(c) gcbb via Flickr
Personal Learning Networks are all the rage at the moment. As with a lot of “modern” things, they’re existed for a long time but have now got a snappy new name. It used to be called “advice from friends and colleagues”. But in the era of social media the word friend has taken on a new meaning. Social media has provided me with a lot of friends who I’ve never met and never spoken to. I’ve exchanged a few tweets with them, commented on or received comments on a blog article, or maybe read a few forum posts, and as a result these people are, in Web 2.0-speak, friends.
A PLN can take advantage of lots of different services – Facebook is perhaps the best-known, Ning is also very popular and offers The Educator’s PLN, but there are lots of others, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Of all the available services, the one I find the most fascinating (and the most useful) is Twitter. One of the most interesting things I learned about Twitter before I even tried it was that it is like Marmite. It polarises.
I’m constantly amazed at how many people feel the need to criticise Twitter - it’s superficial, it’s useless, it’s boring, you can’t say anything useful in 140 characters, and so on… Never one to be influenced by the crowd, I signed up.
I’ll start with the conclusion. I have found more resources and got more useful advice for professional development in 3 months on Twitter than in the previous 5 years without it. I’ll go further. The more I use it, the more useful it gets. David Carr, writing in the New York Times has written an excellent article describing the growing impact of Twitter and explaining why it is set to become part of the infrastructure of the Internet.
You want examples? No problem! The first thing is that there are some very well known experts out there on Twitter and they are not posting about a latte machiato in Starbucks, they are providing links and opinions on bleeding edge research. New developments and products appear there immediately and feedback appears almost as quickly. Advice on new software and internet services appears within hours (sometimes minutes) of release. If you’re interested in what’s new in your field, then Twitter is a great place to start.
A couple of months ago I had to stand in for a colleague doing a keynote speech at approximately 12 hours’ notice (of which 8 had been planned for sleep!). It wasn’t a subject that I’m completely comfortable with, but 1 post on Twitter helped enormously. I asked for links on the subject and got half a dozen answers, including 2 from university professors, within an hour. By the time I got to my hotel I had enough background information to put the speech together. I even managed to get 6 of the planned 8 hours sleep.
When it comes to finding a tool to get a job done Twitter is without equal – Prezi, Animoto, Wallwisher, Glogster Edu, Dropbox – I got the tip about all of them first on Twitter, and all of them have made a positive impact on my teaching ability. Sure there are other ways of finding out about these great tools, but do you really want to sift through dozens of blogs to get at the real nuggets of information? Twitter users do for you, for free.
Ah yes, I can hear the swell of muttering, “I haven’t got time for this.” The argument about lack of time is one I hear constantly when it comes to taking on something new or making a change. It’s an easy line to spit out and oddly enough lots of people accept it as an excuse, because the truth of the matter is that time is not the issue here. Very few people are so busy that they haven’t got time to do something else – the real reason is that it’s not important enough to them. It’s OK, as long as they’re honest about it.
So, either you’ve been honest with yourself and stopped reading because it’s not important enough for you, or you’re still with me and want a few more ideas. Actually, I’m just going to give you 2, and they’re closely related to each other.
If you’re looking to integrate the Internet into your teaching, then your first port of call on Twitter is #edtech. The link will take you directly to a real-time search of posts about educational technology. The hashtag (#) is used by Twitter as a filter and will take you directly to current posts about that topic – #FB takes you to Facebook posts, #moodle shows you what’s going on in the Moodle world, and so on…
But the jewel in Twitter’s crown for educators is #edchat. This is a ready-made personal learning network of knowledgeable and motivated people from all over the world who regularly exchange ideas and information via Twitter. Check it out any time, but if you really want to experience the value of this fantastic idea, have a look at it on Tuesdays at 6pm Central European Time and at 7pm Eastern Standard Time. For 1 hour at those times users talk about a given subject chosen by a majority vote of #edchat users. Parents, teachers, administrators and anyone else who is interested in education join in the discussion. Just watching the threads develop at these times will give you an idea of the huge breadth of experience available to those who are prepared to listen. You don’t have to take my word for it – #edchat won the award you see on the right here as the most influential Twitter discussion in 2009. In the video below Shelly Terrell (@ShellTerrell), one of the prime movers in #edchat, gives her views on the benefits of getting involved.
So do you need Twitter to be a good teacher? Of course not. There are plenty of great teachers out there who don’t use Twitter. But one thing is for sure – Twitter is an easy way to become much more involved in what’s going on in the teaching world, and it’s a totally effective way to get help and support in your own personal development. And if personal development isn’t interesting for you, just what the hell are you doing reading this????
Have a great 2010!
What's New In The World?
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Dodie Ainslie, Olaf Elch. Olaf Elch said: Just blogged about #edchat and the value of Twitter as a PLN http://bit.ly/6UqzWS Feedback is, as always, welcome! [...]
Social comments and analytics for this post…
This post was mentioned on Twitter by olafelch: Just blogged about #edchat and the value of Twitter as a PLN http://bit.ly/6UqzWS Feedback is, as always, welcome!…
I have been on Twitter for 3 months and I find what you say about educational resources very try. Thanks for an excellent article.
[...] See the original post: Twitter as a Personal Learning Network (PLN) | What's New in the … [...]
As with anything, Twitter is what you make of it. I also get many ideas/resources. Does it take time? Yes! But in the end it saves me time. I continually find more efficient ways of doing things and can accomplish more. Finally, without Twitter I would never known about your excellent post!
[...] post: Twitter as a Personal Learning Network (PLN) | What's New in the … By admin | category: Uncategorized | tags: bingham, coming, economy-most, learning, [...]
[...] the rest here: Twitter as a Personal Learning Network (PLN) | What's New in the … Categories: Object, Personal Development Tags: easy-way, first-link, motivation, one-thing, [...]
I have been using twitter for a very short time now and I couldn’t agree more with your post… good stuff!
Your highlighted conclusion cuts right to the heart of the matter. Your experience matches my journey from skepticism to convert. Twitter is currently the means through which I get most of what is useful on line. Some of which I would not even know existed except for the wonderfully clever people I follow. (I am thankful for all of them and their work.)
Great post! The people who criticise Twitter either don’t use it or aren’t using it to its best advantage. I too, have learnt so much from the educators I follow on Twitter. It is a valuable professional development tool for me.
Wow! You have done a great job sharing about twitter and its impact. I totally agree! Thank you!
I have been teaching 37 years. Whenever I go to a workshop or professional development session I am motivated and energized. That is how I feel now on a daily basis since I have started following other educators on Twitter. I have learned so much. Thank you Twitter and my PLN.
Thanks for all the positive comments about Twitter. You’ve given me a lot to think about, and, although I use the platform sparingly, I’m going to try to find more time (as you suggest) to tweet more and read more. I’m working for one of the education Comprehensive Centers, doing research and writing. So, I’ll try to share some of what I’m finding each day. There’s a huge world of research out there, for sure!
“I have found more resources and got more useful advice for professional development in 3 months on Twitter than in the previous 5 years without it.” This has been my exact experience, and I’ll take it a step further and add that I’ve learned more in a month on Twitter, and #edchat than I learned during an entire semester of some of my teachers’ prep courses (which I really enjoyed and got lots from!). I’m thrilled to have discovered this resource and share it with everyone I know. Thanks for writing!
[...] Original post: Twitter as a Personal Learning Network (PLN) | What's New in the … [...]
Thanks for your kind comments, Melissa. I wish I could get some of my colleagues to try it for a month, but they mostly fit into the “too busy” category.
Hope to see you sometime on #edchat.
Real experiences always make an interesting read. I look forward to your posts.
Thanks for your comments Jeffrey. As you say, using what you learned to work smarter is the key. Too many people see it as just more work.
I remember a headmaster who, on getting lots of passive resistance to new initiatives, said that the teachers had to decide what sort of school they wanted to work in. Sadly, too many weren’t really interested and he left the system.
[...] Twitter as a PLN (100104) “One of the most interesting things I learned about Twitter before I even tried it was that it is like Marmite. It polarises.” [...]
[...] 7 Likes 50 Plus Ideas for Using Document Cameras in the Classroom 7 Likes Twitter as a Personal Learning Network (PLN) | What's New in the World? Is Twitter just for mindless chat? Or is there a serious use for it? As a Personal Learning [...]
You did a great job of capturing the essence of a Personal Learning Network.This Blog Post will be shared on The Educator’s PLN, because that is what it does, providing educators with useful information to advance learning.http://edupln.ning.com. I also offer a detailed explanation of #edchat. http://tomwhitby.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?action=edit&post=86. Thanks, for so thoughtfully, and eloquently expressing the best uses of social media for an educator’s professional development.
I agree with you. I have learned so much from my PLN, especially since the professional development budget got cut. A PLN is an invaluable resource.
Here are tips on how to get started with a PLN: http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2009/11/creating-personal-learning-network-pln.html
[...] of Classroom 2.0 and have already posted a question to the discussion board. And after reading Twitter as a PLN, I am actually considering getting a Twitter account, something that I have long refused to [...]
[...] “Twitter as a personal learning reference.” What’s New in the World? Retrieved March 10, 2010 from http://whatsnewintheworld.net/2010/01/twitter-as-a-pln/ [...]
[...] Participating in global learning communities I am not a twitter user and till today I didn’t feel any need to that network tool. However the articles and web pages posted by Dr Wicks has convinced me to be a Twitter user. For instance, the following article provides helpful information about twitter as a personal learning network (PLN). http://whatsnewintheworld.net/2010/01/twitter-as-a-pln/ [...]
[...] http://whatsnewintheworld.net/2010/01/twitter-as-a-pln/ (2010). Published in: [...]
Olaf,
Your blog is very well-written. I love your points and how it clearly makes the case for the use of Twitter to grow your PLN.
I just posted a link to your blog in our PLN community group and will be curious to hear their thoughts. http://www.edutopia.org/groups/professional-developmentpersonal-learning-network/6963?page=2#comment-80307
Cheers!
Elana
[...] front cover of school newsletters that are sent out electronically each week. 7. Twitter as a PLN http://whatsnewintheworld.net/2010/01/twitter-as-a-pln/comment-page-1/#comment-1599 Expanding your PLN http://www.edutopia.org/blog/twitter-expanding-pln 8. Effective searching [...]
[...] Twitter than in the previous 5 years without it.” ( from the article Twitter as a PLN found here [...]
[...] PLN: Your Personal Learning Network Made Easy Building Your Personal Learning Network Twitter as a PLN This entry was posted in PLN. Bookmark the permalink. ← Bloggin like it’s [...]
[...] http://whatsnewintheworld.net/2010/01/twitter-as-a-pln/ [...]
[...] http://whatsnewintheworld.net/2010/01/twitter-as-a-pln/ [...]
[...] about others and growing their network in the process. In addition, people are now able to even have their network extend to people they do not even know personally, as the information that is passed through these internet networks at any given moment far [...]
[...] [4] http://whatsnewintheworld.net/2010/01/twitter-as-a-pln/ [...]
[...] Twitter as a PLN [...]
[...] http://whatsnewintheworld.net/2010/01/twitter-as-a-pln/ [...]
Dear [contact name],
I really appreciate your collection of information for teachers on the What’s New in the World? website, http://whatsnewintheworld.net/. I appreciate your comments on the advantages and disadvantages or using various online resources and sharing your expertise with others.
One thing I have found invaluable in my journey to learning more about education is the PLN (Personal Learning Network) available to every teacher on Twitter. They have a lot of conversations on different topics every week and it is great to listen in and participate.
There are a few other conversations that I have found helpful as well for different areas of education so I made a widget that would combine them all, http://www.guidetoonlineschools.com/online-teaching/widgets. It would be a useful widget to post on your page so you and your readers can view up-to-the-second conversations that teachers are having without needing to leave your website.
I tried to make it as easy as possible to install the widget. You just copy the code from right below the widget and paste it onto your website. Let me know if you have any issues with the installation or feedback on the widget.
Sincerely,
Nathan Grimm
SR Education Group – Program Manager
nathan@sreducationgroup.org
Follow me @n8ngrimm
(425) 605-8898
123 Lake Street South Suite B-1
[...] Twitter as a Personal Learning Network [...]