Personalized Learning Networks
What is a PLN
A PLN is a tool that uses social media and technology to collect, communicate, collaborate and create with connected colleagues anywhere at any time. Participating educators, worldwide, make requests and share resources. Each individual educator becomes a potential source of information.
AWARENESS
REFLECTION
SHARING
The Personal:
Having a PLN is about making connections and building personal relationships with teachers, school administrators, university professors, and experts around the world. No matter where you are in the world, there’s always someone online available to answer questions, share their expertise, and simply chat about what’s happening in their lives and classrooms.
The Learning:
Having a PLN is about sharing ideas and resources, collaboration, and learning. We may share our learning, ideas and expertise in different ways; using different media and tools, but the essence is the same, the PLN is simply the best professional development you will ever participate in – and it’s available 24/7.
The Network:
The defining feature of the PLN is that it is a global learning network, enabling people to tap into and share diverse, global perspectives on teaching strategies, educational issues, and technologies. It takes time and effort to build these connections, but it’s well worth the effort.
The badges below reflect your personal growth and professional development through online resources. Therefore, in order to receive these badge we would like you to:
* Experience the topic / tool (i.e twitter chat, Google hangout etc)
* Reflect on the tool, practice or topic discussed
* Share who you follow and why on this database so that other Medway Educators can contribute to the conversation and learn from you.
* Complete the Badge Submission Form
Evidence for these badges are screenshots of the tools being utilized by you.
Google Hangout
Google Hangout is a great way to communicate with colleagues. Use Hangouts to keep in touch, message friends, start free video or voice calls, and hop on a conversation with one person or a group.
In order to receive this badge you will need to participate in either a live or archived Google Hangout, reflect on its content, and share an archived or upcoming hangout.
Using Twitter
Educators on Twitter often discuss what’s working in their classrooms and how they’ve addressed important issues – much like you might with your peers. It has become the professional learning community you can use as a mirror, window, and sounding board for your daily practice as a teacher. If you use Twitter to post your classroom content, please see the Communication link under Instructional Practices. This badge is for when you use Twitter to discover best practices, and highlight innovative thinking about instruction.
In order to receive this badge you will need to have an educational Twitter account, post at least 3 tweets, follow at least 3 people, retweet, reflect on the content you are reading, and share your twitter account and 3 people you follow .
Twitter Chats
Twitter chats utilize a hashtag and focus on a particular education related topic. There are many different Twitter chats that take place on a weekly basis. You can participate in a Twitter chat as it's happening live by using its hashtag in your tweets or you can search the hashtag at a later time to see how the chat went.
In order to receive this badge you will need to participate in either a live or archived Twitter Chat, reflect on its content, and share an archived or upcoming Chat.
Blogs
In many cases, blogs are the entry point into building your PLN. There are blogs published on any topic that you can imagine. Finding the right ones can sometimes be a challenge. Blogs offer a fantastic platform to publish thoughts to a global audience for feedback and to create an ongoing dialogue with colleagues and peers.
In order to receive this badge you will need to follow at least two blogs, post a comment on one of them, reflect upon the content of the blogs you have read, and share an additional blog that you believe others would benefit from reading and why.
Google+
Google+ is a social networking platform integrated with your Google login and the Google Suite. The use of Google+ Communities focus on specific areas of interest for its users.
In order to receive this badge you will need to join a community that interests you, reflect on its content, and share an additional community that others may find interesting or helpful.
Facebook
Facebook Pages share all kinds of information and resources and some even ask important questions to stir a deep discussion among interested people. Users can like and follow specific pages or lists, which are collections of pages.
In order to receive this badge you will need to add an educational interest to your Facebook profile and like a specific educational Facebook page that interests you. In addition, you must reflect upon that educational topic in regards to why you chose it. Finally, you will share a particular educational page or interest that others may also find value.