This document discusses how to build a personal learning network (PLN) using social media tools. It defines a PLN as a personally chosen collection of resources one can access to support learning. Several social media tools are described that can be used to connect with other language teachers, share resources and ideas, and adapt activities. These include Twitter, blogs, Diigo, Facebook, YouTube, and wikis. Developing an effective PLN through social media can create a virtuous circle of sharing that avoids problems and leads to stronger teaching outcomes.

1. Build Up your PLN
Isabelle Jones, The Radclyffe School
Twitter: @icpjones
http://twitter.com/icpjones
My Languages Blog
http://isabellejones.blogspot.com
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icpjones@yahoo.co.ukPage 1

2. Aims
• Reflect on the CPD potential of Social Media
• Consider a range of tools to develop your PLN
• Develop strategies for effective professional
networking
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3. What is Social Media?
“Social media” is media designed to be
disseminated through social interaction, created
using Internet and web-based technologies to
transform broadcast media monologues (one to
many) into social media dialogues (many to many).
It supports the democratization of knowledge and
information, transforming people from content
consumers into content producers. (Wikipedia)
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4. What is Social Media?
Effective way to present your own ideas and
resources integrating multimedia (pictures, audio,
video) and social interaction (sharing, getting
comments from other people).
Threats and opportunities:
*Reputation
*Child protection/bullying
*Time
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5. What is a PLN?
Personal Learning Network
A personally
chosen
An extended
collection of
community of
resources
people that
you can go
you can
to when you
interact with
want to
regularly
learn
something
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http://flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/2060090675/ Page 5

6. How can your PLN support you?
•By sharing ideas with teachers that may
have tried similar activities before:
practicalities, pitfalls
•By providing examples of ready-made and
tried-and-tested resources
•By providing an interaction with a
worldwide audience
•By providing a source of advice, support
and peer-to-peer training for language
teachers
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But you need to support your PLN too… Page 6

7. The Social Media and CPD Virtuous Circle
Stronger impact on students’ achievement
Avoid teething problem
More ideas to adapt activities and resources
Wider repertoire of activities
Share outcomes of adapted activities
Share own activities and resources
Activities and resources get adapted by others
Read about a range of activities and resources
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The Virtuous Circle of Sharing Ideas and Resources
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8. Useful social networking tools
for Language Teachers
• Yahoo groups- mfl resources
http://www.mflresources.org.uk/
Join the yahoo group from this page
Best to set up a separate yahoo! Email as this group
is very busy-great to share ideas and resources as well as
keep up to date with new developments..
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9. Useful social networking tools
for Language Teachers
Diigo http://www.diigo.com (social bookmarking)
What is it?
Enables you to save your favourite websites
on an independent (free) account accessible
from any computer.
Enables you to share your bookmarks with
other people (of your own choice or the
public).
Enables you to connect with people you have
a common area ofTemplates with.
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10. Useful social networking tools
for Language Teachers
• Diigo (social bookmarking)
Diigo: http://www.diigo.com
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11. Useful social networking tools
for Language Teachers
Diigo: http://www.diigo.com
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12. Useful social networking tools
for Language Teachers
Ning (social networking platform): a cautionary tale
What is it?
•Enables you to share ideas and resources
•Makes it easy to contact all members of a group
(distribution list)
•Resources can be pictures, files, videos, links...
•Closed and/ or open
•Good for support groups/ exchanges/ teacher
linguistic upskilling
http://uk.ning.com/
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13. Useful social networking tools
for Language Teachers
Ning (online group/ forum): a cautionary tale
http://horslesmurs.ning.com/
http://primarymfl.ning.com/
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14. Useful social networking tools
for Language Teachers
Facebook Pages and Groups:
What is the difference?
Pages allow organizations to communicate broadly with people who like them.
Pages may only be created and managed by official representatives.
Groups provide a closed space for small groups of people to communicate
about shared interests. Groups can be created by anyone.
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15. Useful social networking tools
for Language Teachers
Pages Facebook Pages and Groups
Mis cositas
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/MisCositascom/190662591830
Franc-Parler.org
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Franc-parlerorg/154479707914279
ALL
http://www.facebook.com/alllanguages.org.uk
Languages South East
http://www.facebook.com/LanguagesSouthEast?sk=wall
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16. Useful social networking tools
for Language Teachers
Facebook Pages and Groups
Groups
Languages in Primary Schools
http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/103253749750151/
EU Educators
http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/EUEducators/
CALL
http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/255577856335/
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17. Useful social networking tools
for Language Teachers
Facebook Pages and Groups
Other differences include:
PagesPrivacy: Information and posts are public and available to everyone.
Audience: Anyone can like a Page, be connected with it and get News updates.
GroupsPrivacy: A range of settings are available including open settings, secret
and closed groups, where posts are only visible to group members.
Audience: Group members must be approved or added by other members.
When a group reaches a certain size, some features are limited.
Communication: Members of groups can receive notifications when other
members posts in the group. Group members can participate in chats, upload
photos to shared albums, collaborate on group documents and invite all
members to group events.
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18. Useful social networking tools
for Language Teachers
Edmodo
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http://www.edmodo.com/home

19. Useful social networking tools
for Language Teachers
Sharing photos and videos
http://www.flickr.com/ http://www.youtube.com /
http://www.flickr.com/groups/imagestoteachlanguages/
set up by @aliceayel
TES Resources
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http://www.tes.co.uk/MyPublicProfile.aspx?uc=694292&event=21 Page 19

20. Pinterest
Teaching topics
Groups?=> board
Follow each other
Repin
Button
Mobile app
http://pinterest.com/about/
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21. Useful social networking tools
for Language Teachers
Blogging and micro-blogging
http://isabellejones.blogspot.com
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22. Useful social networking tools
for Language Teachers
http://twitter.com/icpjones Blogging and micro-blogging
Piggy-backing?
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23. Useful social networking tools
for Language Teachers
http://twitter.com/icpjones Blogging and micro-blogging
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24. Useful social networking tools
for Language Teachers:
Slideshare
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25. Useful social networking tools
for Language Teachers
Slideshare
Downloadable/ non downloadable
Slidecast/ zipcast
Private (pro)/ Public
Larger files and video (pro)
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26. Useful social networking tools
for Language Teachers: Wikis
A wiki is a simple website whose users can add, modify, or
delete its content. Wikis are typically powered by wiki software
and are often created collaboratively by multiple users.
Can be used:
•To share teaching resources with other teachers or
students
•To share ideas to celebrate a particular event or
promote languages in general
•To share information about a project and its
outcome
•A reference for using a particular tool
•To display students’ work and invite comments
•To collect resources around a particular topic
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•To back up key resources published on a blog Page 26

27. Useful social networking tools
for Language Teachers: Wikis
Wikispace: free wikis for educators
http://www.wikispaces.com/content/for/teachers
Primary Languages
http://talkaboutprimarymfl.wikispaces.com/
Food from Spanish-speaking countries
http://wms-spanish.wikispaces.com/
Teaching with Flickr
http://teachingwithflickr.wikispaces.com/
Phonics and MFL
http://doonceandshare.wikispaces.com/
Activities for the European Day of Languages
http://edl2011ideas.wikispaces.com/
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28. Useful social networking tools
for Language Teachers: Wikis
Resources for French
http://french-resources.wikispaces.com/
Resources for Spanish independent practice
http://spanishingrosvenor.wikispaces.com/
Mis Cositas: Resources and Ideas for Spanish
http://miscositas.wikispaces.com/ (US)
Languages and Second Life
http://slanguages.wikispaces.com/
International Valentines Day project (US)
http://globalvalentines.wikispaces.com/
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29. Useful social networking tools
for Language Teachers: Wikis
PLTS in MFL
http://pltsinmfl.wikispaces.com/
Madame Thomas (US)
http://ah-bon-french.wikispaces.com/
Storybird
http://mfl-storybirds.wikispaces.com/French+Sto
Mrs Birch’s Spanish Resources (US)
http://elmundodebirch.wikispaces.com/
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30. Useful social networking tools
for Language Teachers
http://www.scoop.it
A tool to curate content around a defined topic.
A Content Curator is someone who continually finds, groups,
organizes and shares the best and most relevant content on a
specific issue online.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Bnr6QKKcsII
• You collect the resources in your own online magazine
• Your magazine can easily be shared via social media
• Resources are suggested to you by Scoop it!
• You can follow people with similar interest and
“re-scoop” the content from their topic
• Other users can suggest content for your topic
http://www.scoop.it/t/languages-in-the-uk/
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31. Useful social networking tools
for Language Teachers: Mobile integration
Blogger/ Posterous/ Wordpress
You Tube/ Dailymotion/ Vimeo
Diigo
Facebook
Flickr
Twitter
Edmodo
Paper.li/ Flipboard/ Scoopit
Pinterest
Slideshare
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32. The Social Media and CPD Virtuous Circle
Stronger impact on students’ achievement
Avoid teething problem
More ideas to adapt activities and resources
Wider repertoire of activities
Share outcomes of adapted activities
Share own activities and resources
Activities and resources get adapted by others
Read about a range of activities and resources
Free Powerpoint Templates
The Virtuous Circle of Sharing Ideas and Resources
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33. Action!
1.
2.
3.
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34. Build Up your PLN
Isabelle Jones, The Radclyffe School
Twitter: @icpjones
http://twitter.com/icpjones
My Languages Blog
http://isabellejones.blogspot.com
Free Powerpoint Templates
icpjones@yahoo.co.ukPage 34