This document discusses how online networking can be used for professional development. It describes how the internet has evolved to allow anyone to create websites and blogs, and connect with others through social media. It defines a personal learning network as connections made through online groups, blogs, social bookmarking, and other tools to facilitate sharing of information. Examples are given of individuals who have built large learning networks by actively engaging online over many years through blogging, commenting on others' content, and participating in groups. A variety of social media tools are presented that can be used to connect with others, including email lists, blogs, wikis, social networks, photo/video sharing, bookmarking, and more.

1. Networking Onlinefor Professional Development

2. How has the Web changed in the last 5 years?Easy to create a Web siteAnyone can have a blogComment on each other’s blog posts, photos, videos, bookmarks“Watch” what other people are doing, thinking, reading, talking aboutYour network now includes “strangers”! (and strangers are not so strange)

3. What is a Social Networking Site?A Web site that allows users to connect, communicate and/or share information with each otherBy Moonjazz, http://www.flickr.com/photos/moonjazz/651498439/

4. Examples of Social NetworkingEmail ListsBlogs, Miniblogs, MicroblogsDelicious, Diigo Facebook, MySpace. LinkedInGoogle Groups, NingFlickr, YouTube, TeacherTubeRSS, Google ReaderLibraryThing, ShelfariFrom premiardeigo, http://www.flickr.com/photos/9119028@N05/591163479/

5. Your Personal Learning NetworkThink about how you learn new things??Think about how you learned things 10 yrs ago??Any differences?

6. Your Personal Learning Network235 million searches a day on Google75% of people go to information directly from their search results, NOT from the home page of a site

7. Your Personal Learning NetworkExample of Stephen Downeswww.downes.caSaw references several years agoFollowed him on Twitter and FacebookReceived interesting links and referencesWent to his blog and signed up for his newsletterPosted on my blog about him and he respondedNow he is definitely in my PLN, and he notes that he actually came up with the concept!

8. Your Personal Learning Network “Information has always been a conversation, it’s just that most of us weren’t part of it, until the Internet.” --Steve Hargadonwww.stevehargadon.com

9. David Warlick’s PLNhttp://davidwarlick.com/2cents/

10. SupervisorsProf. GroupsStudentsFriendsColleaguesLesson PlansArticlesWork-shopsParentingClass ActivitiesReportsMy PLN 10 Years agoConferencesClassesSite WorkshopsJournalsBooksWeb PagesTeacherCoordinatorPresenterMom

11. My PLN NowSupervisorsProf. GroupsColleaguesOnline NetworkFriendsBlogsSocial NetworksListservsPodcastsAggregatorsTwitterJournalsBooksWeb PagesConferencesClassesSite WorkshopsAdministratorPresenterBloggerGrandmaWeb siteArticlesBlogsGrand-parentingWork-shopsReports

12. Viral Professional DevelopmentWe learn on our own with support from each otherYou don’t need a large training staff – just a few enthusiastic early adoptersBuild a network!Share everything – tape it, blog it, tag it, post itCelebrate and get the word out up and down the food chain

13. Email Lists, or ListservsPROsEasy to accessComes to you (push)Access to a wider communityGet answers to your questionsCONsToo much emailNot all of interestPublic in ways you might not realize

14. BlogsWhat is a blog?Go to the Wiki

15. WikisWhat is a wiki?Go to the wikihttp://www.flickr.com/photos/cogdog/19490596/

16. Can you use these?Are you blogging?Are you using a wiki?How might you use either for professional development?

17. Bookmarking and TaggingHow you save sites now BookmarkingTaggingTag cloudsGo to the wiki

18. When I say Social Networking…What’s the first thing that comes to mind?

19. “Traditional” Social NetworkingMySpaceFacebook – Becoming very popular with “older” users500 groups related to ESL!Yahoo GroupsFrom mattkeefe - http://www.flickr.com/photos/fil/3151423/

20. New Social NetworkingA list of social network sites for educationClassroom 2.0Go to the wiki

21. Sharing MediaFlickrYouTubeTeacherTubeUstreamGo to the wiki

22. Sharing BooksShelfariLibraryThingFrom Phil Moore - http://www.flickr.com/photos/fil/3151423/

23. Keeping up with your networkAggregators, FeedsMy YahooGoogle ReaderJaiku, Friendfeed, SocialThingGo to the wiki

24. GO FORTH AND CONNECT!