This document provides information and resources for developing a professional learning network (PLN). It begins with two quotes emphasizing the importance of community for professional growth. It then lists various social media and collaboration tools that can be used to connect with other educators, including Nings, EdWeb, blogs, Google Reader, Delicious, Live Binders, Symbaloo EDU, and Twitter. For each tool, it provides a brief description and sometimes links to video tutorials or other help pages about how to use the tool. The overall document encourages connecting with other educators through online communities and sharing resources in order to continue learning and improving one's practice.

1. Professional Learning Network
(PLN)
How do I develop my PLN?
INTC 3610
Richard Stockton College of NJ

3. "The growth of any craft depends on shared
practice and honest dialogue among the
people who do it. We grow by private trial
and error, to be sure -- but our willingness to
try, and fail, as individuals is severely limited
when we are not supported by a community
that encourages such risks."
-- The Courage to Teach; Palmer, 1998, p. 144

4. "Understandably there is considerable
debate over the definition of learning
communities...I shall simply define them
as groups of people engaged in
intellectual interaction for the purpose of
learning."
-- Cross, "Why Learning Communities? Why Now?" About
Campus, 1998, p. 4

8. Nings

9. Edweb.net
Networking, resource sharing, collaboration, and professional development for
the education community @ http://www.edweb.net/

10. Educational Blogs
Top 100 Education Blogs
Educational Blogs You Should Be Investigating
Kathy Schrock Ed Tech Blogs
Top 15 Blogs on Literacy and Reading
Top 20 teacher Blogs

11. Google Reader
Follow all your favorite sites, blogs, and more, all in one place.
See what your friends are sharing, and easily share any
interesting articles you read.
Welcome to Google Reader
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1d-b8wzzMY&feature=player_embedded
Google Reader in Plain English
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSPZ2Uu_X3Y
Getting Started with Google Reader
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvKFP67GwSY&feature=relmfu
Reading your feeds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mY6O-_DNsk&feature=relmfu
Sharing with Google Reader
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CcOust-I14&feature=relmfu

12. Delicious
http://www.delicious.com
Delicious is a Social Bookmarking service, which means you can save all
your bookmarks online, share them with other people, and see what other
people are bookmarking. It also means that we can show you the
most popular bookmarks being saved right now across many areas of
interest. In addition, our search and tagging tools help you keep track of
your entire bookmark collection and find tasty new bookmarks from people
like you.

13. Live Binders
http://livebinders.com/
What is Live Binders?
http://livebinders.com/welcome/video_window?video=%2Fswf%2Fwhat.swf
Bookmarklet Tool http://livebinders.com/create/bookmark?type=bookmark

14. Symbaloo EDU
Video Tutorials
1. Using Quickstart
2. Embedding

17. Twitter
http://twitter.com/
Twitter for teachers
http://twitter4teachers.pbworks.com
100 Tips, Apps, and Resources for Teachers on Twitter
http://www.onlinecollegedegrees.org/2009/03/19/100-tips-apps-and-
resources-for-teachers-on-twitter/
Twitter Help for Educators
http://www.vrml.k12.la.us/curriculum/tech/socialnetwork/twitter/twitter.htm