1.
Getting Connected with
Social Media to develop a
Professional Learning Network
Kay Oddone
@KayC28

2.
•WHAT is a PLN?
•WHY a PLN?
•HOW to grow a PLN?

3.
What is a PLN?
“Professional Learning Network”
“Personal Learning Network”
“Passionate Learning Network”

4.
Teacher-driven, global support
networks that decrease isolation
and promote interdependence.
Flanigan, R. L. (2011, October 26).
Professional Learning Networks Taking
Off. Education Week. Retrieved from
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/201
1/10/26/09edtech-network.h31.html
What is a PLN?

5.
flickr photo by mrsdkrebs Our PLN – A charging station
http://flickr.com/photos/mrsdkrebs/7323987660 shared under a Creative
Commons (BY) license

6.
6
We can no longer personally
experience and acquire all
the learning that we need.
We derive our competence
from forming connections.
Are PLN’s based in research?
George Siemens, 2004,
http://www.elearnspace.org/
Articles/connectivism.htm
flickr photo by PhillipWest
http://flickr.com/photos/phillipwest/505158448
shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license

7.
cc licenced (by-nc-sa) Flickr photo shared by
Courosa

8.
cc licenced (by-nc-sa) Flickr photo shared by
Courosa

9.
What does your PLN look like?

10.
•WHAT is a PLN?
•WHY a PLN?
•HOW to grow a PLN?

11.
Why have a PLN?

12.
Why have a PLN?

13.
• Social Networking
• Privacy maintenance
• Identity management
• Creating content
• Organising content
• Reusing and repurposing
• Filtering and selecting
Learners need new literacies…
And so do we…

14.
The best way to learn is to do…
It’s your
PERSONAL
learning network
so choose the
tool or tools that
fit you best.

15.
•WHAT is a PLN?
•WHY a PLN?
•HOW to grow a PLN?

16.
Diigo Twitter Facebook Blogging
Four to Explore

17.
Diigo –
Groups

18.
Diigo –
The Teacher Librarian Group

19.
Positives
Negatives
• Terrific websites sent to your inbox
• Sharing is easy and just takes one click
• A community of like-minded educators
• Very few random posts unrelated to the topic
• Less immediate feedback
• Diigo on mobile devices is
clunky

20.
Twitter

21.
10 minutes on Twitter…
Article on developing
collaboration within the
school staff.
Video demonstrating the
latest in Augmented
Reality for teaching.

22.
Complete lesson plan with
resources on inventions &
innovation.
Professional reading
about Gamification and
learning.
10 minutes on Twitter…

23.
A tip off for a great app to
investigate for screencasting.
A blog post about
cybersafety and AskFM.
10 minutes on Twitter…

24.
It’s the quality of your network
that counts…
Local
tweeps
share your
context

25.
It’s the quality of your network
that counts…
International
tweeps offer
different
perspectives

26.
Start small…

27.
Sharing is important…
Obvious to you. Amazing to others.
Derek Sivers

28.
Positives
Negatives
• Constant flow of information and ideas
• Mobile apps mean sharing can be on the go
• Able to connect with like minded people all over the world
• Terrific at conferences and for attending conferences ‘virtually’
• Can be overwhelming
• Spam can be an issue
• Unrelated posts can be distracting

29.
Facebook

30.
Facebook
Personal
Professional

31.
Positives
Negatives
• Familiar interface
• Huge population of users
• Great way to have a discussion in real time
• Mobile apps are solid and easy to use
• Privacy is always changing
• Complex to keep professional and
personal separated
• Can be a huge timewaster!

32.
Blogs and
Blogging

33.
Steve Wheeler:
Why teachers should blog
Seven reasons teachers should
blog / Steve Wheeler / CC BY-
NC-SA 3.0

34.
2. It clarifies and
crystallises your
thinking
1. It helps build
reflective practice
3. You become a
teacher within a
different context 4. It provides a
source of feedback &
network
Seven reasons teachers should
blog / Steve Wheeler / CC BY-
NC-SA 3.0

35.
Learning from others’ blogs

36.
Three tools to try
Outlook Feedly Flipboard

37.
http://blogs.slj.com/neverendingsearch/feed/
Outlook

38.
Feedly

39.
Feedly (on mobile)

40.
Flipboard

41.
Positives
Negatives
• Information comes to you via tool of your choice
• Stay informed of the latest research/thinking of leaders in area
• Deeper information than tweets or links
• Little to no interactivity and feedback
• Pressure of publication

42.
Where will your
PLN take you?
Take me with you
on your journey!
Where Follow me
kayo28
kayc28
linkinglearning.
wordpress.com

43.
Thank
you