This document provides tips for teachers on how to build an online professional learning network (PLN) to connect with other educators and reduce isolation. It recommends starting by creating social media accounts, following relevant hashtags for live chats, joining online communities, and using tools like Voxer for more personal connections. Advice includes lurking at first, then contributing to discussions and sharing successes and challenges. Recommended online spaces and podcasts are listed to find passionate educators facing similar situations.

1. Connecting with the
World Wide Teacher’s
Lounge
Casey Nidlinger
7th Grade Science
Bluffton Harrison Middle School
Connect with me at:
Twitter: @caseynidlinger
google+: caseynidlinger
voxer: cnidli834

2. ~Dan Butler
“Being connected means developing
relationships with many through the use of tech
tools to enhance your work”

3. ~Nathan Lang
“A dynamic view of education. Doesn't view
our work as procedural, but as work that
requires continual revision and reflection”

4. ~Kyle Engdahl
“to be connected is to seek answers to
questions, find support from others, & build a
community to help and challenge yourself.

5. Teaching has often been
described as a lonely
profession.
Lack of connectivity with other
professionals leads to low efficacy, less
risk taking, low performance, burnout,
and high turnover.

6. People ask me
why I love my
PLN…….
Who are you
looking for???
• Passionate
• Like Minded
• Similar Endeavors
• Common Content

7. Where do I find these People?
How to get Started
Create an Account
Follow People
Follow Organizations
Lurk
Contribute

8. Where do I find these People?
#thehashtag
bit.ly/officialchatlist
#WeeklyChats
#edchat
#inelearn
#mathchat
#flipchat
#PBLchat
#PTchat
#edtech

9. Where do I find these People?
• Communities
• Best place to connect with groups of
educators.
• Circles
• Follow Bloggers and Network here
• Hangouts
• Connect Face to Face with your PLN
• Events
www.plus.google.com

10. Where do I find these People?

11. Where do I find these People?
Top Three Reasons I
Love Voxer
• Connect at a deeper more
personal level
• Voxer is anytime, anywhere!
• Best of twitter, email, and
voice mail all into one.
PD in your
pocket

12. Where do I find these People?
• You don’t have to disturb the person by calling them for something minor
• You don’t have to let the phone ring and then wait through their voicemail recording
• You don’t have to type anything out: perfect for leaving messages on the go
• You can hear each other’s tone (so tough with other social media!)
• You can share more than if you were typing—it takes 10 seconds to say it but 60 to type it
• You can get your whole thought out without being interrupted
• You can listen whenever it’s convenient: while driving, cleaning, exercising, etc.
• You can communicate so much more easily with a group: no more “reply all” email
threads!
• You talk only with people you know (& possibly their friends): it’s more intimate than FB/
Twitter
• You can be in constant connection without burying your face in your phone screen
Why Voxer is better than texting, PMing,
emailing, or calling

13. Where do I find these People?
PD in your
pocket Let’s hear a vox
• Create your free account on your phone.
• Upload a photo of yourself.
• Voxer automatically shows you a list of all your
contacts that have Voxer accounts already.
• Explore the app! The interface is pretty
straightforward. Experiment.
How to get started on Voxer

14. Where do I find these People?
Great PodCasts to Check Out
• The Google Educast
• EdTalk
• Techlandia
• TeacherTechTalk
• The Flipped Learning Network
• The Naked Scientist

15. How to Find the Right People- Start with the Basics
Three Twitter Users to Start Following
1. Sue Gorman @sjgorman
2. Todd Nesloney @techninjatodd
3. Joe Mazza @Joe_Mazza
Connect with one or two passionate educators on voxer. Share your Edu-trials
and Edu-wins with them.
Download a podcast and see if it fits your style.
Add some communities to your google + account.