Strategies for Building Your PLN
Welcome back to Shep's World and this week I am going to talk to you about what I have learned about building up my Personal Learning Network. I have set out this year with the intention of strategically building up my PLN so that helps me grow according to the vision I am developing of me as an educator. The first thing I experienced was that the number of resources out there really can be quite overwhelming and I certainly haven't even began to scratch the surface of what is really available out there. As a matter of fact even Twitter alone can be quite overwhelming for me and how many hours I have wasted just browsing Facebook aimlessly is really quite depressing.
In order to assist anyone who is new to building there PLN or people who are looking to expand their network I created a very simple infograph that I posted above and I will offer a few key pieces of advice that have served me well so far. The first piece of advice that I have offered in other blogs is quite simple and in my view very important; you must have a vision. Think of your vision as your dream. Once you have determined what your vision is then you must take the next step to deliberately begin moving in that direction. The web tools that I have posted above all offer very specific things in terms of how you can develop your PLN but as I said in a previous blog it is also important to start slowly. With so many options out there it is easy to get overwhelmed and frustrated. I would suggest picking one or two and really spend some time getting comfortable with those applications.
My next piece of advice is quite simple, you must create. The more you interact and share with your network the more the people in your network will begin to take notice of you and share your ideas with the world. When I first began to interact and share my blog on Twitter I was extremely intimidated and worried about whether or not I was just going to be making a fool of myself or worse. I quickly noticed however that people began to share what I was putting out there and began following me on Twitter and even recommending people for me to follow who had similar goals. My PLN didn't really start to come alive until I let myself be vulnerable and share what I had to offer.
The last piece of advice I have to offer is something that I am actually hesitant to say due to the fact that opinions will vary and the fact that it is something I read in an article but have no idea what article it was or who wrote it initially but the point really resonated with me and that is to keep to the mission of my PLN. If I use my Twitter for education then that is not the place to spout my political beliefs or to share gossip about celebrities and the random reality tv show that I may be watching. People who are following me because of my ideas regarding education are not necessarily interested in or following me to get my insights into politics. Even as I have begun creating my own PLN I have also found myself trimming certain people out who tweet or retweet too much that is unrelated to education.
If you have additional ideas on effective strategies to grow your PLN please feel free to comment below. I am still new to all of this myself and would love to continue learning from those of you out there who are experts in this field. I appreciate all the help I receive and would like to thank you for taking a few moments out of your day to read my blog. Your insights will help me to continue to grow and develop into the educator that I want to be and the teacher my students deserve.
Scott,
ReplyDeleteI like your plan for creating a PLN that leads to a larger goal.
1. Create a vision of the educator you want to become
2. Learn, create and share in line with that vision
3. Stay on message
I will add, repeat steps 2 and 3 until you become your vision then grow your vision and begin anew! Speaking from my own experience, often my initial vision was not big or bold enough simply because I did not have the information that I needed to make it bigger or bolder. Now when I set a goal or create a vision, I often tell myself, "I can I dream bigger than that." When I started teaching in a small rural school, I could not have possibly had a vision of the educator that I have become. All along the way, I encountered people that stretched me and helped me grow. Those people were my PLN (before we called them that). I can count on one hand the number of people that influenced me, but that was before I discovered social media. Social media allows us to connect with unlimited numbers of educators who inspire, validate, and push us to become better educators. The rate of my professional growth exploded when I discovered social media. Through teaching this course, I have the luxury of watching that process happen for my students. It is a process I never tire of watching.
Shep's World never disappoints!
Dr. Dell
Scott,
ReplyDeleteI think your info gram is a really good resource for people to use when beginning PLN's. I also like how you have touched on some important features of making PLN's worthwhile. Twitter still is a bit confusing to me but you are 100% right, I just need to spend more time investigating and, as you said, let myself be vulnerable. I also like that you suggested we do not post political business on social media if it is used for professional business. I have been very weary of that and honestly, it's a shame we can share our beliefs in today's society but it is better to be safe than sorry! I am looking forward to seeing what else you have to offer on Twitter!
Oh my goodness! I hope you continue to post on your blog after this course is over. I have you bookmarked and will be looking for updates! Your final piece of advice is spot on! I am usually all about having free speech but I honestly don't see the point in spouting out political and celebrity nonsense when time can be more beneficial for what truly matters. Your infographic is very informative and visually appealing! Keep up the good work!
ReplyDelete