This document defines a personal/professional learning network (PLN) and provides guidance on setting up an effective PLN. A PLN includes the people and resources that contribute to lifelong learning and may include subject experts, websites, social media, groups, and conferences. The document recommends setting goals for your PLN and locating various resources to include, such as archived events, libraries, journals, peers, and social networks. It emphasizes organizing the numerous PLN resources through curating content on a central homepage in order to efficiently access and share information. The document concludes by advising users to regularly participate in and refine their PLN.

1. 1
Wicks_Allan 2016 @ CNA-Qatar
Personal/Professional Learning Network (PLN) Workshop
What is a PLN?
A Personal Learning Network or Professional Learning Network (PLN) means different things to different
people. In simple terms, your network includes the people or sources that contribute to your
professional and lifelong learning. A PLN may be used by teaching professionals to access resources and
ideas, develop skills and lessons, and connect with others in the profession. In your PLN, you can include
subject specific experts, websites, social media resources, online or face-to-face groups, conferences or
learning communities.
Steps toward your PLN
Your PLN should be dynamic. It should be in a perpetual state of development. Think of it as a cycle
from setting goals to refinement.
Setting Goals
• What do you want to achieve with your PLN?
• How much time can you spend with your PLN each week/month?
• Which resources suit your style? (blogs, RSS, face-to-face, coursework, social media,…)
• What existing elements do you already use for your professional development?
• What do I want my online identity to look like?
Set goals
Locate
Resources
OrganizeActivity
Refine

2. 2
Wicks_Allan 2016 @ CNA-Qatar
Sources/Resources
Sources for your PLN can include the following and many more. See the additional links in the resources
section below for further thoughts on PLN resources.
Archived and Live Events
• Webinars http://tutela.ca/Submit+Webinar
• Virtual Seminars http://www.tesol.org/attend-and-learn/online-courses-seminars/past-virtual-
seminars
• Webcasts http://www.teslontario.net/conference/webcastpresenter-handouts
Conferences
• Conventional http://www.teslontario.net/conference
• Online Virtual http://www.virtual-round-table.com
• Niche online conferences http://www.britishcouncil.org/turkey-english-teaching-stories-for-
schools-story-sharing-conference.htm
• Live and informal unconferences (i.e. Speed Geeking, Pecha Kucha, Barcamp)
Libraries
• In person http://www.brocku.ca/library
• Online http://ebooks.nypl.org/B0B04746-19BA-42D7-AD62-
093A5015BC4A/10/257/en/Default.htm
Learning Communities
• Classroom 2.0 http://www.classroom20.com
• Edutopia http://www.edutopia.org
• EFL Classroom http://community.eflclassroom.com
• TESOL Community http://community.tesol.org/welcome.htm
Online courses
• Commercial http://www.lynda.com
• MOOCs (massive open online courses) https://www.coursera.org
• TESOL courses http://www.tesol.org/attend-and-learn/online-courses-seminars
• Independent teacher courses http://www.freemoodle.org/course/view.php?id=189
• Learning Communities Courses http://evosessions.pbworks.com
• ITunesU http://www.apple.com/ca/education/itunes-u
• Regular focused sessions http://webheadsinaction.org
• Regular chat sessions http://edchat.pbworks.com/w/page/219908/FrontPage
• Open courseware http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm
Journals
• The Internet TESL Journal http://iteslj.org
• TESL Canada Journal Online http://www.teslcanadajournal.ca
• The Electronic Journal for ESL http://www.tesl-ej.org
• The Language Teacher http://jalt-publications.org/tlt/recent
• Print journals
Online magazines/ newsletters
• English Teaching Professional http://www.etprofessional.com
• TESL Contact http://www.teslontario.net/publication/contact-magazine
• TESL Ontario News Brief http://www.multibriefs.com/briefs/teslo
• ESL LINC Digital news http://learnit2teach.ca/wpnew/news

3. 3
Wicks_Allan 2016 @ CNA-Qatar
Peers
• Staffroom
• Lunch & Learns
• Librarians
• Authors (web pages) http://webpages.csus.edu/%7Ehansonsm
• Authors (blogs) http://david-crystal.blogspot.ca
• Authors (Twitter) https://twitter.com/search?q=krashen&src=typd
• Slideshares http://www.slideshare.net/search/slideshow?searchfrom=header&q=tesol
• PodCasts http://iteslj.org/links/ESL/Listening/Podcasts
Professional Communities
• Large communities TESL Ontario http://www.teslontario.net
• Affiliates TESL Toronto http://tesltoronto.org
• Interest Sections SIGs http://www.tesolarabia.co/sigs/edtech
• Standards http://www.tesol.org/advance-the-field/standards
• Resource centres http://www.tesol.org/connect/tesol-resource-center
• PD events http://tesltoronto.org/workshopsconferences
• Publications http://www.teslontario.net/publication
Social Networks
• Facebook http://www.facebook.com/tesol.assn
• Twitter https://twitter.com/TESOL_Assn
• Blogs http://blog.tesol.org/category/blog
• LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/groups/ELT-Professionals-Around-World-
3460329?home=&gid=3460329&trk=anet_ug_hm
• Yahoo Groups https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/evonline2002_webheads
Support pages
• Institutional http://www.admc.hct.ac.ae/hd1/english.htm
• Government http://www.bbcactive.com
• Commercial http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com
• Organisational http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en
Wikis
• Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
• WikiHow http://www.wikihow.com/Main-Page
• Pbwikis http://edchat.pbworks.com/w/page/219908/FrontPage
Google Suite
• Google Hangouts
• Google Scholar https://scholar.google.ca
• Google News https://news.google.com
• Google Alerts https://www.google.com/alerts
Feeds (RSS)
• Breaking News English http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/feed.html
• 21 Edtech RSS Feeds http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2009/08/21-must-read-rss-
feeds.html#.VwjOwPl95hF

4. 4
Wicks_Allan 2016 @ CNA-Qatar
Organization
Your Personal Learning Network (PLN) can include numerous resources that assist communication,
resource sharing and professional growth. One of the most challenging aspects of PLNs is organizing the
content for efficient access. As PLN resources are added or removed it becomes clear that arranging
them is necessary to enable efficient access. A single starting page, or PLN home page, is a solution that
may provide effective access to your PLN.
Social Media
• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
Visual Bookmarking
• Symbaloo
• Pinterest
• Flipboard
Online Communities
• Tutela
• Classroom 2.0
Curated Content
• Paper.li
• Diigo
• Scoopit
• Google Alerts
Do It Yourself
• LiveBinders
• Dreamweaver
• Weebly
Keeping your PLN fresh
• Visit regularly
• Modify PLN elements
 Add
 Remove
 Refine tags
• Participate in your PLN
 Post
 Tweet
 Write
 Share
 Comment
 Curate
 Rate
• Review other PLNs when possible

5. 5
Wicks_Allan 2016 @ CNA-Qatar
Resources:
Allan, John. (2016). TESL Ontario Blogs. http://blog.teslontario.org/personal-learning-network-sources
Allan, John. (2016). TESL Ontario Blogs. http://blog.teslontario.org/organizing-your-personal-
professional-learning-network-pln
Allan, John. (2016). TESL Ontario Blogs. http://blog.teslontario.org/organizing-your-personal-learning-
network-part-2
Catapano, Jordan. What is a PLN? Why do I need one? http://www.teachhub.com/what-pln-why-do-i-
need-one
Graffin, Michael. Teacher Challenges. http://teacherchallenge.edublogs.org/pln-challenge-1-what-the-
heck-is-a-pln
Whitby, Tom. How Do I get a PLN? http://www.edutopia.org/blog/how-do-i-get-a-pln-tom-whitby