personalized learning at your fingertips: building a pln
TRANSCRIPT
Personalized Learning at Your Fingertips: Building a
Professional Learning Network
By: Torrey Trust
Agenda
What are Professional Learning Networks (PLN’s)?
PLN Tools
Information Literacy, Networking, Netiquette
PLN Overload & Survival Tips
New Age Teaching & Learning
In the information age, students must learn to navigate and evaluate an expanding network of information.
Highly effective teachers model this process of information analysis and knowledge acquisition by continually learning through collaboration, professional development, and studying pedagogical techniques and best practices.
What is a PLN?
A Professional Learning Network (PLN) is a flexible, teacher-driven activity space that facilitates personalized professional development.
Social Media Connection Information Aggregation
My PLN
Benefits of PLN’s
Flexible
Personalized
Practical
Real-Time Solutions
Instant Access
Benefits of PLN’s
Expertise
Reduces isolation
Increases opportunities for collaboration
Don’t have to reinvent the wheel
Best practices
Connected Educator Map
Information Aggregation
Staying up-to-date on new information by following multiple websites and news sources through RSS feeds.
RSS: Pushing Text from Individual Blogs to a Reader
Blog
News W
ebsit
e
Website
Information Gathering Tools
Google Reader (http://www.google.com/reader)
Bloglines (http://www.bloglines.com/)
FeedDemon (http://www.feeddemon.com/)
My Yahoo! (http://my.yahoo.com/)
Comparison of RSS Readers: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_feed_aggregators
Setting Up Google Reader
http://tinyurl.com/googlereadervideo
Education Sites to Follow
EduBlog Awards: Top Individual Blog List http://edublogawards.com/
Smartbriefs (Accomplished Teacher, ASCD, EdTech) – https://www.smartbrief.com/news/education
41 Great Blogs to Follow by Subject Area: http://tinyurl.com/41edublogstofollow
FreeTech4Teachers: http://www.freetech4teachers.com/
Social Bookmarking
Diigo.com
Join groups: http://groups.diigo.com/
Share resources
Receive daily/weekly emails with newest resources
Easy to add resources to Diigo (toolbar button) Can highlight resources, take notes, decide what to
share
Sharing Bookmarks with a Group
Social Bookmarking
http://vimeo.com/12687333
Social Media Connection Tools
These social media connection tools include: Social networking sites (Facebook, Edmodo, Twitter) Affinity-based group sites (Ning, Wikispaces) Real-time interaction tools (online chat rooms,
instant messaging, Skype, Second Life).
Featured Collaborative Tool
Edmodo (6.5+ million users) Join subject communities Create class groups (assignments, quizzes, grades) Facebook-style interface Quick responses from
members Personal library to
collect resources http://www.edmodo.com
Edmodo
http://tinyurl.com/edmodoPLNvideo
Featured Collaborative Tool
Ning Instantly chat with other individuals on the website Add & RSVP to events Join special-interest groups Listen to education podcasts Add RSS feeds to your profile page Write blog posts & create your own blog
Featured Collaborative Tool
Ning PLN’s for Educators: http://classroom20.com http://edupln.ning.com/ http://www.teacher20.com http://sschat.ning.com/ http://vodcasting.ning.com/
List of Networks: http://www.educationalnetworking.com/List+of+Net
works
Featured Collaborative Tool
Twitter Follow educators, experts, policymakers
Twitter4Teachers wiki Collaborative Google Doc of Teachers on Twitter
Share your own links and resources Join education conversations (see next slide) Share ideas, ask for help, receive feedback from
followers Connect with educators around the world http://www.twitter.com
Twitter Hashtags
Join education conversations: #edchat: Over 400 teachers get together every Tuesday
at Noon EST or at 6PM EST to chat about a variety of pre-determined topics.
#Scichat, #mathchat, #engchat: Talk with teachers who teach your core subject area (times vary)
#1stchat, #2ndchat, #3rdchat, etc.: Talk with teachers who teach your grade level
#edtech: Chat about all things new in educational technology
View more education hashtags here: http://cybraryman.com/edhashtags.html
Tweetdeck
How to Use a PLN
Find & share resources
Connect with teachers around the world Collaboration opportunities Partner classes for lessons Ask for help/support
Solicit ideas
Share your voice
Learn from others (best practices/success stories)
Information Literacy
Ongoing process of sifting, organizing, analyzing and evaluating information and individuals in your PLN Start with well-known website/expert Look at number of subscribers and good reviews Look critically at the information Building a PLN should be a fluid process
“Crap Detection” – Howard Rheingold The Crap Test:
http://www.workliteracy.com/pages/the-crap-test/
Networking & Netiquette
Aim for building relationships NOT having 500 “friends”
Be a connector
Give AND receive
Build your expert credentials
Lurk & learn
Reach out (add friends, follow people)
Ethics & Privacy
What you post is permanent
Use the Grandmother Rule (would your grandma approve of your tweet/post?)
Don’t fear the tools, build your confidence
Understand the privacy settings of different tools
Resources: Facebook for School Counselors Guide.pdf Creating Social Media Guidelines for Educators How to Create Social Media Guidelines for Your
School
PLN Overload
Thousands of blogs, websites, news sources to follow
Thousands of groups to join, discussion forums to respond to, and members to connect with
Figuring out social norms in the online space
TMI!
PLN Overload (Survival Tips)
Information Aggregation Start by identifying 2-3 information sources to follow
(including email subscriptions) Set a reminder on your calendar to visit your RSS
reader weekly
Collaborative Tools Try to connect with 1-2 individuals (via friend
request or responding to discussion posts) Ask these individuals about how to make the most
out of the activity space
7 Degrees of Connectedness
Rodd Lucier’s 7 Degrees of Connectedness Framework
Questions?
Thoughts?
Comments?
Questions?
Add Me to Your PLN
www.torreytrust.com
@torreytrust
http://edutechdatabase.wikispaces.com