-help-support-team/entry/twitter-a-necessity-for
-educators-in-2012
Nussbaum-Beach, S., & Hall, L. R. (2011). The connected educator: Learning and leading in a digital age. Solution Tree.
Retrieved from http://www.solution-tree.com/the-connected-educator.html
Richardson, W. (2008). Footprints in the digital age. Educational Leadership, 66(3), 16–19.
Richardson, W., & Mancabelli, R. (2011). Personal learning networks: Using the power of connections to transform
education. Solution Tree. Retrieved from http://www.solution-tree.com/products/personal-learning-networks.html
Rogers, S. (2011). Personal branding for the 21st century educator. The Educator’s PLN. Retrieved from
http://edupln.ning.com/profiles/blogs/personal-branding-for-the-21st-century-educator
Shareski, D. (2010). How to make better teachers. The Huffington Post. Retrieved from
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dean-shareski/how-to-make-better-teache_b_783392.html
Venable, M. (2012). The social media guide to growing your personal learning network. Online College Search. Retrieved
from http://www.onlinecollege.org/2012/09/24/the-social-media-guide-growing-your-personal-learning-network/