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| My Professional Learning Network |
In 2008, I started building my Professional Learning Network (PLN) for a class in the Educational Technology M.A. program at San Diego State University. I used the now extinct version of Google Reader to collect and organize 5 blogs related to educational technology (e.g., FreeTech4Teachers). These blogs featured other popular blogs and the next thing I knew, I was following more than 50 blogs.
While working in a low-performing elementary school, I noticed that the laptop cart, classroom computers, and Interactive Whiteboards went unused. The teachers shared that they didn't know how to use these technologies as learning tools. So, I used my PLN to find websites, games, simulations, and other interactive technology resources for the teachers in my school. However, I became overwhelmed by the amount of tools available, so I developed the K-12 Tech Tools Database to start organizing the tools that I found by subject, grade level, and standard. Today, that site has more than 2,000 technology tools and resources and it has been viewed by more than 150,000 individuals in 140 countries worldwide.
The benefits of building a PLN did not stop there. When I entered graduate school to pursue a Ph.D. in Education at UCSB, I spent many nights staring at the ceiling hoping that my dissertation topic would magically pop into my head. Unfortunately, this strategy proved to be unsuccessful. Luckily, one day, in my Advances in Learning Sciences class, the professor lectured about the power of using technologies to connect and collaborate with individuals on a global scale. I realized that I was already doing that with my PLN. So I thought, “Why not do my dissertation on how teachers share knowledge with educators around the world using their PLN tools?"
I'm currently wrapping up my second to last chapter of my dissertation and can't believe how far my PLN has taken me.
I hope that in the spirit of Blogtoberfest, you venture out into the online world of social networking and start building your PLN. If you need ideas or resources, here’s a helpful tool to get you started: http://edpln.wikispaces.com
