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.
How to leave a comment: Scroll down to find the comment box. Write your comment, then enter your name and email address (email addresses are not published). Enter the anti-spam word. Press submit and we will moderate your comment ASAP.
I would like to use Twitter to connect with other educators. As mentioned above, most people in the sample preferred using Twitter. The school that I work at uses Twitter and Facebook. I would be able to use Twitter to gain knowledge of my peers. I would be able to participate in numerous discussions at any time or place. I could search by hashtags and participate in Twitter chats to improve my PLN. Hashtags can be used as filters to find educators who share relevant information. A Twitter chat occurs at a certain time and focuses on discussions about a specific topic. I would also consider using Facebook because most people already have a Facebook account.
I would like to use Twitter to connect with other educators. As mentioned above, most people in the sample preferred using Twitter. The school that I work at uses Twitter and Facebook. I would be able to use Twitter to gain knowledge of my peers. I would be able to participate in numerous discussions whenever and wherever I like. I could search by hashtags and participate in Twitter chats to improve my PLN. Hashtags can be used as filters to find educators who share relevant information. A Twitter chat occurs at a certain time and focuses on discussions about a specific topic. I would also consider using Facebook because most people already have a Facebook account.
Professional Learning Networks for teachers are very important. I connect with other educators using Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Teachers Pay Teachers, and by collaborating with my PLC (professional learning community) at my school. Following teacher blogs is another great way to keep abreast of trending technologies and issues in education.
My county uses Twitter and hashtags. I also have a twitter account. Blogging has sparked my interest in PLN.
I plan on using Twitter because that is what our county uses. I will also try to follow other educators on Twitter.
Our county uses twitter so I will most likely use twitter.
I plan to use Facebook groups and Twitter to connect with other educators. I think that most people already have a Facebook account so it seems like a natural progression to use it as a platform to form connections specific to equational interests and passions. Twitter also interests me because of the ease of using hashtags to separate topics. I love the idea of being able to be a part of a community of others who are passionate about the same specialized group of students that I serve. I often feel alone because I am the only one of me at my school. It will be wonderful to find others who are also trying to serve gifted learners!
There are many ways in which educators can connect with one another in order to enhance their PLN however I believe that it is important to use the idea that “variety is the spice of life.” Although it can seem overwhelming to look at the same approach through multiple lenses it has improved my learning in the end. It also helps to see both sides of “arguments” or preferences on controversial subjects and at times allows us to have compassion for those that have a differing opinion from ours. I have been a Facebook user for longer than what I can remember and plan to investigate groups and pages that will enhance my PLN, as this is a platform that I am fairly familiar with. I have also opened a Twitter account and although I am really “new to the scene” I believe that it will be a valuable source once I become more familiar with it as well as adjust the preferences that I have. I am going to challenge myself to use Pinterest to add to my PLN as well as finding a few blogs that will enhance my teaching as well as my mental and spiritual health. I find that it is just as important to surround myself with individuals who will lift me up spiritually and mentally as well as those who can help me feel as though I am succeeding in my classroom endeavors. What are some blogs that you subscribe to or have found helpful either in the education realm or the spiritual/mental health realm? I also am trying to do a better job at carving out the time to focus on my PLN so that as I practice these interactions with colleagues around the world that it will eventually become more second nature to check in with my PLN just as I check in with family members or friends throughout my week.
Well today, I learned about what a PLN is and what it is about. This was my first step. I am taking this class on 21st Century teaching because I want to keep up with what my students will need in the future to be successful. I learned to use a computer, make slides, and we all learned about distance teaching in the past year. As for relationships, I feel comfortable in person, Facebooking with friends, and looking up information. but this is not enough! I have been following other teachers on youtube. I want to begin building my own PLN, but I am nervous! I am a teacher with 26 years of teaching and working with all types of ability levels. i feel at first I would be just taking from a PLN unless someone wanted to hear that all students can learn and succeed. I have spent years with my students working in groups to help each other because of each one’s strength. So this older teachr is off to learning something new…..Any help?
Being a connected educator is such a great benefit in the teaching world. A teacher takes on a lot of tasks alone. See diagram 2 by Alec Couros, for example. This diagram is the prefect explanation to all a teacher has to gather resources and create their own. With PLNs, educators are able to get connected and share those resources, which is such a great benefit. I prefer to make connections through Facebook as my social media platform, because I am on there often. I have found a few PLNs within Facebook that are related to my career. One is called “Teaching with NEONS” which is filled with a plethora of resources that teachers have created. Educators are sharing resources without a cost. Another group I am involved in on Facebook is called “Not So Wimpy Fifth Grade Teachers.” Since I teach 5th grade, I am able to connect with some educators through that. We are able to relate and ask questions when we need help. That group has helped me through several situations in the past. When it comes to barriers when building a PLN, it would probably be building that group and to get several people involved. In the groups I mentioned above, one has 37.5K members and the other has 110.6K members. They are very large groups, making a large community of people. So when it comes to the barriers to create your own, I’d say that is the harder part of making your group and making it known.
I have been a member of a Facebook group for educators, but have not yet fully engaged with the group. I have casually read through posts but have not provided my own comments or perspectives yet. I intend to start setting aside time to devote to my PLN involvement and provide resources to the group that I think will be useful to others. I think this will not only increase my own development, but allow me the opportunity to find additional PLN avenues by networking at a deeper level.
After reading about many of the different ways that educators connect with one another, I identified a few ways that I already connect or learn from other educators, and identified a new resource that I want to try out as well.
Currently, my favorite social media platforms and sources include Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. I enjoy actually seeing pictures and videos of other educators in order to learn about new ideas, strategies and overall to get inspiration. These are my favorite sources because there are more pictures and videos as opposed to long blogs or posts to read.
While I have my own favorite sources, I also want to try to connect with more educators on Twitter. I think that Twitter tends to be a source that covers more current events and important topics within education. I think adding this source to my repertoire of resources will help me to become an even more connected educator.
There are so many ways to connect through technology including, through emails, blogging, social media, such as Twitter, and special interest platforms such as Pinterest. It is easy to share tips for connecting with educators from around the globe using a wide array of internet-based communication. Adding comments to blogs, to YouTube, or other website’s comment sections are a valuable way to make a valid contribution and be a content curator. Thoughtful comments can encourage, advise, or assist other educators in the profession. Uploading instructional videos to YouTube is a consideration as this platform is an excellent way to share tutorials, give demonstration, or present talks through public speaking. Many videos can be shared with friends, colleagues, administrators, and other educators though sharing the link which is very efficient. The like and subscribe features listed on many platforms help viewers to navigate to important topics.
I personally prefer connecting face to face so when that is not possible, a zoom call, an email, or a phone call meeting would be my next preferred methods.
I plan on connecting with other educators on the various forms of social media. I love using facebook groups, and finding an educators facebook PLN would really be beneficial. I teachers of different age groups use facebook, which will strengthen the PLN because it will allow for different ideas from different generations of teachers.
I plan to connect with other educators using many of the vast number of resources that are available to me such as Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and other forms of social media that can help me to stay updated as to what is going on in the world of education. I think that by using these newer types of social media, it enables me to easily communicate and follow other educators who are either around the same age as me or are way older than me as well.
Brandon,
I agree. That is how I am proceeding. I want to meet teachers who can help me keep up with the new world in education. Good luck! Share if you find any good sites . I will try to do the same for you.
Linda
Some of my preferences with regards to creating my PLN, or sites that I think I will utilize the most, are Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube. I am already familiar with those sites which is why I think they will be utilized the most. I would also like to add Twitter to this list but that is one of my barriers as I don’t have any experience with Twitter. However, I am now a lifelong learner and therefore I will have to learn how to navigate and utilize Twitter as well as many other tools. I know this will only help me grow and become a better teacher. I’m looking forward to this opportunity to grow.
I plan to connect with educators on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Youtube. I would feel the most comfortable using these platforms because I already know how to use them. I also think I would be most comfortable actually connecting with educators on these as well.
Youtube and pinterest are the first apps/platforms I like when wanting to use to locate more information and find ideas. However, when it comes to connecting to other educators Facebook and instagram are really great. Facebook allows you to join groups and creates amazing conversation and brainstorming on a topic. Instagram is great for finding and sharing ideas easily, as well as, connecting with other educators through posts. One that isn’t listed is Tiktok, which is becoming more popular and being used by more educators. I’ve found it’s great for sharing and talking about ideas and problems. It’s video based so the information can be really quick and easy to absorb. Not only that but you can respond to others videos with your own video which is great to create a long line conversation on a topic.
The biggest barrier to me in creating my PLN has been inexperience. I am currently in the second year of my college career. So I have some connections into the world of PLN but not many. With time I know that I will gain more within my PLN but it starts small and takes time to grow big. This barrier is really only holding my back because I am so fresh into the education scene.
I have found that I use Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube to stay connected with educators. I have found so many new ideas that I will be able to use and just the creativity that you can do to make each lesson your own. There are also many different websites that you can use some are free and others not.
I prefer to connect with other educators on Instagram. I cannot even begin to list the number of lesson ideas, classroom set-up ideas, and student relationship ideas that I have collected over the years. Instagram has provided me with so many connections to other educators around the world. The support I find on this site is surreal.
I also love Facebook to build a sense of connectedness. There are so many groups for educators available. These groups remind me that I am not the only educator out there struggling with various issues. They also have so many free resources that are making me a better future educator for my students.
I plan to connect mostly through social media and Youtube. Learning is easier for me through videos. The only social media I have used so far is Facebook but I only use it for personal interests and friendships. Since it is, to me, a well known tool that is easy to use, it will be beneficial to start using it for professional reasons as well. I used the suggestions on this page and started following Edublogs and Facebook for Education. I had not planned joining another social media platform before taking this course. To be honest, sometimes I feel that I spend too much time on Facebook that I could use more wisely. However, using social media to improve my teaching skills and practices falls into the category of “wisely.” I will be joining Twitter, as it is so popular with educators. The best thing about social media is its availability anytime and anywhere and the wide reach of these social interactions. All of the social media platforms are global and enable communication with teachers from around the world. That is very beneficial to me as an EL teacher. Another positive characteristic of social media is that I can chose my preferences and interests. Learning in this environment is so much different than PD with pre-determined topics. As far as the barriers are concerned, for me it will definitely be time. I am looking forward to the last chapter with tips how to find and manage time to build and maintain my PLN. As I mentioned in my response in chapter 1 of this course, the isolation I feel daily as an EL teacher is relevant, but it is becoming the main inspiration for building my own PLN. I appreciated the quote of George Couros used in this chapter: “Isolation is now a choice that teachers make.”
I plan to connect with educators by focusing on using social media and webinars. I think that social media is one of the easiest, most accessible options for teachers. It is a resource that is always available no matter the place or time of day. As a result, I have found that apps including Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram have thousands of pages that are dedicated to helping teachers. It is especially easy with social media to connect with others- all a person has to do is leave a comment or message that person directly through the app. I will also want to participate in webinars whenever I can. Though they are not readily available all the time, they can be especially helpful for teachers. I like webinars because they let teachers hear from and talk with other educators in a live setting. It is easier for me to focus in webinars and to hear from others than to read advice in a blog. Additionally, webinars allow listeners to ask questions and receive instant answers, another perk I value. Though I think these are two of the greatest resources I will use, I will also try to listen to podcasts in the car or when I am cleaning. Though I won’t be able to communicate with anyone through podcasts, I plan on listening to them and gaining advice from others.
With the way the world is now and how technologically advanced it has become, social media and online platforms have become a huge part of our lives and I believe it can be utilized in our favor to connect with other educators. There are so many sites, blogs and podcasts that are run by educators in an effort to connect with others so that is how I plan to connect with other educators.
I feel that most of these interlock with each other, asking for help, while making sure you are taking diversity into consideration, while trying different tools and seeing which works better for you which involves investing time. These are super important to ensure that you are being your best you for your students, colleagues, and yourself. I would add to be open to feedback or criticism (of course if it is educational and informative.) In order to grow and see things that you may not see, I find it important to receive some sort of feedback or criticism.
In connecting with other educators, my preferred method would certainly be utilizing social network. We live in a world of great technological resources. For example, beginning a conversation with an educator who posts a tweet that you agree with, or sharing an interesting idea for a classroom layout on Pinterest. Both open the doorway to communication with others that you can learn from and grow as an educator with.
The tip that resonated the most with me is following up with people. A lot of times that I’ve come in contact with other educators, they have always been forthcoming in keeping up with our connection and keeping an avenue open for asking for help. This has come in handy for me multiple times, and I like the concept of keeping up a community with familiarity.
Preferences: I actually have already created a PLN on Instagram and I have learned so much from other professionals. The way the Instagram algorithm works is that it picks up on the interest I show on my account. Showing more interest and time on educational posts and accounts made by other teachers, it automatically suggests that I follow them to connect in the PLN format. I enjoy seeing the pictures to go with what other people are talking about. Being a visual learner, I think it’s the most optimal way for me to connect with using a PLN.
I think that my preferences include Instagram as I do follow many educators and educator networks. I have been able to connect to various resources by following organizations such as Abolitionist Teacher Network, which facilitated several weeks of webinars on Black Lives Matter At School. Other preferences include Pinterest for teaching materials and templates. I would like to be better about how I utilize Pinterest so as to be more intentional and efficient with my time. I would love to involve my students in curating this digital space together, so I will be using that tip. I think it’s helpful to find educators that have aligned pedagogies. A forum that has helped me with that has been Abolitionist Teacher Network and Cult of Pedagogy.
I think I would use things like microsoft teams and groupme to connect with other educators. Groupme is great because it is a texting app that allows you to have groupchats with people regardless of what kind of phone they have. It is nice because it does not use your phone number if you are reluctant to give out personal information. It also allows for the sharing of photos, videos, documents and more. I love microsoft teams for doing group video calls. It allows for people to present things and has a chat box. It is a little smoother to me than zoom. I also would use email. Email is a great tool to keep in contact with people and with new features like read receipts and scheduled emails, it can make for effective communication between people.
I plan to connect with other educators using Zoom and Twitter. I believe connecting with a group of educators who are a part of your PLN through Zoom is a great way to facilitate meaningful and deep conversations. Zoom allows educators to video chat at a structured time to reflect and engage on numerous topics. I personally think Zoom is a great tool because I would be able to connect with members of my PLN face-to-face in a virtual manner no matter where we are located. Twitter is also a great platform to use to connect with other educators. Twitter allows educators to easily create posts through tweets, where they can also attach images, videos, or hashtags. I would prefer Twitter because it is accessible at any time of day and educators can spread great content that could benefit a teacher in your PLN through retweeting and commenting.
Addressing prompt 2, the app of Pinterest. Pinterest is a well known resource used widely among teachers. I know that it gives me and other educators resources, ideas and also connections that we can use inside of our classroom. Although Pinterest is just one way that an educator and or teacher will use in order to connect with a Personal Learning Network. As for Pinterest it is more of a blog social media as for others including Twitter, Instagram, Facebook etc or more of a way to communicate.
I would like to address the question on preferences. As it comes to connecting with others I have a few preferred social media platforms, but all of them are not conducive to this kind of working together. I like to use Facebook groups and GroupMe. These two platforms allow an easy way to ask questions and have them answered quickly.
Preferences: I think that I would like to use Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube to make connections online in my PLN. I can use Twitter to talk to other educators, look up hashtags that I am interested in learning more about, and follow a wide variety of people that have different interests, specialties, and perspectives. I like the idea of joining Facebook groups for educators because it is a good place to have conversations with people that are in the group to do the same thing. I think a lot of valuable information could be shared and discussed in Facebook groups like these. I would also love to use Youtube to connect with other educators because it is already a site that I love and use daily. There are so many different channels and people that you can subscribe to and learn from on the platform and I think I could learn a lot from using it to connect with others in my PLN.
Preferences: I think social media is an incredible way to form a connection with other educators. Each app and site offers a different assortment of tools and allows a different level of connection. For example, Instagram and Pinterest allows for educators to share visual images of everything from class setup to assignments, which is perfect for visual thinkers. As well, blog spaces allow for longer communication of practices, questions, and advice. Other social media sites like YouTube and TikTok allow for further connection with educators in an audio and visual format.
My preference for PLN is Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and TikTok. I love these platforms because I am able to share all of my ideas that I want to use in my classroom, but also I can learn so much from so many other educators. I follow so many different educators on these social media platforms and am gaining many ideas and tricks to use in mine.
In creating my own personalized learning network, I would like to draw from these online resources: Newsletters, Twitter, Pinterest, Blog Posts, Instagram, and videos. From these, I believe newsletters and Twitter are the most important. Newsletters would provide professional papers for referencing, whereas Twitter provides everybodys’ ideas. From scholars to teachers to students, Twitter allows one to look into the world from all different perspectives which is important for a profession that teaches to many different people. Other than online resources, I would also draw on my colleagues, previous teachers of my own, and my students. Anything that will help me grow as a teacher is wholeheartedly accepted.
From my experience, the greatest barrier I have faced as I become a young teacher is the lack of in-person networking due to the pandemic. All of my interaction with other teachers and education professionals has been virtual. While the Internet and the ability to connect online are valuable, I feel as though I am missing out on making deeper connections. With that being said, it is essential that I make the connections that I can virtually, and use more time and thought to deepen that connection regardless.
Preferences: I love to connect via LinkedIn but also YouTube. There is a great channel I like to watch called “Pocketful of Primary”. She has been a great person for me to watch as I navigate virtual teaching as a student. LinkedIn has connected me to some educational resources that I find useful, and it keeps me updated on educational news.
The ways that I enjoy connecting with other educators is through instagram and YouTube. I find that these two platforms serve as great resources for many different ideas about how to teach students or present different forms of content, but also as a way to personally support each other. I have really loved discovering this network and connecting with other teachers at different stages in their career.
I think my biggest barrier was not knowing anything about PLN’s before this assignment. There are teachers out there everyday collaborating, creating new ideas and learning together & I knew nothing about it. So, that is a major setback if you don’t know where to begin looking.
Being a person who is not on many social media, I started to look more into educators on Instagram and on Pinterest. I was surprised to see so many educators sharing their ideas and other classroom activities on their Instagram pages. There were a few of them who took their time to message me and thank me for liking their post and asked questions about their post.
I plan on joining possibly Twitter, but also researching online teacher forums and blogs to collaborate with teachers there. I currently do not have any form of social media so jumping into Twitter or Facebook will be a big challenge but I am sure with the help of others I will be able to figure it out and build my PLN. Of course, I will always also connect and collaborate with all of my in-person colleagues but that is a lot easier than on the internet.
I prefer to use Instagram and facebook as I am not interested in Twitter and Instagram and Facebook are the only few social media platforms I use. I have two teacher friends who live in Ohio and Kentucky. I communicate with them on a daily basis (but not always about education) but from what I have seen from them and what they have helped me with, I have learned a lot from them. I communicate with my Ohio friend through instagram and text messaging and I actually met her on a video game and she teaches a Montessori class. My Kentucky friend teaches 6th grade science and being connected with them, as educators, has taught me so much and helps me feel extremely connected. I am also connected with my teachers from high school on facebook I got close with, along with my former first grade teacher who I tutored for junior and senior year of high school. We talked a lot about education and the education system when she was in the process of writing my letter of recommendation for grad school.
First and foremost, I plan on staying connected with my educators from both my past and present through email and Facebook. I am still in contact with many of my previous teachers and professors and I hope to continue reaching out for their advice and support. The reason am opting for sites and tools like email and Facebook is because while there are more professional orientated mediums, like Linked-In, messages can get lost in the pomp and frill of professional decorum.
I will responding to the first prompt.
I think that I would prefer to use Twitter and Pinterest to connect with educators because I am already rather familiar with those sites and because I know how to connect with others and share my own thoughts already. I would use Twitter to ask questions, voice my thoughts on certain topics, and to build a community of educators that I could learn from and also help out. On Pinterest, I would look for ideas, lessons, and activities while also posting my own so that other educators could access and utilize them. I would use these two platforms as a jumping point into building a deeper, multi-platform PLN for myself.
Personally to find ideas that I may want to use in my classroom I follow a lot of teachers on Tik Tok and Instagram. I love these platforms because they are filled with current “trends” and so many helpful tips/tricks to have a welcoming and effective classroom. Along with Pinterest and TeachersPayTeachers! My feeds on all 4 of these platforms are filled by current teachers favorite things, helpful tricks, and even tools.
One way I plan on connecting with others is through different educational blogs, YouTube, and Pinterest. I plan on connecting with a variety of different educators from all round to best provide my students with the best tools possible. I prefer using Pinterest for links to education blogs and activity ideas. For me Pinterest works for just ideas because I can just scroll through and look at the different activities I would like to try. In order to talk and connect with other educators I plan to use different forms of social media because that is the best tool for actually communicating, in my opinion.
1st prompt
I plan to connect with other educators through LinkedIn and YouTube. One of may main reasons for this is I am not a very big fan of Social media and do not really have much on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Honestly, I do not want to build a presence on any of those, so they are out of the question to use unless I absolutely had to. The rest I do not really know what they are except blogs which I might do, but I do not really feel interested in those eithers. I have a LinkedIn account and I like how it works and how easy it is to connect with people on it so I think it would be a great tool to use for this. And YouTube because it is fun and easy to use.