Welcome to second step in our free professional learning series on building your PLN.
In the first step, we unpacked the definition of a PLN and looked at the benefits of being a connected educator.
You may now be wondering how to begin building your own PLN.
The aim of this step is to:
- Offer an overview of how to build a PLN
- Provide a snapshot of some tools educators use to connect with their PLN
- Share tips for connecting with educators from around the globe
- Discuss barriers to building a PLN
The Networked Teacher
Around a decade ago, Alec Couros created two diagrams that have been shared thousands of times.
This first diagram demonstrates how a teacher would traditionally connect and learn.
This diagram of “The Networked Teacher” demonstrates just some of the ways that educators can connect now that technology is at their fingertips. Note, the “old” ways of connecting are still there.
Alec’s brother George reminds us that the arrows go back and forth and it’s not only about what you consume but what you create. You can give as well as receive.
What Tools Are Used?
Teachers from all over the globe are online and learning together, but where exactly do you find these teachers and develop working relationships with them?
In a 2016 study called “Together we are better: Professional Learning Networks For Teachers”, K-12 teachers were asked how they use PLNs.
The most popular tool in the sample was Twitter with 53% of participants indicating that they used this tool to connect with others.
Other popular tools listed in the survey included blogs, Edmodo, Facebook, Discovery Education Network, and Pinterest.
84% of survey participants indicated that they use more than one medium or site.
How Are Teachers Connecting On Online Platforms?
Teachers use social media and other online spaces in a variety of ways to connect with their PLN.
Here are ten examples:
- Twitter — Educators follow people they’re interested in, ranging from “thought leaders” to everyday teachers in a similar subject area or age group. Teachers also use hashtags to follow topics of interest, and join Twitter chats to discuss ideas in real time. Be sure to follow Edublogs and CampusPress on Twitter. The next step in this series will explain how to start using Twitter.
- Facebook — Educators follow pages and profiles of people and businesses involved in education. They also join Facebook groups to post questions, ask for feedback, and respond to others. Visit our Edublogs Facebook page and Facebook for Education to start learning something new.
- Instagram — You can follow educators to get new ideas for lessons, activities, learning spaces and more. Hashtags make it easy to search for topics you’re interested in. Check out Tony Vincent’s Guide to Instagram For Teachers.
- Pinterest — Pinterest is ultimately a ‘discovery engine’ and is becoming a go-to for many educators looking for fresh ideas, resources, and connections. Be sure to follow Edublogs on Pinterest!
- Blogs — Blogs play an important role in most educators’ PLNs. This might include reading blogs from a variety of different people or writing your own blog. Visit Step Five of this series for more information.
- Email newsletters — There might be an educator, thought leader, or blogger who you really enjoy following. Chances are, they have an email newsletter that you can subscribe to for free to have curated news and contented delivered straight to inbox!
- Voxer — This walkie-talkie like tool can be used as an app on your mobile device or on your computer. Educators can engage in both synchronous and asynchronous conversations about their professional practice. Learn more in this article on Voxer by Amy Heavin.
- YouTube — Video is a powerful medium. Many teachers enjoy following a selection of YouTube channels to keep up to date with a variety of topics. Check out Kasey Bell’s 20 YouTube Channels for Educators to find some channels that might interest you.
- LinkedIn — Considered a “professional” social networking platform, educators can connect with a large community of professionals on LinkedIn. Explore this collection of 25 LinkedIn groups for networking teachers via Fractus Learning.
Feel free to share this graphic on your blog or with your colleagues.
Tips For Developing Relationships
PLNs are all about relationships! Here are a few tips to consider as you begin to build your PLN.
- Invest some time in building your PLN. Set aside even 15 or 20 minutes a day and you’ll build momentum in no time.
- PLNs work both ways. Remember, the more you share, the more you’ll find you receive in return.
- Try different tools. There are so many different forms of social media, online tools, and ways to connect. Dip your toes in and see how educators are using various tools.
- Find tools that work best for you. While it’s definitely worth giving things a try, not every platform is for everyone. Choose to dedicate time to the tools you enjoy and find the most rewarding.
- Follow up with people. If someone connects with you whether it’s through a tweet, blog comment, Facebook group, or any platform, thank them, ask a question, and get to know them. These are the building blocks of forming a relationship.
- Ask for help. If you find someone who already has a number of connections (on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or wherever) ask them to introduce you to others. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you’re figuring out how various platforms work either.
- Curate wisely. If you want to share interesting resources with people in your PLN, make sure you read beyond a headline and share things you think will be truly useful.
- Diversify. Try to connect with people with diverse opinions and points of view. It’s easy for “birds of a feather to flock together”, however, sometimes there is more to gain from communicating with a range of people from different backgrounds.
- Involve your students. Once you get to know a few educators, you might start to think about ways you can connect your students. Check out our Edublogger’s Guide To Global Collaboration for lots of ideas.
- Spread the word. As you begin to explore PLNs and online communities, share this information with others in your school or district. Maybe they don’t realize this wonderful virtual opportunity exists!
Barriers To Creating A PLN
In our first step, we looked at many of the advantages of building a PLN. If the benefits of being a connected educator are clear, what holds so many teachers back from building their own PLN?
Perhaps the first obstacle is that many teachers simply don’t know about PLNs. They don’t know there are thousands of educators from around the world who are online connecting, collaborating, and learning together.
Furthermore, Tom Whitby has outlined three deterrents to educators using PLNs as a tool for ongoing learning.
The PLN is a mindset, not the outcome of a workshop or the PD offered annually by many school districts. It is not a one-shot fix.
Teachers have learned through the “sit and get” model for generations. This mindset shift where you need to realize that you are responsible for your own learning and you can take control can be difficult to adapt to.
Additionally, prioritizing the investment in time that building a PLN requires would certainly be an obstacle for some. Step seven in this series offers some tips on finding time to invest in your PLN.
Successful users of PLNs overwhelm the uninitiated with techno-babble.
Hopefully, the future steps in this course can break down any overwhelming “techno-babble”.
You will probably find that many teachers who are regular uses of online technologies proclaim that they are “not very tech savvy”. Even George Couros who has a Twitter following of 224,000+ has said, “I’m not that good with technology and you probably aren’t either“.
It requires, at least at first, digital literacy beyond a Google search.
It is certainly essential that educators develop their digital literacy. As Silvia Tolisano has pointed out, our notion of what it means to be literate or illustrate calls for an update.
If you feel like you need to improve your own digital literacy skills, don’t despair! You don’t need to learn everything before you embark on building your PLN. We will provide you with the essential tips and skills throughout this course and you can learn as you go.
If you feel like your skills need updating in other areas, such as blogging and online tools, we have other free courses you can work through at your own pace too.
Conclusion
Becoming a connected educator is something that takes work but has enormous advantages for both you and your students. In fact, many educators would say that it’s an essential responsibility of teachers to connect and commit to lifelong learning.
As George Couros has said, “Isolation is now a choice educators make“.
There are so many ways to free yourself from isolation. The following steps in this series breaks down three powerful avenues to becoming a connected educator — Twitter, blogs, and content curation.
Your Task
We’d like you to add your voice and ideas to our ongoing conversation on building your own PLN by undertaking one or more of the following challenges:
- Preferences: We all enjoy connecting in different ways. Write a post or comment on this post about how you plan to connect with other educators. What sites or tools do you think you’d prefer to use to make connections. Why?
- Relationship tips: Revise our list of tips for developing working relationships with other educators. What resonates most with you? Do you have any ideas to add? Tell us in a comment.
- Barriers: We have identified some common barriers to building a PLN. Leave a comment and tell us what the biggest barrier has been for you (or others you know). Share your thoughts on how this obstacle can be overcome.
Also feel free to leave a comment to ask any questions or share your tips.
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There are so many different tools that a teacher can use and some have thought that social media was not one of those tools, but as technology grows the use of technology becomes more beneficial to teachers. There are also different aspects that go into teaching but there are different tools that go into teaching as well.
My biggest barrier would have to be that I am not an peoples person like I adapt to many people and I can ask for help when I need it but I just don’t really like people I like to be by myself. Obstacles to try and overcome this would be for me to open up more. I don’t really like to hold conversations with me I just ask a question about work and then I leave it at that but I think If I want to succeed I have to do more than that. Because having a PLN really sounds like a good ldea and will definitely help me get to where I need to be but I just have to step up and put myself out there more and I’m trying to do that now.
I have created my own PLN without even knowing it while I was in college. I studied English and Gender Studies and curated my Twitter to be experts about these topics. From these experts, I found other experts in other topics that became of interest to me. This network has been very useful for my overall knowledge and understanding. Though I will not have my students follow my personal Twitter, I may create a “teacher twitter” to use instead. I already have an Instagram for students to follow, though it has no followers and I do not have any posts.
I think that as I build my PLN, the ways that I will connect with other educators will be through Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, and, one that is newer and not mentioned on this website, Tik Tok. I think that all of these platforms have different users of different ages, backgrounds, and aesthetics and utilizing all of them will give me a wide range of educators to build a network with. I also prefer these because they are sites I already know and have built myself into. I don’t have a Twitter or blogs and I am already comfortable and have already built a persona on FB, Instagram, Youtube, and Tik Tok. I would like to think that as I get my PLN built and as I get deeper into it and my career as an educator I will branch off into platforms I am not familiar with. But for now these are the ones I think I will rely on.
Based on the many examples provided, I think that my preferred means of connecting with other educators would be Facebook or Pinterest. I have been part of Facebook groups before, and I like the idea that people can interact through videos, group discussions, or private messages. It can be used as a forum for ideas, and I think it is a nice way for people to feel involved and interacts without a lot of pressure. In addition, I am an avid user of Pinterest, and although there is no way to chat other people. I think Pinterest is a good stepping stone to looking at other educator’s ideas, and even posting some of your own ideas by creating your own pins.
The tips that were shared within the document that resonated with me and I find to be the most beneficial are trying different tools, resources, and platforms with PLN, finding tools, and resources that work best for you, and your schedule, and spreading the word about PLN. I think that all of these tips will benefit individuals in the aspects of setting a good starting point for creating and using a PLN, and will help to develop professional and personal growth in multiple aspects and areas.
I think that I am most likely to use social media, like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest to stay connected. There are so many good ideas out there, and it seems like so many people are on social media now, so finding ideas when I’m stuck on social media seems like it would be a great option.
I think the best way to connect with a PNL would be through email. I feel that emails are more personal than using a social media platform. I also check my emails frequently.
I feel the best way to connect using a PNL for me would be using facebook. I have used facebook groups before, and I feel it would be fairly easy to connect with other teachers. I also think that most people do use facebook!
I think that it’s important for all educators to be able to have a space where they can share their own tips/advice about different subject areas. I think that this is important because by educators sharing their tips/ideas it may help another educator out. I plan on sharing my resources with other educators by possibly creating a blog/website where all of my tips can be found.
A barrier of a PLN that they talked about above was teachers simply not knowing what they are and how to use them. Before taking this course, I was unaware of what PLN was and the benefits and impacts it could have on a classroom. I think there needs to be a bigger focus on PLN for teachers and how they can be used to help them.
I plan on connecting with others through Facebook or even Tiktok. There are tons of great ideas on these social networks and is a great way to spread them as well. I have also gotten some information from Pinterest as well. I feel this is an interesting way we can become better educators as a whole and share our best ideas/experiences that has helped us in the past or present.
I think the way I would enjoy connecting with educators the most is through social media, such as Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. I have enjoyed watching “teacher videos” on YouTube for many years now, and I have also followed many teachers on Instagram for a while now. It was actually something I found useful to keep me motivated on the days that I just wasn’t feeling like I was in the school mindset, or didn’t want to work on my assignments, because it reminded me of the end goal. It was inspiring to me. I think this method of communication is great, because it is relevant to the times, and it is easy to find people to interact with. I also think these platforms can be a good source for new ideas and information.
I think the best way to connect with other educators is through social media. Apps like Facebook and TikTok to be specific because you can search a topic and get good results back with accounts to follow. You can also directly message people on both apps, which gives you additional resources. Social media is also a good resource for you to post and get feedback on.
Pinterest is a great tool to use because you can get inspiration for your own lesson plans. The options there are endless. If you’re stuck and not sure what to do for a particular lesson you can definitely find some news ideas. Instagram and Twitter I would use as well. This day in age we’re all on social media so I would use those two apps to find engaging activities for my students. Also talking to teachers on Twitter through the use of a specific hashtag would be helpful as a teacher.
I think the biggest barrier would be putting in the time to build a great PLN. Some teachers are now learning that PLNs exist but they are now also learning that they will need to invest some of their time to build a great PLN.
Although some people might have mixed feelings about social media, it has its positive points about being one of the best ways for educators to interact. I feel as though social media is one of the best ways to connect with other educators because there are so many platforms people can connect through. So many people share their ideas of how they do things on TikTok, instagram, Pinterest, etc.
Community is very important and nowadays, technology and social media is an easy way to do that. Additionally, it is helpful in finding ideas and inspiration for one’s own classroom. Pinterest is my favorite app for ideas.
I plan to connect with educators using a diverse range of sites and tools. Firstly, I’ll utilize professional social media platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter for networking and discussions, enabling connections with educators globally. Educational forums such as Edutopia and Teachers Pay Teachers will be a hub for in-depth conversations, advice-seeking, and resource sharing.
I’ll actively participate in virtual conferences and webinars, offering real-time interactions and exposure to diverse perspectives. Educational blogs and podcasts will keep me informed while connecting me with experts in the field.
Collaborative tools like Google Workspace and Microsoft Teams will be my go-to for group projects and more profound conversations with colleagues. This comprehensive approach ensures I cater to various preferences, fostering a robust network for professional growth and collaboration.
I plan on connecting with other teachers via Pinterest, Tic tok, and blogs. I prefer these sites because you can get an ever-growing list of activities and assignment ideas on Pinterest, tik tok is good for connecting to other teachers personally and seeing different ways to handle things, as for the blogs they would give me insight on what ideas other teachers are trying to get or see from their students and I could see what they say in their blogs.
I really like connecting with educators via pinterest. Pinterest is a great way to share ideas that have worked for you in the past, look for ideas that are at the correct developmental level and a great way to make lessons around a certain topic.
I very much appreciate the list of tips provided for developing a PLN. It is important to dedicate time into developing a PLN and being very intentional about doing so. Social media can be a great tool for connecting and creating a learning community with others who share similar interests, and choosing a social media platform that you enjoy using and are comfortable with is key to creating and being able to grow from a PLN.
I plan to connect to other educators through Twitter, Youtube, Pinterest, blogs, and podcasts. I prefer to make connections through these sites because I find them the most valuable to my content area which is History. Twitter, Youtube, blogs, and podcasts to stay up to date on current events, connecting to historians and people who share their cultural histories beyond the local lens, connecting to other teachers, and staying up to date on pedagogy. Pinterest because it connects me to other educators classrooms and decor can play a huge role in teaching atmosphere. I think the best tips for building relationships are diversify and curate wisely. Especially with a site like Twitter or Youtube where the algorithm dominates so much of your interactions. It is important to make sure your connections or broad but also still within your professional scope/content area. I think the biggest barrier for me regarding building my PLN is reaching out. I struggle to make that first connection. I plan on overcoming it by just putting myself out there.
I would do YouTube because it can be used in multiple ways and can be watched over and over. students would want to understand as well by watching a YouTube video.
I think I would like to connect with other educators through facebook. I believe this is the most professional way, and also a very common social media app that a lot of people use nowadays. However, I am open to creating accounts for new apps that anyone is more comfortable with to engage on.
Personally, I would like to connect with other educators through Facebook. The reason I choose Facebook is because most people use this network. It is a network where all different ages connect with people. I also like that Facebook has direct message options and options where you can call people through direct message. You are also able to post pictures, videos, and other resources on Facebook, which is very valuable. You also have options like Facebook Marketplace where you are able to help others by selling products you have. I follow a lot of teacher resources on Facebook and they are always offering to help new teachers. Overall, those are the reasons why I believe Facebook is the best site to make connections on.
I believe the best way to make connections with teachers is through getting to know your community, and through social media. Teachers help teachers, and are usually excited to share ideas with each other! You can look on Pintrest for classroom, and activity ideas, meet other teachers through their accounts, and also learn new perspectives from other teachers. Social media is a great way to do so!
Now, as I have become familiar with the term PLN. and as a future teacher, making connections would be an excellent step to connect with other educators from around the world and exchange ideas on teaching methods, lesson plans, and classroom management strategies. By building a strong PLN, teachers can stay up-to-date on current trends in education and gain valuable insights into how they can improve their own teaching practices. When it comes to building a professional learning network (PLN) as a teacher, there are several platforms that educators commonly use. I prefer Social Media because many teachers connect and collaborate through social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook groups, or LinkedIn. They join education-related communities and engage in discussions with fellow educators.
I plan to connect with other educators through blogs and podcasts. I would prefer to do podcasts on spotify to apple podcasts and I would prefer to use facebook and twitter to create blogs. I would like to do podcasts as a way to connect because I’ve always been interested in podcasts, whether that be listening to one or making one. Connecting this way will help me connect more because it’s already a passion for me and with blogs I love to write so for me it’s already a good trait that I have and I could put that trait to good use to connect to other educators.
Since before doing this “Building Your PLN” I had never heard of the term “PLN”, I don’t really have an example of a barrier. However after reading through Step 2 I can already see that the biggest barrier to building a PLN is time. Teachers are asked to do a million different things for their job, and I don’t really see where I would have the time to build a so-called PLN. I use YouTube not to subscribe to any specific teacher platform, but to get ideas to help with lessons.
One tip that stood out to me was tip #8 “Diversify.” To me, diversifying my PLN by connecting with people with diverse opinions and points of view is crucial for personal and professional growth. Engaging with people who hold different perspectives can challenge your thinking and expand your horizons. It encourages critical thinking and helps you consider alternative approaches and solutions. It’s an essential aspect of intellectual growth.
I plan to connect with other educators by posting videos on TikTok. TikTok is a social media app that is now used by everyone and it’s very popular. It is very easy to connect with others. I would like to use this app to post videos of helpful tips other educators can use. I would also use it to find other teachers that might be helpful to me.
I plan to connect with educators over Instagram and TikTok. I will also follow their websites and newsletters for more information about possible meet-ups, zoom hangs, and seminars. I like Instagram because it’s easy to use as I already am familiar with the tools available there and the DM feature is simple. I like TikTok as well because there are often really great bits of content where people can go further in depth about their ideas and I can read other people’s comments too.
One site that is very helpful for teachers is Teachers Pay Teachers. This is a site where teachers can upload their materials and other teachers can view and use them, which I think will be very helpful. I also plan to join Facebook groups for teachers, since this is a quick and easy way for teachers to communicate with each other about strategies, lessons, and experiences.
Some forms of media I could use to connect with other educators are TikTok and Instagram. Both include the use of hashtags in post which will make it easier for teachers to find each other and any education related things. Both also allow for short videos and most teachers on social media have learned to utilize the tools to make their videos really engaging and informational.
I think the best way that I, as an educator, can connect with others is through the use of social media platforms! They are truly a helpful and advanced tool to be able to find inspiration, help, or guidance about how you are running your classroom. Platforms like Pinterest are great for decoration inspiration, worksheet inspiration, or even classroom management ideas. Whereas Teachers Pay Teachers is another great platform to find worksheets, passages, or print-outs for students to use and work with. I could go on and on about different social media sites, but the list is endless! The internet and social media is a great way to be able to build connections and further develop your personal pedagogy by interacting with others.
I believe the best way to connect with educators is through social media. For my generation, social media is something that I grew up in, so I am more tech-savvy using it. Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok are some social media sites that I could use to start my personal PLN. These platforms give educators the space to find what they are looking for without actually talking with someone. Also for those who are older, using one of these sites that they use every day can help them build a technical PLN.
I think all the tips for developing a working relationship with other educators are great. You want to have a resource that is helpful to you, so you need to give as much as you are taking. You want to be able to help yourself as much as you can help other educators. I think by putting in the effort you will be able to take so much from the resource.
There are many ways that people connect, through social media, through conversations, and writing letters. As a new teacher, the best way to make new connections is by asking for help and being social. I would join in the discussions with the teachers and take any chance I get to be around them and get advice and tips on the way things are done. Some sites I may use are Facebook, blogs, and YouTube. Everything is about technology these days; you can find just about anything. I would prefer to use these sites because many teachers have YouTube accounts, and are a part of Facebook groups, where many other teachers tell their stories and give tips on education.
My current favorite sites for curating content are pinterest, instagram, and youtube, so I see myself likely turning to those for making and building connections with other educators. On these platforms I follow educators that I want to emulate in subjects/grades similar to me, and they often promote frameworks I’m interested in (equity, disability justice, anti-racism, mindfulness, community, etc.). Now, instead of just following and liking/saving their content, I can try commenting/responding to their content with my own thoughts. One platform I was surprised wasn’t on the list was reddit, which I’ve found to be helpful in receiving feedback/input on problems from a multitude of perspectives. It’s a more casual platform, so responses and conversations need to be filtered and occasionally checked for accuracy, but it can be helpful to hear from educators without the pressure to adhere to more formal formats. I would also like to try and create a linkedin profile that can help me in a more “professional” capacity, but it feels intimidating due to its formality so I’ve been procrastinating. It could be helpful to look into how to create a linkedin profile specifically for someone going into education and go from there.
My goal is to start following more education accounts on Facebook to become more engaged. I’m hoping that these new accounts give me more insight about teaching. Something I would like to work towards is posting my own ideas on these pages.
So far, I’ve found that Twitter has been a great platform for sharing perspectives, thoughts, experiences, and ideas with other educators, as well as reading posts from others. One disadvantage is that there is a limited amount of text that can be shared in a single post, but creating a “thread” of posts discussing the same idea is another option. People can create and join chats to share direct messages and share posts with one another. The use of hashtags also helps users find a specific topic and read the varying perspectives of other professionals on that topic.
I like using YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram to find ideas, tips, and tricks from other teachers. There are several teachers that I’ve been following on YouTube for inspiration about classroom design tips and any other ideas they share about what works in their classrooms. I’ve listened to some podcasts, but I plan to investigate and find other interests now that I’ve learned about more of the resources available.
One of the main ways that I can communicate with teachers is through instagram. Many teachers now have instagram accounts specifically for teaching and posting about their classroom. Communicating with these teachers would be a great way to collaborate. Another way I can meet and communicate with teachers is through zoom. As I develop strong connections with the people in my PLN we could meet over zoom to further discuss topics and share resources.
I feel that the best way to connect with other educators is through social media. For forming a PLN I feel like if I needed specific people that the best way to connect would be through linkedin and blogs. These types of platform gives them space to put information about how they educate and the skills they have as well as bringing educators together. I think these sites are the best to make professional connections not just personal connections to benefit the PLN.
My plan is to start following more accounts on Facebook and Twitter. These are the main forms of social media I use, and I am on them quite often. I already follow some that have interesting facts about my content area, but I would like to find more that would give lesson ideas or tips and tricks for covering topics. Something I would like to work towards is sharing my own ideas and thoughts on these pages as well. I do a lot of things that I think are fun in my classrooms and that my students typically enjoy. My goal is to start sharing some of these things with others, so they can benefit from them as well.
I plan on connected with educators more on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. These are my top 3 sites I am on constantly throughout the day. I plan on following more pages because I only follow one or two on pinterest and instagram but none on facebook. I prefer Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest because they are easy to use; have a variety of different groups I can join; and I am most familiar with them. I also like how easy it is to comment or create my own posts of ideas. I have used Twitter in the past, but find the other 3 more popular and have more of what I am looking for. I am interested in trying youtube because I use youtube to play music while my kids are working independently. I have also listened to some good podcasts, but maybe through the use of PLN I could find more podcasts or get recommendations.