Personal Learning Network (PLN) for Teachers: Start Building Your PLN

A personal learning network or PLN is a community a learner like you constructs to support learning. The theory behind personal learning network is that of connectivism — learning does not only occur solely on the learner but also occurs through a connection between the learner and outside sources like fellow learners or devices. According to George Siemens’ paper “Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age,” the principles of connectivism are:

• Learning and knowledge rests in diversity of opinions.

• Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources.

• Learning may reside in non-human appliances.

• Capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known

• Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual learning.

• Ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is a core skill.

• Currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is the intent of all connectivist learning activities.

• Decision-making is a learning process.

More and more teachers the world over are connecting with experts and peers alike to expand their professional learning network or PLN.

Creating your personal learning network entails some changes in understanding of continual professional development and requires learning some new skillss. The following tips will help you develop the mindset and the skills for successfully starting a PLN.

• Accept that you have more to learn. Maybe you’ve been teaching for more than a decade already. You already have a fixed education philosophy and teaching strategies and techniques. Or maybe you’re a fresh graduate with the standards and instructions from your alma mater still ringing in your ears. No matter how little or how much education and experience you have, maintaining your desire to learn more and learn something new will help you stay on top of the game. Teaching philosophies, learning theories and pedagogical strategies change. Having a personal learning network will help you keep abreast with these changes. Learning how to use social media to connect with your fellow teachers helps, too.
• Look at the person beside you. Your personal network should start right in your own backyard. Your co-teachers, your department head, and even the school principal can all be the first members of your PLN. Having them in your network is important since they share your specific concerns about students, teaching materials and school environment. Even if you have regular department and faculty meetings, establishing your PLN at your own school helps you have an even closer professional rapport with your colleagues. You can talk to them about teaching strategies for a particular subject or section, over coffee if you will.
• Go out of your shell. In the classroom, you’re on your own in delivering the lesson, putting up visual aids and in dealing with the not-so-cooperative students. But this doesn’t mean you have to take on teaching on your own. Aside from seeking the help of your fellow teachers at your school, learning from teachers from other schools — and even other countries — is also insightful and rewarding. So go out of your shell whenever you have an opportunity to meet a fellow mentor. Don’t be shy to approach the guest speaker who inspired you during the graduation rites. At contests, instead of sending nasty looks at the coach of the three-time champion, send graces and a business card instead. You can also check out the Internet for websites and online communities for teachers.
• Embrace technology. Whether you like it or not, wired and wireless gadgets are here to stay. Your school may already have computers and projectors for your use in teaching, but do you have access to technology for your personal use? If you already have a mobile phone, you already have a means to connect with your personal learning network. Why not send an SOS SMS to that professor you met at a conference? A personal computer with internet access is, of course, the best way to cultivate a healthy professional network in this digital age. There are a lot of digital tools and social media for personal learning networks.