Personal Learning Networks (PLNs)

• Teachers need a place where they can gather and share ideas.
• A safe environment in which they can share their practice, swap ideas, talk about evidence and test hypothesis.
• The beauty of the web today is that it has grown into this place where you can communicate across space and time to and share video and audio 

http://www.plurk.com/p/cy4sp

Benefits of a PLN

• Immerse yourself in the ed tech world.
• Engage in professional learning outside your school and district.
• Reach out to others in and encouraging and empowering way.

http://www.plurk.com/m/p/2ygcoj

Keys to building a successful PLN

• Make Connections
• Make Contributions
• Make Conversation
• Make Requests

10 Ways to Grow your PLN

1. Join Twitter

• Start by following people with similar interests.
  • Ohio Educators

    • Jeremy Brueck - brueckj23

    • Toby Fischer - futureofedu 

    • Ryan Collins - mr_rcollins 

    • John Rundag - gadnur

  • Other Education Professionals

    • David Warlick - dwarlick

    • Will Richardson - willrich45

    • Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach - snbeach

    • Chris Lehman - chrislehmann

    • Dean Shareski - shareski

    • Steve Dembo - teach42

  • Directory of Learning Professionals on Twitter by Jane Hart
  • Twitter 4 Teachers wiki

2. Join Plurk

• Follow threaded discussions by a wide array of teachers, administrators and like-minded individuals.
  • Jeremy Brueck - brueckj23
  • Vicki Davis - coolcatteacher
  • Kevin Honeycutt - kevinh
  • Ginger Lewman - GingerTPLC
  • Dean Mantz - dmantz7
  • Caroline OBannon - cobannon

3. Use RSS

• Subscribe to an RSS reader to follow educational technolgy blogs
  • 2 cents Worth
  • Webblogg-ed
  • Dangerously Irrelevent
  • Moving at the Speed of Creativity
  • Tim Holt's Intended Consequences

4. Social Bookmarking

5. Subscribe to Podcasts

6. Photosharing

• Show your personal side by sharing photos on:

  • Flickr

  • Photobucket

  • Picassa

7. Join a Ning

• OETN
  • Ohio Education Technology Network (OETN). We created this network to connect educators across Ohio to learn from each other about the role of technology in education. Our goal is to connect educators across Ohio by providing a forum to share ideas, strategies, and questions about technology integration.
• Classroom 2.0
  • The professional development community for educators using Web 2.0 and collaborative technologies!
• Art Snacks
  • ArtSnacks is a positive learning community. Be sure the words, music and pictures you post are ALWAYS appropriate for our littlest artists.
• Podstock
  • This network is for educators who are interested in educational podcasting and transforming learning with technology!

8. Video Journaling

9. Start a Blog

10. Attend a Virtual Conference/Meet-up

• Learning 2.0: A Colorado Conversation
• K-12 Online Conference 2009