PLN Matrix

1. PLN Social Media Matrix
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Copyright © 2017 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved.
University of Phoenix Material
PLN Social Media Matrix
Your Personal Learning Network (PLN) is just that: a personal selection of resources that will directly
benefit your professional development. Complete the matrix by listing 10 social media accounts to
follow—such as those on Twitter®, Facebook®, Pinterest®, or LinkedIn®—as well as blogs, topic-specific
communities, and so forth. Include the name of the site, the authors, a description of the site, and the
benefit of this site to your PLN.
Social Media Account
Name
Authors Description Benefit of this Account
to Your PLN
Teaching With a
Mountain View
Mary Montero Blog, Instagram and
Facebook page that
provides differentiated
lessons, resources and
Anchor charts.
Reading skills and
differentiation are a top
priority for every K-12
educator, so this blog
supports that.
Step into Second Grade Amy Lemons Blog, Instagram and
Facebook page that
provides curriculum
resources and building
classroom culture
examples.
Offers ideas and
resources to teach
students.
Teach Outside the Box Brooke Brown Blog, Instagram and
Facebook page that
provides includes STEM
in elementary.
The content posted
offers experience,
resources and ideas for
STEM at the elementary
level.
The First Grade Parade Cara Carroll Blog, Instagram and
Facebook page that
supports Primary
learning ideas.
The content provided
supports early writing for
the primary grades.
Tunstall’s Teaching
Tidbits
Reagan Tunstall Blog, Instagram and
Facebook page that
provides Guided Math
ideas.
The content provided
supports Guided Math.
Teachers Pay Teachers Various A website dedicated to
teacher entrepreneurs.
Teachers sell the
resources they have
created.
The content provided is
often rich and helps
support lessons.
Teacher can also
discover teacher
bloggers through their
work.
CEISMC Georgia Tech Various Twitter, Facebook and
Website that Serves as
the primary connection
point between Georgia
Tech faculty and
students and the PreK-
12 STEM education
The benefit of this
account is that it acts as
a resource for STEM
Educators, while
connecting educators to
Georgia Tech.

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Copyright © 2017 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved.
Social Media Account
Name
Authors Description Benefit of this Account
to Your PLN
community (Georgia
Tech, 2019).
Black Educators Rock Various Facebook Support
Group for Black
Teachers.
The group offers advice,
shares teaching ideas,
and provides a safe
space for Black
Teachers.
TeacherFy Various Blog, Pinterest and
Facebook page that
provides curriculum
resources, career leads
and teacher humor.
The benefits of this
account is that it acts as
a resource for educators
by providing humor,
resources, and acts a
network for teachers.
Education to the Core Various Blog, Instagram and
Facebook page that
provides curriculum
resources
The benefits of this
account is that it acts as
a resource for educators
by providing insight,
curriculum ideas and
examples.
1. What is a PLN? Why is the careful selection of resources important to establishing your
PLN?
A PLN, or a Personal Learning Network, is an informal network a learner creates as a tool to
connect, share and learn from others they have chosen to follow. The learner connects with
others, in hopes to gain knowledge, provide resources or help them grow professionally. Ideas
are shared through some type of social media and in some instances collaboration can occur.
The careful selection of resources are important in establishing your PLN in that those, that
have been chosen to follow, should be reputable and reliable.
2. What role do Twitter® and LinkedIn® play as social media tools? How can these channels
benefit your professional development?
Twitter® plays a role as a social media tool in that it allows for you to connect with
people and companies in a way someone would not have been able to previously. Twitter
allows for direct access to those you are interested in learning from. LinkedIn® plays a role
as a social media tool that allows you to connect to the various people that work for a
particular company. Sometimes these individuals do not possess other social media accounts,
but will actively participate on LinkedIn® because they believe it to be more of a professional
setting.
These channels benefit professional development in that they offer the ability to create
questions, share ideas and interact with a multitude of professionals. Knowledge can be
obtained through the diversity of topics shared on these social media tools. For example
LinkedIn® offers videos that help prepare people interviews, by reviewing the most common

3. PLN Social Media Matrix
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Copyright © 2017 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved.
questions asked. Twitter® offers the ability to search and sort through tweets that have the
same subject knowledge, but provided in thread.
3. Can a PLN take the place of formal classroom training? Explain your response.
A PLN cannot take the place of formal classroom training. Although some forms of
formal training are occurring on the internet, social media tools can be flawed, in that they do
not offer the full classroom experience because they are limited. Formal classroom training
provides structure for students and the ability to connect concepts and knowledge. In my
profession a lot of Professional Learning Networks offer the ability to take formal learning
trainings because they recognize the limitations of social media. Like social media, a PLN is
a tool. This tool is designed to enhance your experience, not replace it.
https://www.livebinders.com/b/2582470

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Copyright © 2017 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved.
References
Brown, B. (2019). Teach Outside the Box: Enlightening Young Engineers. Retrieved from
http://www.teachoutsidethebox.com/
Carroll, C. (2019). The First Grade Parade: Marching through a Primary World. Retrieved from
https://thefirstgradeparade.org/
GATech. (2019). CESIMIC. Retrieved from https://www.ceismc.gatech.edu/
Gutierrez, K. (2016, June 21). What are Personal Learning Networks? Retrieved from
https://www.shiftelearning.com/blog/personal-learning-networks
Lemons, A. (2019). Step into 2nd Grade with Amy Lemons. Retrieved from
http://stepinto2ndgrade.com/
Liscom, E. (2019). Education to the Core. Retrieved from
https://educationtothecore.com/
Lynch, M. (2017, August 15). What is a Personal Learning Network? Retrieved from
https://www.thetechedvocate.org/personal-learning-network/
Marmie, T. (2016, July 7). The Value of Formal Training in Your Organization: Blog. Retrieved
from
https://www.reviewsnap.com/blog/value-formal-training-organization/
Montero, M. (2019). Teaching With a Mountain View. Retrieved from
https://www.teachingwithamountainview.com/

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Copyright © 2017 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved.
Tunstall, R. (2019). Blog: Tunstall’s Teaching Tidbits. Retrieved from
https://www.tunstallsteachingtidbits.com/blog
Unknown. (2019). Best Ideas, Daily Inspiration, and Blog for Teachers. Retrieved from
https://www.teacherfy.com/
Unknown. (2019). Teaching Resources & Lesson Plans. Retrieved from
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/