20 Tips for Creating a Professional Learning Network - Getting Smart by Miriam Clifford. “20 Tips for Creating a Professional Learning Network” by Miriam Clifford first appeared on the InfomED blog. Networking is a prime form of 21st century learning. The world is much smaller thanks to technology. Learning is transforming into a globally collaborative enterprise. Take for example scientists; professional networks allow the scientific community to share discoveries much faster. Just this month, a tech news article showcased how Harvard scientists are considering that “sharing discoveries is more efficient and honorable than patenting them.”
This idea embodies the true spirit of a successful professional learning network: collaboration for its own sake. As educators, we aim to be connected to advance our craft. Learning networks are based on the theory of connectivism, or learning from diverse social webs. What are some ways to grow your PLN and improve the quality of your interactions? 10 Tips For Using PLN’s Keep the spirit of collaboration as your driving force. Forget Faculty Meetings. Building The Basics of Personalized Professional Learning (Part I) | EdSurge News. Personalization is hard--but not for the reasons that you may be thinking. Choosing the right content and software is daunting. Creating adaptive paths for learning is extremely complex.
Developing sets of competencies for your learners is an arduous task. But, none of these are the truly hard part. The hard part is understanding the “person” in personalization. So, let’s start by seeing the whole teacher or leader, the things that make someone truly unique and worth personalizing for. While this profile is important to identify, it is even more important to show that it is not static. Strengths Traditionally, as designers and facilitators of professional learning, we have not cared what a teacher is good at. There is a huge flaw in this logic. In any room of teachers, the sheer number of years of expertise is overwhelming. Sources: Student Performance DataTeacher Evaluation DataPeer feedbackSelf-Reporting/Self-Reflection Needs So let’s find solutions for teachers and leaders. Interests. A Step by Step Guide to Personalized Learning. How to Use Twitter to Grow Your PLN. For many people, Twitter conjures up the worst of the internet: disjointed, meaningless phrases, unrecognizable abbreviations, and endless drivel about where someone's getting their double mocha today.
So, Why Tweet?!?! For the inquisitive educator, there are some jewels herein that can lead to stimulating discussions, new resources, and an ongoing supportive network. You just have to know where to look. To that end, here is a list of educationally focused chats that we recommend (listed by day): Chat for educators teaching 4th grade #4thchat Mondays 8pm ET/5pm PT/7pm CT Chat for educators teaching social studies #sschat Mondays 7pm ET/4pm PT/6pm CT Chat for music educators #musedchat Mondays 8pm ET/5pm PT Chat for ELL educators #ellchat Mondays 9pm ET/6pm PT Kindergarten Chat #kinderchat Mondays 9pm ET/6pm PT General education chat #edchat Tuesdays 12 noon ET/ 9am PT 7pm ET/4pm PT Chat for science educators #scichat Tuesdays 9pm ET/6pm PT Chat for arts educators #artsed Thursdays 7pm ET/4pm PT.
Can Twitter Replace Traditional Professional Development?