Welcome to my first post! For one of my courses this semester I was instructed to create and become a part of a Personalized Learning Network. Below I will be sharing what my experience has been like so far while creating a PLN. Enjoy!
Being a part of a Personalized Learning Network is a great way to communicate and learn from other professionals! One of the benefits of developing a PLN is that you have the ability to connect with professionals from all over the world. Although I am new to this form of networking, I am very excited to be a part of this online community! I truly believe that being a part of a PLN can help someone not only develop a growth mindset, but also establish the skills needed to become a lifelong learner. I know I will be using my PLN as a tool to help me plan future lessons, develop classroom management strategies and do so much more!
Over the course of the last few weeks I have been learning about how to become a part of a Personalized Learning Network. One word that best describes my experience so far is overwhelming. There are all different types of PLN's on the internet and finding one that best suits me has been stressful. I have never used twitter or created a blog before so I found myself struggling to set up both pages. Eventually I was able to format both accounts to my satisfaction. I found blogger to be especially tricky to use but I finally figured out how to post! Juggling five courses, a pre-practicum, and networking on social media has proved to be challenging and rewarding. Although this semester is incredibly busy I am super excited to learn more about PLNs and continue to post my experiences on this blog!
Becoming a part of a Personalized Learning Network has so many benefits! In her article "Leveraging Social Media to Build a Digital PLN" Kyleen Gray discusses how a person's autonomy remains strong while utilizing a PLN. She reveals that "when you aren't face to face on a regular basis, it's easier to take the ideas you want from your network and make them your own (Gray, 2019). Instead of focusing on building personal relationships with the other members of my PLN I can instead focus on reworking ideas and using them in a way that best suits my classroom's needs. I think this aspect of a PLN is incredibly helpful. The collaborative nature of a PLN is so beneficial because it allows people to learn from other professionals, helps them to revise various ideas and aids in developing creativity. Participating in a PLN can also help people practice using various forms of social media. For example, developing a PLN on twitter can be very helpful for someone who would like to use twitter with their own students. This person will be better equipped in using twitter as a helpful resource for her students.
One of the biggest challenges I may face while using a PLN is remembering that every educator goes through struggles. Most people use social media as highlight reels, only showing the good things they are doing rather than sharing any challenges they may face. I think using a PLN during my first few years teaching will pose a real challenge to me as I see everyone's classroom highlights rather than their struggles. I will definitely have to remind myself that every educator goes through challenges and most will not be shared on social media. Another challenge I may face while using a PLN is figuring out who to follow. The amount of people using PLNs is vast so it will take some time for me to interact with other people and find networks that will be most beneficial to me.
The last thing I want to share about PLNs is something that I thought was not only inspiring but also motivating. In his article "How Do I Get a PLN?" Tom Whitby reveals that "early adopters of the PLN have gone on to become thought leaders in Education" (Whitby, 2013). I thought this quote was very eye opening because it reveals how useful PLNs can be. Using a PLN can help someone develop the skills needed to be highly successful at their profession. Not only is education constantly changing due to new curriculum standards, but where we teach has changes significantly in the last year due to the current pandemic. Using a PLN can definitely help us minimize challenges by adapting our teaching styles and classrooms. Hopefully after reading this post you are more familiar with the world of PLNs! :)
How will you use a PLN to help minimize various challenges you may face as a teacher?
Works Cited
Gray, Kyleen. “Leveraging Social Media to Build a Digital PLN.” Edutopia, George Lucas Educational Foundation, 15 May 2019, www.edutopia.org/article/leveraging-social-media-build-digital-pln.
"What Is a Personalized Learning Network". 4 Apr. 2013, edtechreview.in/dictionary/255-what-is-a-pln.
Whitby, Tom. “How Do I Get a PLN?” Edutopia, George Lucas Educational Foundation, 18 Nov. 2013, www.edutopia.org/blog/how-do-i-get-a-pln-tom-whitby
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