PLN

= The aim of this page is to help you gain the skills to build your own personal learning network (PLN)! =

Personal Learning Networks (PLNs) are all about using web tools such as blogs, wiki, twitter, facebook to create connects with others which extend our learning, increases our reflection while enabling us to learn together as part of a global community. PLNs increase our opportunities to ask questions and receive help compared to our normal daily face-to-face interactions.

Best of a PLN is it's personal! You make all the choices:
 * 1) What tools you use!
 * 2) Who you connect with!
 * 3) How you want to learn!
 * 4) When you want to learn!

It's really important that you use these tools for your personal learning first before using them with your students so you gain greater understanding of how to use them effectively and to realize their importance for empowering personal learning! The idea of this site is to provide you with central location for resources and "how to" guides so that you can start building your own PLN. Remember as you use this information. Each of us has our own preference of what online tools works best for us.

Get started by working through the list of 5 top tools, in any order, to start [[image:suewaters/tools.jpg align="right" caption="tools.jpg"]]building your own PLN:

 * Set up your own Twitter Account
 * Start your own blog
 * Subscribe to blogs
 * Start using a Social Bookmarking tool
 * Join a Ning community


 * NOTE: ** The order of the tools in the list doesn't represent priority -- the idea is you // work through them in any order! //

As you work through the tools remember these( tips of advice from my PLN:
= = =What is a PLN? = A Personal Learning Network (PLN) is a group of people you count on to:
 * 1) Start slowly and find mentor(s) to help you.
 * 2) Use the same username across tools
 * 3) Share as much as you take
 * 4) Ask as much as you answer
 * 5) Try new TOOLS before you decide they're not worth the time
 * 6) Comment on other people's blogs
 * 7) Life long learning is the key!
 * guide you in your learning
 * be your source of advice and resources
 * make you aware of learning opportunities
 * share their best practices
 * point you to answers and support


 * This concept of a PLN has been around for many years. **
 * What has changed in recent years though is the reach, the size and the availability of that network. **

** The look of a PLN has changed. **
From to:
 * your colleagues in the building you work in
 * a cherished personal mentor
 * professional development opportunities offered sporadically throughout the year
 * conferences
 * college credit classes taken for re-certification
 * Blogs
 * RSS Readers
 * Twitter
 * Nings
 * Skype
 * Podcasts
 * Wikis

= ** PLN Priorities ** =

**If i had to do it all over again NOW, I would start in this order:**


 * **[|Twitter]** account - join and search the hashtages: #TLChat, #ISTE, #edtech, #edchat, #ISTE10, **#TeacherTuesday**
 * Wiki - [|FREE Wikispaces for Educators] ( first a professional development one then a learning one to use with kids - but don't register the wiki name with your school but with your own name- you may move schools and will want to take your work with you...)
 * Nings: [|Classroom2.0], [|TeacherLibrarian], [|ISTE Community],[| ISTE10], [|MSET]
 * EduBlog (either school, classroom, or professional)
 * Web Page (iWeb is easiest)


 * Look at this PLN wiki. It has a ton of great information! //This is one of the best Personal Learning Network resource sites I've seen//. **