Professional Learning Networks

Professional Learning Networks..... How can we use them as educators?

As an early childhood teacher, professional learning networks (PLNs) are very important to me. Wikipedia says, "A personal learning network is an informal learning network that consists of the people a learner interacts with and derives knowledge from in a personal learning environment. In a PLN, a person makes a connection with another person with the specific intent that some type of learning will occur because of that connection."( Wikipedia, January 19 2014)

Here are a few examples of some social media PLNs that are beneficial to educators.  

* Facebook

*Twitter

* Edmodo

These social media PLNs are the type that I prefer.  I feel more comfortable with these and can build on more than the information aggregation PLN.  

Here are a few examples of an information aggregation PLNs.

*blogs

*wikis

*websites

*podcasts

*digital bookmarking

*RSS reader (Freedly)

  I believe that great teachers share their wonderful ideas to other teachers for the betterment of the students involved. We all have to be in this together and we need to share information to help each other along. 

So basically to me a  PLN is nothing short of paying it forward.  I wanted to add a link to this YouTube video for a quick glimpse of paying it forward.