Comments on: Personal Learning Network Thoughts…

By: Langwitches Blog » So, You Want to be Followed?

Langwitches Blog » So, You Want to be Followed? — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 01:01:54 +0000

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By: M Dahms

M Dahms — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 02:57:36 +0000

Our new teacher registration process requires us to complete a certain amount of professional development, yet does not allow teachers to partake in this development through their PLN or their own professional reading – at this point in time, at least around where I am, there is still too much of a focus on ‘real life’ Professional development, rather than using that time, money and energy to allow teachers to learn from the world at large.

Without PLNs being acknowledged properly, we cannot require teachers to foster them

By: Langwitches

Langwitches — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 02:47:00 +0000

@Will
I agree with you that networked learning should be part of every school culture. Realistically… I would even be happy if ANY kind of continued learning from the part of EVERY teachers would be present in a school culture.
The point I was trying to make though was about building AND maintaining a PLN which allows for bringing in experts, dissemination and receiving feedback from connections, takes (a lot of) time. I LOVE to spend MY time blogging, tweeting and building professional connections around the world, but… can it be expected from everybody else too? There are fabulous teachers out there with completely different talents and interests that I have. Can I expect them to stop spending their time pursuing their interests and specialties in order to blog, tweet and grow a PLN? There are only so many hours in the day. All of us can’t have the same interests and be enthusiastic about the same things.
I share your fear that teachers might pass on personal responsibility to a resource person instead of getting involved themselves.
I wrote about that same worry in “Interested? Supported? Let’ Move on to Taking the Reins” a few weeks ago.
My questions still remains… If there is at least one person at a school who takes the responsibility… without having a full teaching load…of creating a school learning network… a person who has the skill, the motivation and is “literate” in moving around these learning network platforms… can at least more students benefit from/through the advantages a PLN can offer?

By: ethnicomm

ethnicomm — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 14:03:04 +0000

Here is yet another resource: Twitter for Educators (basics and PLN)

http://www.slideshare.net/Bhupesh/twitter-for-educators-2344887

By: Langwitches

Langwitches — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 15:01:05 +0000

@Nancy
Thank you for the link to Stephen Downe’s presentation. Another great resource for Twitter newbies and other educators just getting started with their PLN.

By: Nancy Stuewe

Nancy Stuewe — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:17:52 +0000

I am very glad to be a participant in your network. Here something I wrote a while ago on the topic. It has a link to something Stephen Downes said that you may be interested in.
http://doctoralconversation.blogspot.com/search/label/Professional_Learning_Networks

By: Will Richardson

Will Richardson — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:13:35 +0000

So, since you asked… ;0)

I think it is realistic to ask this of every teacher. More, I wonder if networked learning shouldn’t simply be a part of the school culture, the way we do our business in general rather than a position. Somehow, we’re going to have to make it a seamless part of the curriculum, one that every teacher practices and models. And, we’re going to have to prepare teachers differently, obviously. While it might be good to have a resource person along those lines, my fear would be that we’d pass on the personal responsibility of figuring this stuff out to that person.

By: Jerry Blumengarten - Cybrary Man

Jerry Blumengarten - Cybrary Man — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 03:12:18 +0000

I like your idea to have one person in every school create a SLN (School Learning Network). My website, Cybrary Man’s Educational Web Sites which originally started as a Middle School Library site ten years ago, served a similar purpose. I gathered educational sites in all subject areas for the students, parents and teachers in my school. Teachers were so busy that they did not have the time to do that. I originally had on each subject page the call letters and titles of the books that I had on that area of study.

To me a PLN is a teacher’s personal Professional Development network.

By: h011y

h011y — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 02:20:21 +0000

I’ve followed your Tweets for about a year and always find new ideas and outlooks! Thank you! The edtech PLN on Twitter is indispensable to me at this point, though being a West Coaster, I do wonder if my 9+ PM tweets can be helpful to others. So, I’m trying something new out here – a PLN of local K-8 tech teachers with introductory face 2 face opportunities! Our local teacher development center, BATDC, is hosting two full days for interested folks to gather in my lab to meet each other and develop curricular projects. Can’t even express how excited I am to see what we can do together! Part of my work with the group will be to encourage continuation of our mutual support through social networking. A PLN that feels like home?

By: vbek

vbek — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 01:40:26 +0000

Great post! Here is a ning devoted to sharing exemplary stories and questions related to personal learning networks within an educational setting – http://studentpln.ning.com/