Professional Learning Networks (PLN)

This past Thursday we had John Evans visit our Internet for Educators classroom, and he presented on professional learning networks (PLNs). Professional learning networks can include such networks as Twitter, NING, Scoop It, diigo, and MAPLE. PLNs are essentially networks that teachers can use to continue learning. As teachers, we have the responsibility to continuously learn, or we will be doing a disservice to our students. Through PLNs, teachers are able to share resources, ideas, and advice without having to meet face to face, or by having to negotiate a phone call. PLNs allow for these things to be posted, or linked, and then can be viewed at any time to according to convenience.

My personal favourite PLN is Twitter. To be 100% honest, I did not originally get Twitter for educational purposes. I do not have cable, therefore, I was unable to follow the NHL trade deadline a couple years ago. So, I got Twitter so I could follow some hockey analysts so I could know what was going on (trade deadline is addictive OK, not my fault). Then, I started to realize the educational value of it, once I realized that educators used it continuously. Resources, upon resources are posted on it everyday, and to be honest there are so many posted that I don't have enough time to look at them all. I'm lucky if I view 10% of the ones on my feed. However, that just shows the vast quantity of resources, and the major benefit of it. I also use my Twitter account for personal use as well, but I do so in an appropriate way. I realize that a lot of people prefer to keep theirs professional, or have a separate account for personal use, but that would just be another password to remember probably and I have too many of those already. Plus, how else am I going to keep updated on Game of Thrones, Dexter, and Breaking Bad news? And I have to stay in touch with my celebrity future wife Kate Beckinsale somehow (she doesn't know it yet, but its inevitable). I haven't done too much sharing educationally speaking much yet, except for good YouTube clips that could be used in the classroom, but I plan on making a strong effort to tweet some. I have used many that others have tweeted, such as from John Evans and his tweets linked to his iPads in Education column, and they have all been beneficial.

I really want to use NING more. I have only really used NING as part of class assignments, but it is ridiculously useful when you think about it. Everyone on it is an educator, everyone on it has a link to Brandon University, and the quality of discussion is unparalleled. I will be making an honest effort to use it in the future for non-assignment related tasks.

John introduced us to a site called MAPLE, which I now believe is going to be the go to online tool for educators in Manitoba. A website that will literally link all Manitoba educators to one place is just the best thing since sliced bread (or burritos). I have looked around on the library, and it contains everything necessary for teacher, especially the curricular documents. Having John sign all of us up was just amazing, and I cannot thank him enough for doing that for us.

Overall, the presentation was amazing, and the topic too. John is a thorough speaker, and is extremely passionate about education, and continuous learning. PLNs are very beneficial to teachers, because it allows us to organize our resources and ideas in a way that avoids bedrooms turning into extreme fire hazards (see picture below). PLNs are something that every teacher will need to be apart of, because as time goes on, technology is just going to evolve, and we can't afford to be too many steps behind it. Why? As much as the theory of natural selection is true, we don't want to see it come into play with careers.

Until next time fellow educators... CHEERS!