Category: PLN

Networked Community, PLN

Tools to Help Grow Your PLN

Laura Pasquini

I just shared with you my thoughts about my PLN and how I have come to value this learning network. Now let me share with you some helpful tools and resources to help grow YOUR network.

Today @julieclarsen & I will be presenting to a group of advisors at the 14th Annual UTAAA Conference at University of Texas Arlington campus. This session is designed to go beyond the introduction of social media resources, and demonstrate how you can effectively incorporate them into your own professional development plan, build a learning network and support others in your professional community. Enjoy and pass it on to others seeking ideas for PD.

Do you have other ways you grow your PLN for professional development? Please share.

Learning Community, Networked Practice, PLE, PLN

Personal Learning Environments (PLEs) & Personal Learning Networks (PLNs)

Laura Pasquini

Personal Learning Environments (PLEs) & Personal Learning Networks (PLNs) are a forced to be reckoned with as technology becomes more accessible and user-friendly.

pler

On October 13-16, 2009, the online symposium on learning-centric technology shared ideas on how PLEs & PLNs are impacting the educational technology field. Here’s a bit more from the symposium organizer’s George Siemens & Stephen Downes:

The interest in Personal Learning Environments has grown with the emergence of Web2.0 technologies. Learning technologists can see how PLEs can help learners to organize their own personal learning, rather than that formal education institutions control the technologies that are being used and the way in which they are being used. Speakers will include developers and researchers of PLEs. All events will be hosted in Elluminate and recorded for archives. A discussion forum will be hosted in Moodle for asynchronous interactions.

Although I was working during the scheduled speakers, I managed to read posted materials and listen to the one of the recorded sessions . There are a wealth of great experiences & ideas archived online, and I hope to listen/learn more  in the upcoming weeks. Many of these speakers are leaders and pioneers in the PLE & PLN learning field.

For those of you interested and engaged in contributing your own educational experience with personal learning environments/networks, might I suggest you also check out the Call For Chapters for an upcoming eBook by Athabasca University and the National Research Council of Canada.