This document discusses the importance and benefits of personal learning networks (PLNs) in the digital age. It emphasizes that PLNs allow educators to collaborate, seek help and ideas, and continuously learn from others. The key aspects of building a strong PLN outlined are spending 20 minutes daily on social media to interact, follow education hashtags and discussions, and gradually become more engaged by commenting and asking questions over time. Twitter is highlighted as the backbone of many PLNs due to the vast education community and real-time discussions using hashtags. The document encourages sharing knowledge within one's PLN as much as gaining knowledge in order to strengthen connections and support a lifelong learning mindset.

1. PERSONAL LEARNING
NETWORKS IN THE AGE OF
CONNECTIVITY
Ayşin Alp

2. WHY PLN?

3. THE RISE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

4. USE SOCIAL MEDIA TO
MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

5. WHERE DO YOU GO FOR HELP...
FEEDBACK... IDEAS...
SUPPORT... INSPIRATION...?

6. THE POWER OF HUMAN
CONNECTION

7. USE SOCIAL MEDIA &
TECHNOLOGY TO...

8. COLLABORATION IS THE KEY

9. AS INDIVIDIUAL THINKERS WE
MAY BE GOOD, BUT
COLLECTIVELY WE ARE BETTER!

10. A PLN IS A MINDSET

11. BE A LEARNER FIRST,
EDUCATOR SECOND!
“If your school system hasn’t changed a
year from now, I get it… but if you haven’t
changed a year from now, you’re a failure.”
Will Richardson
http://safeshare.tv/v/ss571cf84084f87

12. HOW TO BUILD YOUR PLN
Spend 20 minutes a day interacting and collaborating:
• Read the guides on helping teachers build PLNs.
• Start a Twitter account that focuses on these
educators.
• Lurk online and read blogs, observe conversations,
trends, read, follow hashtags.
• When confident, interact, ask questions, add comments.
• Follow education chats such as #ELTchat or #Edchat.
• Attend free online webinars.
• Join and participate in education groups on Facebook,
Google+ , and Linkedin.

13. HOW TO EXPAND YOUR PLN
• Accept invitations to collaborate.
• Participate actively on social media to nurture and
develop relationships.
• Don’t forget that sharing is caring. Give as much as
you take.
• Curate your newly-found resources.
• Implement new ideas and strategies in your
classes.
• Share your knowledge and experience with your
network-everyone has a story to tell.

14. TWITTER: THE BACKBONE OF A PLN
“In 2015, if you’re not on Twitter, you
are becoming illiterate.” -George Couros

15. GIVE AN EDUCATOR A PD A DAY AND
YOU TEACH HIM FOR A DAY. SHOW AN
EDUCATOR TWITTER AND YOU
SUPPORT HIM FOR A LIFETIME.
Ross Cooper

17. THE #HASHTAG HAS BECOME A
LINGUISTIC SHORTCUT

18. HASHTAGIFY
OTHER HASHTAGS FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS:
#CLIL #Grammar #Idioms #IELTS #TOEFL #TOEIC
HASHTAGS FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS:
#Twinglish #EngPls #StudyEnglish #LearnEnglish
#LearnALanguage #vocabulary #SAT

19. USE TWEETCHAT TO PARTICIPATE IN A CHAT

20. Use TWIDUCATE with your students.
Use TWEETDECK to manage your account &
STORIFY to save your hashtag conversation.

21. OTHER PLATFORMS TO
EXPAND YOUR PLN
EdWeb The Educator’s PLN English Companion Ning
Clasroom2.0 Powerful Learning Practice Facebook in Ed.

22. CURATION & BOOKMARKING TOOLS
PINTEREST EDUCLIPPER LIVEBINDERS
https://tr.pinterest.com/shine58/
http://www.livebinders.com/play/play/34291
SCOOP.IT DIIGO FLIPBOARD FEEDLY
http://www.scoop.it/u/aysin-alp
Try Edshelf & Graphite to search for online
teaching tools & resources.

23. LEARNING OCCURS IN A VERY
PERSONAL MEANINGFUL WAY

24. THE POWER IN TODAY’S WORLD IS
NOT JUST THAT WE CAN CONSUME,
BUT WE CAN SHARE BACK

25. SCHOOLS SHOULD NO LONGER ACT
AS DISTRIBUTORS OF KNOWLEDGE

26. PD IS A LIFESTYLE, NOT AN EVENT!

27. Follow #BlendedLearning, #flipclass,
#flippedlearning, and #blendchat.
Check the Resources for ELT
Teachers and the Tools for Blended
Learning.

29. BE A CHANGE AGENT!