This document discusses personal learning networks (PLNs) and how educators can develop their own PLNs. It defines a PLN as a network of people and resources that contribute to a learner's professional development. PLNs allow learners to connect, collaborate and contribute without having to know people personally. The document then provides examples of websites and social media platforms educators can use to expand their PLNs, including Twitter, NINGs, Classroom 2.0, Discovery Education, and PBS Teacher. It encourages readers to sign up for accounts and find groups with similar interests to develop their PLN.

1. PERSONAL LEARNING
NETWORKS
INTC 3610
Spring 2013

2. PLN Defined
 The Personal Learning Network consists of the
people a learner interacts with and derives
knowledge from in a Personal Learning
Environment. Learners create connections and
develop a network that contributes to their
professional development and knowledge. The
learner does not have to know these people
personally or ever meet them in person.
(Wikipedia 10/17/11)

3. How PLN’s Works
Graphics by Corrine Weisberger & Shannan Butler

12. Functions of a PLN
Connect
Collaborate
Contribute

13. Benefits of a PLN
 Teachers become:
 Aware
 Connected
 Empowered
 Confident . . . .LEARNERS!

14. Twitter.com
 Who are you following?
 Who are they?
 What are they tweeting about?
Student summaries

15. Expand Your Twitter
Experience
 Twitter.com using hashtags
 # = symbol used to identify a specific chat or topic
 #ntchat – New Teacher Chat
 Twitter 4 Teachers Wiki – Website
 Hashtags.org - website
 What the Trend – website
 Tagulus - website
ASSIGNMENT---
FOLLOW two more people on twitter.
Reflection on the twittering go in your blog

16. NINGs
 Online platform for people to create their own
social networks, launched in 2005.
 Offers customers the ability to create a
community website with a customized
appearance and feel, feature sets such as
photos, videos, forums and blogs.
 NINGS have service layers in support for “Like”,
integration with Facebook, Twitter, Google and
Yahoo!.[

17. Ning Facts
 Launched in 2005.
 90,000+ social websites worldwide (July 2011)
 65 million unique monthly visitors globally
 233 countries and territories worldwide are using
Ning
 A new Ning community is created every 10
minutes
 Members of the Ning nation are generally affluent,
between 30 – 45 years of age
 Nearly 50% of Ning sites integrate with external
social applications
 Top 5 features on Ning Networks: Inbox/Forum,
Photos, Member Profiles, Blog, Video
 Top 5 categories of Ning Networks: Education,
Business/Brand, Entertainment, Music, Non-Profit

18. Classroom 2.0
 WEBSITE
 Designed for those interested in sharing ideas
and resources about using Web 2.0 and new
media in education.
 Started in 2007
 Includes
Forums, Webinars, Blog posting, Chat, Workshops,
Events
 Members total 61,039

19. THE EDUCATOR’S
PLN
 WEBSITE
 It is NING
 INCLUDES
 Chats
 Blogs
 Videos
 Forum

20. DISCOVERY EDUCATORS
NETWORK
 Subscriber / with free resources
 Discovery Education provides engaging digital
resources to schools and homes with the goal of
making educators more effective, increasing student
achievement, and connecting classrooms and
families to a world of learning.
 VIDEO http://youtu.be/6EzUplUXTAE
 WEBSITE

21. PBS TEACHER
CONNECT
 WEBSITE
 An old favorite going tech with educational
resources and collaboration with other teachers.

22. FACEBOOK
 HOW IS FACEBOOK BEING USED FOR
EDUCATION
 Edutopia
 Science News Alert
 ISTE
 Educational Technologies

23. Social Bookmarking Sites
 Make comments, highlight and
share web information from any
online source.
 Delicious – create bookmarks in
the cloud /organize links / share
links/
 Pinterest – Collect, organize, all
digital media (more personal)

24. How to get started with a PLN
 Sign up for an account with one of the resources.
Start looking around and find people and groups with
the same interests as you.
 Ning-Classroom 2.0
 Discovery Educator Network
 PBS Teacher Connect
 With Twitter - follow someone you know, Search for
blogs and web sites that cover topics you are
interested in and subscribe to them via email or RSS
feed. See who they follow and blogs they subscribe to
also.
 Social bookmarking sites

25. Class Assignment
 Split into groups
 You have 10 minutes to review your
section
 Give a brief overview of your
section in Google presentation
 Prepare to give oral review to class