PLN Showcase
Using Twitter to build your Personal Learning Network.
The Basics
What is a PLN?
A PLN is a Personal (or Professional) Learning Network. It is sometimes referred to as a Personal Learning Environment (PLE.) Most of my connections are within my own school and the district, but I do use social media to connect with friends and colleagues across the country. How/why do I develop a PLN?
There are several ways to develop a PLN. I started by sharing in professional conversations with teachers in my own school. When I joined twitter, I followed a few people in my district, then followed many of the people they were following. I quickly found an abundant network of really amazing educators who share ideas and challenge my beliefs on a regular basis. What it all means for me. I have regular conversations with other teachers and administrators who are convinced that twitter and Facebook have no educational value. Generally, I use Facebook for personal reasons, though I do have occasional professional conversations with friends who also work in education. Twitter however, has allowed me to connect, share and learn from educators and education experts from all over the country. I regularly learn from the people and lists I follow using twitter. I have participated in several #artsed chats, but haven't been available to join in the discussions for about a year. I have had some conversations with other users regarding their posts and enjoy sharing my work and ideas from time to time as well. Ultimately Web2.0 is about creating, sharing and collaborating. As I continue to build my knowledge of education practices and education technology I hope to be able to share and collaborate more with those who have so generously shared with me throughout my career. How do you use Twitter?
I'd love to hear from you about how you use twitter to build your own PLN, to share ideas, and to learn from others. Send me a message on twitter (@wardjhs) or leave me a comment using the form below.
Thanks for your time and for sharing. |
I created this video using GoAnimate. Join Mr. Dewmont and Ms. Blund as they learn more about how to grow their PLN using twitter.
Resources: NEW! Building a professional learning network on Twitter NEW! Educational Chats on Twitter (List by #chat and week day) Kathy Schrock's Guide to Twitter for Teachers Twitter for Teachers Wiki The Ultimate Twitter Guidebook for Teachers Some Tips For New Twitter Users.
Twitter Acronyms:
@: this goes directly before a twitter user's name. For example: @wardjhs. Don't leave a space between @ and the user name to send a public message to another twitter user. This format is automatically included when you reply to another user's tweet. D: If you want to send a private message, or direct message (DM) to another user, type D, leave a space and then type their user name (no @ symbol.) For example, D wardjhs. You can only send a direct message to a user who is following you. You can only receive direct messages from users you follow. RT: If you read something you like, you can retweet (RT) another user's post. Type RT, leave a space then add the twitter user's name with the @ symbol and copy or quote their tweet. For example, RT @wardjhs "Body of the message to be retweeted." #: Hashtags (#) are like the subject line of an email. Including one makes you part of a larger conversation. Typing the # symbol directly before another word or term creates a hashtag. For example #hashtag. These typically come at the end of a tweet, but they can also appear at the beginning of a tweet, or inline with the text. Be careful adding too many hashtags, as it can make the tweet difficult to read. Some great hashtags to follow for teachers are #edchat, #edtech, #csdedtech. An easier way to keep track of all of these acronyms is to use a twitter client. You can use the app that twitter makes for you mobile device, or another, third-party twitter client. My favorite twitter clients are: Tweetdeck: (I use this for my personal/professional twitter account.) Hootsuite: (I manage the JHS twitter and facebook pages with this.) Someone in my PLN recently shared this resource for Twitter acronyms: "Twitter Acronyms You Need to Know." Twitter in 60 Seconds |