Blog Post #5

Before this class, I had never heard of a PLN, or Personal Learning Network. Now I see how helpful they can really be, especially for us as teachers. PLNs are made up of people and tools that you can look for when you need help with something. They can be accessed through Facebook, Twitter, or blogs. Once you find a topic that you are interested in, you can then find other people who have the same interests as you. Following them on social media, like Twitter, is a good way to keep up with them as well. From there, what you do with your PLN is up to you. You can observe what others are talking about and provide your own input on the topic being discussed. As teachers, we can use PLNs for many things. If you need inspiration on how to decorate your classroom, you can go on Pinterest and get a ton of ideas. If you or one of your students has a question about something that you do not know the answer to, you can ask teachers and experts from around the world. With PLNs, the possibilities are endless. To build my own PLN, I will first follow educational accounts on Twitter. I also plan on keeping in touch with my former high school teachers. I will also look to my fellow classmates when I need advice on something. I am glad we learned about PLNs in EDM 310. They seem very helpful and I cannot wait to use mine in the future.