Faculty Presentation 2010

1. Developing A Personal Learning
Network – (PLN)

2. We would all like more
professional development.
What‟s stopping us?

3. Time?

4. Travel?

5. Money?

6. What if there was a way to:
 Get professional advice immediately
from experts and colleagues who
have faced similar challenges?

7. What if there was a way to:
 Obtain access to free resources that
you could use in your classroom?

8. What if there was a way to:
 Help other educators improve?

9. What if there was a way to:
 Engage in pedagogical discussions
with a wide variety of educators?

10. And, what if this:
 Was constantly available to you
whenever you wanted it?

11. And, what if this:
 Was also available wherever you
were?

12. And, what if this:
 Was free?

13. That is the power of a PLN.

14. So, what is a PLN anyway?

15. PLNs have been described as providing:
“Professional Development 24/7”
“Looking beyond the borders of our campus – Global
reach and global perspectives”
“Advice from experts in the field”
“Links to free classroom resources”
“Immediate solutions to problems”

16. But in essence, PLNs are an
online evolution of an old idea:
Asking a colleague for advice and
providing advice to colleagues when
you have a solution.

17. A comparison of the old and the new.

18. So why can’t we just share ideas
with each other right here?

19. Why settle for a small island of
resources…

20. When you can have the world!

21. So how do you get started?
 Easiest way is to sign up for a Twitter
account. (Free!)
http://www.twitter.com
 Fill out your profile information.
 Find some people to follow… *Don‟t follow
the “interesting” people suggested by
Twitter.
 When you feel comfortable, introduce
yourself and add your thoughts.

22. Why Twitter?
 Easy to use.
 Third party apps such as Tweetdeck allow
a separate desktop window so you can
use your browser for other sites.
 Can be used on smartphones via other
free apps. (Tweetcaster, Motoblur).
 Large community of educators.
 Ability to post links to more detailed
information.
 Can be used as communication platform
with students and parents.

23. A few tips*:
– Find people using a Profile Search
http://twitter.com/invitations/find_on_twitter
– Put some relevant and interesting information in your profile.
– Share and share alike.
– Use URL shortening service.
– Look at people who follow someone in your network.
– Don‟t be afraid to „block‟ people who you don‟t think you want
following you.
– Don‟t worry about numbers.
– Use #Hashtags.
– Do more than just tweet about yourself.
– Be polite.
– Widen your network.
*From:http://www.dontwasteyourtime.co.uk/twitter/twitter-tips-for-teachers-educators-2/

24. And a few more*…
 Don‟t judge Twitter until you‟ve spent some time with it. Try to understand
what it is by what it is doing. Work out your purpose, find others with a similar
purpose, and follow them. The rest, as they say, will be history.
 You Tweet to everyone; not just your current followers, but their followers,
and all future ones too.
 Be careful who you follow, and who follows you.
 “… remember that Twitter is about „small pieces loosely joined‟, which is really
how the world works in real life … the more connections you make, the more
likelihood you have of these „small pieces loosely joined‟ actually leading you
into things that you never knew you wanted and that you never, ever could have
predicted. That‟s what Twitter does.”
* http://www.dontwasteyourtime.co.uk/twitter/rt-betchaboy-twitter-is-messy-elearning/#ixzz0xOJwFUvc

25. “I think the fact that following in Twitter
is asymmetrical, whereas friending in
Facebook is symmetrical is a key
difference.” from @derekbruff on Twitter.

26. A few posts from my PLN:
And the content it leads to:

27. And an example of the sharing and problem
solving that occurs.

28. Further reading:
 Tips
http://www.dontwasteyourtime.co.uk/twitter/twitter-tips-for-
teachers-educators-2/
 Calculus Wars feed – An interesting class project
http://www.slideshare.net/wyandersen/the-calculus-
tweetwars-3790755?from=ss_embed
 Twitter in Academia
http://strategicplanner.wordpress.com/2009/04/28/twitter-a-
tool-for-academia-to-connect-share-and-grow-relationships/