MAKE CONNECTIONS!Increase Your Professional Learning Network with Technology

Session 332

Alabama Educational Technology Conference 2013

Your Hosts• Dr. Reenay Rogers

Assistant Professor

Educational Research & Instructional TechnologyDepartment of Instructional Leadership & SupportThe University of West Alabama

• Dr. Susan Cordell, NBCT

Assistant Professor

Library Media & Educational ResearchDepartment of Instructional Leadership & SupportThe University of West Alabama

Are you a member of a network? Probably!Do you routinely use. . .

• Facebook?• Twitter?• Skype?• Facetime?• Email?• Text?

No? Do you. . .• Talk on the telephone?• Chat in the hallway, lounge or at ballgames?• Help teachers find things?• Collaborate on lesson planning?• Watch/share the daily news?• Talk in your sleep?• Sing in the shower?

Congratulations!• You have what it

takes to join a Professional Learning Network (PLN)!

• Now, if only you had the time. . .

What is a professional learning network?

www.resourcebce.wordpress.com

How does this PLN thing work?

www.synchronized-sleeping-impactlab.net

PLN: Can I really manage this?

www.edublogs.com

How does Debbie do it?

www.deborahschepp.wordpress.com

Where do I find a PLN?

It’s easier than finding Waldo!www.whereswaldo.com

PLNs come in many forms.

Blog

“a Web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks provided by the writer”

Merriam-Webster Online

Educational Blogs• Educators can use blogs to network with colleagues, find

resources, showcase their classrooms, and more.

www.educatorstechnology.com

General Education Blogs• Edudemic- provides innovative ideas for using social

media http://www.edudemic.com/• The Innovative Educator- ht

tp://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/• Technology Blog for Teachers-

http://www.freetech4teachers.com/

http://thespian70.blogspot.com/

Educator Blogs• Special Ed Blog

http://digitalanthology.blogspot.com/

http://specialedlaw.blogs.com/• Library Media Specialists

http://blog.cathyjonelson.com/

http://www.trycuriosity.com/

http://theunquietlibrarian.wordpress.com/

Educator Blogs• Primary Grade Blog

http://theorganizedclassroomblog.com/

http://mscassidysclass.edublogs.org• Principal’s Blog

http://lynhilt.com/• Science Blog

http://www.sciencefix.com/

http://scienceblog.com/• Math Blog

http://blog.hoodamath.com/

Educator Blogs• Language Arts Blog

http://interactivelanguagearts.com/• U.S. History Blog

http://ushistoryeducatorblog.blogspot.com/• World History Blog

http://worldhistoryeducatorsblog.blogspot.com/• Art Teachers Blog

http://www.theartofed.com/

Get Started Blogging!• Create your own educational blog

Get Started with EduBlog! • http://edublogs.org/curriculum-corner-class-blogs/

Wiki

“a web site that allows anyone to add, delete, or revise content by using a web browser” (Dictionary.com)

http://cyber-kap.blogspot.com/2011/05/top-10-sites-for-creating-wiki.html

Educational Wikis

Educators are using wikis to post lesson plans, resources, etc. Take advantage of the free resources available.

Extensive list of education Wikis found here:• http://educationalwikis.wikispaces.com/Examples+of+edu

cational+wikis

Network with Twitter• Use Twitter to collaborate or learn from educators around

the world• @We Are Teachers-teacher social network• @TeachHub- K-12 teacher resource• @Edutopia- Educational resource• #Educhat:

http://thecleversheep.blogspot.com/2009/03/launch-of-educhat.html

How to Get Started with Twitter?• Twitter for Librarians:

http://oedb.org/ilibrarian/a-guide-to-twitter-in-libraries/• Twitter Guide for Teachers:

http://www.edudemic.com/2010/06/the-ultimate-twitter-guidebook/

Facebook

Use the most popular social media to network!Education Facebook Groups:• Educators Using Facebook• Teachers Sharing Ideas and Resources

for the Classroom• Educators Network• Five Ways to Make Facebook Work for T

eachers

Other…• Edmodo- allows teachers to collaborate, send notes, post

assignments, conduct polls, etc. in a safe environment http://www.edmodo.com/

• Special Interest Groups (SIGS)- http://www.iste.org/connect/special-interest-groups

Why join professional learning networks?

• For personal and social growth• For professional growth• To access the expertise of others• To provide your expertise to others• To share issues and solve problems together• To stay abreast of current trends and issues• To collaborate and play well with your colleagues• To improve your teaching• To embrace all the new technologies your students

already know, and use them to their benefit• To be cool!

Who needs a PLN?

Actually, who doesn’t?

Who ultimately benefits?

Let’s review. . .

•  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6O4ewycXF0

Now go out and make connections with your own PLN!

www.mymedialabs.com