The document discusses how to develop a personal learning network (PLN) to advance one's career. It defines a PLN as an informal network of people and resources one interacts with for learning. The presentation outlines tools for building a PLN like LinkedIn, Twitter, blogs and lists. It provides examples of how to use hashtags and lists on Twitter and maintain groups and profiles on LinkedIn. Attendees are asked to set an action step to expand their PLN by a deadline. Developing a PLN takes effort but allows lifelong, location-independent learning through global connections.

1. Laura Bechard
Dr. Stella Lee
Using your Personal Learning
Network (PLN) to Shift your
Career to the Next Level
CSTD Calgary – April 15, 2014

2. Today’s Outline
•Engage in discussions to strengthen and deepen your
personal learning network (PLN)
•Examine examples of how learning professionals use
Twitter and LinkedIn
•Brainstorm your own ideas on developing a PLN
•Create at least one action step to expand or develop
your PLN

3. Activity 1

4. What is Personal Learning
Network?
A Personal Learning Network (PLN) is an
informal learning network that consists of
the people a learner interact with and derives
knowledge from in a personal learning
environment (PLE).
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_learning_network

5. It is a self-directed learning space; a virtual
framework that consists of tools to collect,
curate and construct knowledge that is
customized to an individual’s learning goals and
interests.
http://onlinelearninginsights.wordpress.com/2013/01/22/how-to-create-a-robust-and-meaningful-personal-
learning-network-pln/
What is Personal Learning
Environment (PLE)?

6. Starting a PLN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=MqSH5TMYlz4

7. BuildYour PLN
• Join a professional social network (i.e.
LinkedIn or Ning)
• Read Tweets at Twitter
• Find 3 blogs you find interesting and start
reading them

8. List of Blogs
http://c4lpt.co.uk/resources/social-learning-handbook/workplace-learning-professionals-who-blog-andor-tweet/

9. Why should
you build
and expand
your PLN?

10. What tools or techniques do you use to
build or develop your PLN right now?

11. Various Ways to
Participate
Lurking
Commenting
Sharing
Contributing
Collaborating
Creating

12. Lurking is Learning
“Learning is a process. Lurking could be
equated to reading, interpreting,
synthesizing or augmenting for
purposes of gaining further acumen, insight
and understanding”
Source: http://www.danpontefract.com/lurking-is-learning/

13. Group Brainstorming
What are some of the social media tools
currently used in your group? With a focus
on PLN?

14. Who to follow
Using Twitter list
Using hashtags (#)
UsingTwitter

16. Twitter Lists
A list is a curated group of Twitter users.You
can create your own lists or subscribe
to lists created by others.

18. To Create a List
•Go to your List page.This can be done via the gear
icon drop down menu
•Click Create list
•Enter the name of your list, and select it as private or
public
•Click Save list
Source: https://support.twitter.com/articles/76460-using-twitter-lists#

19. Hashtags #
A hashtag is simply a way for people to
search for tweets that have a common
topic.
Example: If you search on #Education (or
#education or #EduCaTion, because it's not
case-sensitive), you'll get a list of tweets
related to the topic of education.

21. Using LinkedIn
Join and participate in LinkedIn Groups
Maintain and update your profile regularly
Continue to build your network
Share items with your network

23. LinkedIn Groups

25. Maintenance
Growing your PLN also requires tending to
the maintenance of it.

26. SomeTrends
• Convergence of social, mobile, analytics
and the cloud
• More social tools to choose from:
Facebook, Google+, Snapchat, Pinterest,
YouTube,Vine, Delicious

27. Action Planning
By Tuesday,April 22nd
, I will _________
Example: By Tuesday,April 22nd
, I will invite
each of the people at my table to connect
with me on LinkedIn

28. ClosingThoughts
Developing a PLN takes effort and time –
yet it is a rewarding activity.You are no
longer limited by resources and geography;
PLN allows you to connect to other
learners and communities around the
globe.

29. Further Resources
How to create a robust and meaningful personal network -
http://www.bottomlineperformance.com/elearning-trends-
fizzled-elearning-trends-sizzle-2014/
Why (and how) you should create a PLN -
http://www.edudemic.com/build-personal-learning-network/
Personal Learning Networks on Pinterest -
http://www.pinterest.com/esheninger/personal-learning-
networks/

30. ThankYou!
Stella Lee
Email: stellaylee@gmail.com
Twitter: @stellal
Academia:
http://athabascau.academia.edu/StellaLee
LinkedIn: http://ca.linkedin.com/in/stellal/
Laura Bechard
Email: l1bechard@gmail.com
Twitter: @bechardl
LinkedIn: http://ca.linkedin.com/in/laurabechard