Professional Learning Network

(Green, 2020)

Part 1: Initial Reflections

As a lifelong learner and educator, I learn about new developments, ideas, and opportunities in the teaching field using all four of my networks: professional, educational, social, and blogs/news feeds. Online tools act as a pivotal role in enlightening me on educational innovation and to stay connected to like-minded individuals. Social media has proven to be a powerful tool for educators to learn about new opportunities and to stay updated on the latest trends.

I dedicate my nights to exploring online resources such as TikTok, Pinterest, and Twitter, to further my research findings and to stay informed on emerging trends. I utilize educational hashtags, such as “#teachingtips”, “#STEMproject”, or “#education” on networks to help me sieve through relevant content. This strategy has helped me enormously in finding a wealth of information facilitating innovative teaching practices and resources to try. To delve deeper, I follow education experts and influencers such as “@educationtothecore” or “@diverselittlelearners” on Instagram to inspire new ideas and innovative practices.

Using my PLN networks, I participate in relevant education groups on Linkedin, Facebook, and Reddit, where the community works together to share new research and findings. We have deep and critical discussions on the world of teaching, which has led to a robust level of professional networking. We share experiences and explore projects that build up my knowledge and open my horizons on different kinds of education worldwide. In one instance, I connected with a member of our community on Linkedin who was also a teacher in the lower mainland of Vancouver. We began collaborating and discussed a pen-pal project we could begin between our schools. Utilizing this tool has enabled me to interact with like-minded professionals, gain various perspectives on pedagogical innovations around the world, and has led me to new exciting teaching opportunities. By doing so, I have built a strong community of educators that foster a mindset of lifelong learning.

Part 2: Connection Documentation

Instagram is a photo/video social networking service owned by the organization, Meta Platforms. This was an immediate addition to my PLN because of its ability to deliver short and concise content through visuals. Using hashtags and community building, I have utilized this app to support my professional development in many areas such as education, cooking, self-growth, and up-to-date news. I hope this resource will continue to help inspire new ideas and contribute to upgrading my teaching practice.

TikTok is a social media service that specializes in short-form videos. It is owned by the organization, ByteDance. This platform was an immediate addition to my PLN because I could micro-learn efficiently. This app often showcases very unique and creative ideas as it often follows the most up-to-date trends. I find myself learning an abundant amount of information informally, which is soothing after a long day of formal work. I hope this resource will continue to provide quick clips of information that will be utilized in my profession.

Pinterest is an image sharing media service that specializes in saving and designing photos. It is owned by Ben Silbermann, Paul Sciarra, and Evan Sharp. This platform was an immediate addition to my PLN because it sources many rich ideas that you are able to personalize through a curated board of images. It acts as a great visual storyteller and helps me plan projects for my classroom. As someone who has a passion for creating beautiful bulletin boards, this resource has sparked a number of ideas. I hope this resource will continue to contribute to my passion for teaching and bulletin boards, and develop unique project ideas for my students.

Linkedin is a business social media platform that works to support users in their employment. It is owned by the organization, Microsoft. This platform was an immediate addition to my PLN because it helps me expand and connect with like-minded individuals in my field. I have built many connections with professionals and educators who have enlightened me with a diverse range of knowledge. I hope this resource will contribute to expanding my networking connections with professionals in similar fields.

Reddit is a network of communities who engage in discussion with like-minded individuals. It is owned by the organization, Advance Publications. This platform was an immediate addition to my PLN because it allows for meaningful discussion and collaboration among people who are in similar fields. It hosts subreddits that correspond to my interests in education and teaching methods. It acts as an informal way to connect with like-minded individuals in comparison to Linkedin. I hope this resource will contribute to more meaningful discussion among educators worldwide. Individuals on these platforms continuously share articles and research findings that directly affect the educational world and my teaching profession.

Part 3: Map and Reflection

My personal learning network has a plethora of resources that all work together to provide quality information through a variety of platforms. My strong PLN has exposed me to a wide range of diverse perspectives and knowledge. Primarily focusing on the latest trends in our world, most, if not all of the resources have contributed to networking with professionals worldwide formally and informally. By connecting with relevant professionals, hashtags, or influencers, I have grown in my career, have shared meaningful insights with peers worldwide, and have built a knack for problem solving through research. Using twitter hashtags has enabled me to explore specific topics (ie. #STEM) in a matter of seconds. As discussed in this week’s readings, Twitter chats are a conversation between individuals (Qualls, 2021). Similar to our discussion threads in this course, you can add your thoughts by replying to an individual's tweet and include the relevant hashtag (Teacher Challenge, 2021). The conversation in this hashtag will be made available for those in the Twitter Chat which deems it easily accessible for information.

When collaborating with individuals worldwide, I was able to discover unique projects, researches, and initiatives related to my field. My mentor utilizes Instagram and TikTok as two of the most useful resources to teach from. By utilizing hashtags and sending me relevant information and posts, I was able to build inspiration which quickly expanded my creativity in the classroom. According to David Kelly, neworks often provide “the big rocks” of one’s research (Kelly, 2011). With that being said, my professional learning network has acted as the foundation to my learning and has instilled curiosity and wonder by delving into an array of resources.

My professional learning network is missing two key areas of interest: professional development platforms and online webinars. I would like to see myself delve deeper into sites such as Coursera, edX, or Edutopia and participate in virtual conferences or webinars. While I enjoy learning informally via Instagram, Reddit or Twitter, it would also be beneficial to engage in formal learning. I would love to enhance my learning by taking more workshops on AI in education, which is a trending topic in the education field today.

Part 4: End of Assignment Reflection.

My journey in creating my personal learning network has enlightened me on how connected and transformative my use of technology and online resources are to my field of education. I appreciated how I could visually create a map of my resources and examine how they were all affixed to my learning journey. It not only enriched my understanding of being a teacher, but also presented a plethora of advantages to being exposed to diverse perspectives.

My PLN showed me that I strongly value my connection and networking opportunities with like-minded individuals. I tend to deviate towards networks where I can discuss and share ideas with professionals who work in a similar field. Utilizing Reddit and Linkedin daily has allowed me to learn about education through all walks of life, where each individual shares a unique perspective and experience. Building my PLN has given me the opportunity to recognize the collaborations and interactions I have built with the educational community. Though these connections have been built for years, I have grown a new sense of appreciation for these online connections. Within my network, I have connected with educators and professionals that have challenged my thoughts and instilled a new innovative approach to my teaching practice. For example, I recently discovered a teacher on Instagram who developed a STEAM project on prosthetic legs. This grew an admirable amount of inspiration in me to the point where I connected with one of my colleagues to begin a “Multi-Grade Sustainable Prosthetic Leg Design Challenge”. Utilizing online resources has sparked invaluable interest and growth in my teaching practice.

Building my PLN has contributed to my personal growth. It has challenged me to think critically, to utilize each resource with care and curiosity, and to reflect on my ever-changing teaching philosophy. It has allowed me to view constructive feedback from relevant peers, encouraged deep learning and discussion, and taught me that education and innovation is a collaborative journey that I should continue to nurture and build upon. My PLN is a map of continuous learning that helps me to stay current with the latest research. It has guided and sourced me with inspiration and empowered me to embrace all perspectives of educators worldwide.

References

Green, C. L. (2020, August 28). Personal learning networks: Defining and building a PLN. Learning in the Digital Age. https://open.library.okstate.edu/learninginthedigitalage/chapter/personal-learning-networks_defining-and-building-a-pln/

Kelly, D. (2011, September 26). Your most powerful search engine is your personal learning network (PLN). David Kelly. https://davidkelly.me/2011/09/your-most-powerful-serach-engine-is/

Qualls, S. (2021, December 14). The Big List of Educational twitter chats. TechNotes Blog. https://blog.tcea.org/the-big-list-of-educational-twitter-chats/

Teacher Challenge. (2021). Step 4: All about hashtags and Twitter chats. Courses & PD. https://teacherchallenge.edublogs.org/pln-twitter-chats/