This afternoon I had a wonderful opportunity to visit with Mike Mansour’s class of pre-service teachers. I shared many of the technology projects I have completed with my 3rd graders and answered a few questions. One question that came up and is very hard to answer is “How do you build your PLN?”
First of all, a PLN is a Personal Learning Network. I find Twitter to be an incredibly valuable tool for me as a teacher. I have been on Twitter since May 1st, 2007. This is my go-to site for finding the latest in education and technology.
I began Twitter by following @FatherRoderick who is a Dutch Catholic priest. I am a huge fan of his podcasts and all the podcasts of the SQPN network. I have learned a lot about my Catholic faith through this network.
Then, I started noticing that educators were joining Twitter. I started following @Scout7 who is a 2nd grade teacher at a Catholic school in Grand Rapids, MI. Once I looked at her classroom blog and wiki, I was hooked! I knew I could take all the new technology I have learned on Twitter and add them to my classroom.
I have also added people who attend the Nebraska technology conference. NETA is a wonderful organization and a great way to make connections. I even met my Twitter friend @SuzanneWhisler one year in a session, which lead her to Skype with my 3rd graders after she experienced an earthquake.
Following a hashtag is another good tool. I check out #edchat #titletalk and #edtech They have been helpful in finding new teachers for my PLN.
The newest way to build your PLN is to attend an EdCamp. That consists of many teachers getting together, on a Saturday, to share ideas. The best part is that it’s free! This past Saturday was EdCampKC. It was hosted by @KylePace A Twitter list was made of the attendees and can be found here.
Omaha’s EdCamp took place at UNO last March. The next one is set for March 24, 2012. You can find out more information here. @j_allen spearheaded the first EdCampOmaha and a list of attendees can be found here.
Best of luck to the newest teachers! Keep on learning. Professional Development is not only provided by your college or your employment, you can find it on Twitter.
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