Benefits of a PLN

PLN: Professional/Personal Learning Network

PLNs are part of the new way of educating teachers and they provide a way for teachers to stay current in their field and to share information.  Unlike a school PLN, an online PLN allows teachers to select individual teachers they want to follow.  The internet allows individual teachers to follow those who teach the same subject/grade or are doing things they want to learn about.  If you are a music teacher, you can follow hundreds of other music teachers.  The same is true for every other grade and subject (technology, art, physical education, primary, secondary, library and administration.)  For those of us who work in small districts and are not surrounded by others who teach our same classes, Online PLNs provide a way to connect with others in our subject.

My Twitter journey started roughly nine months ago. In that time it has proven to be a valuable resource and it is often the first place I turn when I have a question. I have recently added Google+ and Google Hangouts to my PLN repertoire and similarity to Twitter it has proven to be a wonderful source of information.  The benefit of Google+ are there is no character limit and it allows for group video chat. Many of my teaching ideas and my entire list of Apps is due to interactions with my PLN on Twitter.

Why my Online PLN is vital for my success as a teacher...

1.  I am able to connect and interact with teachers who teach music-I have gained so much from conversations with other music teachers: lesson ideas, strategies, concert repertoire ideas and classroom ideas.  The weekly Musedchat is a highlight of my week.  This next year I am teaching a Media Class for the first time.  Twitter has allowed me to connect to teachers who teach a similar class and I have learned many ideas from them.

2.  I am able to connect and interact with teachers who use strategies and philosophies that I am interested in-Gamification is a new found interest and I have learned more about it thru Twitter then any other medium.

3.  I am able to connect and interact with teachers who use technology that I am interested in-Class Badges, Class Dojo, Edmodo, Reflector App and Apple TV are all products that I learned about thru Twitter.

4.  I am able to share ideas with others-sharing and learning are two great joys of life.  My eventual goal is to share as many ideas as I steal.  I have a lot of ground to make up, but my Online PLN has pushed me to focus on trying to produce great ideas.

5.  My PLN help keep me focused and motivated.  It is wonderful to have a group to celebrate successes with and to help me work through struggles.  They also set a clear definition of what being a great teacher looks like and keep me striving for excellence.