So, you’ve heard that personal learning networks (PLN) are a good thing.
But, what are they?
How do they work?
How do I join one?
All good questions. If you are just getting started then you have identified some common questions and seem ready to begin.
Let’s start with one little social networking site. Twitter.
Twitter is an amazing tool. Used properly you have and endless stream of fantastic, free professional development and opportunities for networking streamed to you.
Example
A friend tweeted the link to this leadership piece. I opened it. Read it. Sent it to someone else. Now I will follow this guy and benefit from his thoughts and shared thoughts of others he “retweets” (sends on) in the future. I have taken it a little further by now linking his article into this blog post. He will be notified of this “ping back” and may check out my blog, comment on it, follow me on Twitter or retweet this to promote himself, simultaneously promoting me. Either way…
I have learned, shared and made connections to other educators. This is what PLN are all about.
The scary thing is that it NEVER STOPS COMING! Neither does my own demise but I don’t keep this happy little fact at the front of my thoughts. Having it there, however, I can turn on the faucet to check in when I feel the need.
More food for thought had by considering:
- Starting a blog to share
- Commenting on other people’s blogs (start relationships while you learn)
It’s easy to get started. Once you have a few people who seem inclined to tweet on topics you are interested in:
- Check out who they are following
- Follow them too
People who you follow are likely to follow you. I went nuts one day and spent some time doing this. I added likely 200 people to my “follow” list and about 80 returned the favor, doubling my followers.
I then tweeted a blog post, a YouTube link promoting my ICT Integration site, and the link to the site and had my best “hits” day for some time as a result of my new audience.
If you found this post helpful, you have an obligation to “retweet” (RT) it to your followers to help them out. (Alright maybe an obligation is overstating it but it is a good idea.)
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Hey, check out my twitter feed RIGHT HERE ON THIS VERY PAGE. And follow me. I want to learn from you.
Check out my Tweetmap
I was so skeptical about Twitter, but I have gotten so much from it. I have gone to conferences and found myself with loads of people I know in a virtual context. I have been able to ask for help and be given help in return. So Kyoto is no distance to… let’s keep learning together.
Done! Keep in touch.
Thanks Zoe,
I would like that. My earliest blog posts used to refer to “stupid Twitter” but, having started to feel I was getting it, I knocked off this post in the hopes it might encourage someone else out there just getting started.
I’ll be seeing you around the “Twitter fire.”
Keep doing great things.