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This discusses the three primary tasks involved in developing a successful personal learning network. It is not a "how-to" for developing a personal learning network, but rather investigates the key elements that must be in place.

I read this article awhile back and found it informative. The authors provide insight into how and why we build learning networks. The illustrations throughout the article are helpful as they summarize the narrative sections that describe the PLN model.

This article talks about the similarities and differences of professional networks and personal learning networks. It mentions that both networks have learning as the main goal in mind, and that sometimes professional networks have formed into personal learning networks because it is more detailed and defined that that individual and what they are interested in learning.

Understanding personal learning networks: Their structure, content and the networking skills needed to optimally use them. Authors Kamakshi Rajagopal, Desirée Joosten-ten Brinke, Dr. Jan Van Bruggen and Dr. Peter B. Sloep research how networking is a skill in supporting growth and learning. The result is a model of personal professional networking. Included in the article is the introduction, methodology, the learner as orchestrator of her personal learning network, the personal learning network model and discussion and conclusion - supporting personal networking and future research. The article begins with a definition of professional networking, "the act of making connections with other professionals, with or without the intention of making long-term ties with them." Throughout the article, the authors reference weak versus strong connections, but the definition of weak is not, not strong, rather, weak ties are sources for new information, knowledge and ideas. The personal learning network model is attitude - intention, activity and skill - building, maintaining, activating. The authors conclude with a suggestion that "further development of technology to support professionals better in identifying relevant others and in developing relations online as and when necessary."

This source seeks to identified the finite features that make a successful PLN. It highlights factors that influence the individual's ability to build, maintain, and activate the personalized networks. The nine factors include: organization of the contact, network of a contact, reputation, benevolence, like-mindedness, real potential for collaboration, real potential for learning, and trends in work environment. Several diagrams are offered to illustrate how the success of a personal learning network for the individual is governed by the attitude of the individual towards the network and the skills displayed or put into practice on a daily basis. The text also stresses the potential of PLNs as they encounter existing and news social networking technologies that make the connection process easier and allow for greater fluidity in build professional development through the network.

This article discusses personal learning networks (PLN). How they are structured, what content you need to add and what type of skills you need in order for them to be beneficial to you. The main questions answered is how beneficial they really are? Can you benefit from a PLN? EDTECH543 Personal Learning Network

A detailed article on PLN's, including the PLN model with descriptions of the three stages of Buiding, Maintaining, and Activating, with factors affecting decisions during each stage.

This article discusses the benefits of personal learning networks to help professionals learn and grow. The authors used a literature study, interviews, and survey to help determine the effectiveness of personal learning networks.

Article discussing structure and content of PLNs and the networking skills needed to use them.

The authors in this article first delve into the structure and purpose of networking for professionals, but then segues into how using those skills can be used in creating and utilizing a PLN. A visual to show how the PLN model looks also helps to explain the purpose and value in participating in a PLN. While the article is slightly outdated as it speaks to how technology can work best with a PLN, the basic structure and values of a PLN is well explained.

This source is focused on PLNs. It defines them as relationships and connections that we make with other professionals. It talks about the advantages of creating networks with other professionals, and that those connections can be both intentionally or unintentionally built. It also discusses ways that professionals can create and maintain their own PLNs.

This article looks deep into personal learning networks. It looks at learner as an orchestrator of PLN. It also looks into factors related to building, maintaining, and being active in personal learning networks.

The author explains the benefits of PLNs to help educators get new skills and improve they ones that they already have. He also discusses how the structures of PLN are and how you can get benefits from PLNs. The illustrations of this article help to understand the stages of the networking process and an example of a personal professional networking model.

This article presents in an interesting model for teachers to create personal learning networks. The portion about the "learner as orchestrator of a personal learning network" was particularly enlightening. While at times the article verges into "how-to" territory, the underlying theory discussed provides strong context and explanation of the mechanics involved.

This article defines a personal professional network as "an egocentric, personally and intentionally created network of people set up by an individual specifically in the context of her professional activities," and discusses how a PLN supports an individual's growth and learning. The authors examine the strengths and benefits of PLNs and analyze how PLNs are built, created, and maintained. Studies were conducted that resulted in the finding that there are three stages of the networking process with nine factors that influence personal professional networking, concluding in the creation of a visual model of the PLN.

I found out that both strong and weak connections make up a person's learning and that each are important for different reasons. Strong ties help you create knowledge and encourage active collaboration between you and someone else (or more than one someone.) Weak ties Give us access to new information that we wouldn't have without them. In this unit, I learned that knowledge in the future relies not as much on what we know ourselves as being able to connect with people who become receptacles of knowledge. We tap into them as needed, making it unnecessary for us to be an expert in everything. Weak ties allow us access to these sources when the need arises. I also liked this quote, because it explained a bit about how to build these PLNs. "Grabher and Ibert (2008) proposed a three-layered approach, consisting of a communality layer (strong ties), a sociality layer (weak ties) and a connectivity layer (very weak ties)."

@Buffy Nallion I found value referencing the Personal Learning Model. http://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/viewFile/3559/3131/43945

This article explores research on professional networking resulting from a literature study, interviews, and a survey. It defines and shares the benefits of a PLN. It explores a model of personal learning networks where the learner is the builder of the network. Several factors for selecting connections are addressed including interests, influences, and attitudes of the learner. Three levels of connections are described including communality, sociality, and connectivity - moving from strong to weak connections. The article lists supporting technologies for PLNs.

This article uses a networking model to examine how professionals manage connections and which factors push them to connect for the purpose of learning. Existing PLN technological solutions tend to focus on enhancing communication, but it is unclear if the technology affects the attitude of professionals and their intentions for network to learn.

This article discusses professional learning networks, which is different than personal learning networks but similar in so many ways. Professional learning networks are targeted to support the individual's growth just like a personal learning network. This article presents a model of a professional network for creating a personal learning network.

The article captured my attention by opening with " professionals need to perform flexible and independently in ever-changing environments." This makes me think of preparing students to be college and career ready! The earlier we can engage and immerse students and ourselves in PLN the more ready we will be for the ever changing future! Thanks for sharing!

This work goes into detail on how the individual learner impacts the creation and function of their PLN. It identifies 9 specific factors that influence how we "build, maintain, and activate" our learning networks. It fits these factors into a "Personal learning network model"

PLN: This article delves into how networking is essential to personal growth and learning; especially personal learning networks. Learning by interacting with peers lets us make the connections that either in learning or work environment is important.

A clear explanation of personal learning networks, and in particular the different ways they form and the different ways individuals interact with their PLNs. Helpful diagrams for understanding the PLN model are included.

This article focuses on personal professional networking. This is essentially a PLN in the workplace. Three primary tasks build a foundation for future activities within the PLN, 1) building connections, 2) maintaining connections, 3) activating connections. There are nine factors that influence a personal professional network. See include: communality (or commonality) reputation, and real potential for collaboration or learning. Learning within a PLN must be cultivated and involve reflection. Participants must recognize the value of other contributors to their own learning in order for the network to be truly effective, because this will allow person to know who to contact in the future for a similar issue. Networking to create a PLN depends on the person be g able to make connections between their own skills and their contacts' potential contributions. In creating an PLN, the learner "orchestrates" the environment, "browsing, selecting, and choosing" relevant resources.

This article listed many social media sources to start your PLN. The biggest takes away that I got from this article are the two benefits of a PLN over a traditional personal development. The first one is that a PLN allows an educator to completely personalize their training. They can pick what to focus on. The second is that they can adapt the learning environment to meed the educator's needs. Once they have enough information, they can start learning and sharing about a new topic that they wish.

Describes a PLN, why we have PLN's, and the benefits of being a member of a PLN. This article talks about how PLN's allow educators to develop their skills beyond the more traditional methods and allows them to develop their abilities as an educator.

With more and more opportunities to develop one's skills beyond what traditional routes have provided, establishing your own PLN is an essential step toward deepening your abilities as an educator.

Very straightforward resource. From a teacher's standpoint, this resource is very beneficial. It demonstrates how teachers can enhance their skills away from old school (traditional) teaching pedagody and move into connectivist strategies to truly become educators in the 21st Century.

A PLN can be online or face to face connections but the virtual opportunities do not require your physical presence like attending a conference, a live master's degree program, etc. There are 2 distinct advantages to being online: 1. it's completely personalized to what each person is seeking 2. It can easily be modified based on changes in needs. Social media sources like Facebook, Twitter, and Wordpress blogs can be customized so that teachers can follow one-other and share the latest tools and information.

This discusses what a PLN is and how it can help you grow professionally. It also talks about the benefits of a PLN and how you can personalize things.

This is a great resource on the explanation of PLNs, why they are important, and how they can improve your work and learning environments. It has a solid definition and is key to understanding PLNs in a short read.

This article describes what a PLN is and how it relates to one's real world and social networking communities. It discusses why having a PLN is important to an educator today. In the past you need to be physically present to get your desired information and at times that was not even possible. Today a teacher can determine what training is necessary and find this information through their PLN network. The article explains how a PLN not only allows you to learn but also encourages you to share your knowledge with others.

Nice, simple article that explains what a PLN is. Thanks for sharing it. It can certainly help fill in any knowledge gaps for someone new to PLNs.

I liked the resource for the question "Why do I need one?" and the answers that followed. Teachers can connect themselves to resources from many different aspects of the world and teachers and sites they may not have otherwise found. It is no longer just "absorbing information" but sharing and creating new connections and ways to use the information. Honestly, after all this research, the new question is "Why don't I already have a PLN?"

This article defines what a PLN is and the necessity for educators to develop one. It describes the difference between developing a PLN and being "connected." It argues that PLNs allow educators to individualize professional development. With the emergence of technology in education, I see this as a necessary tool for the 21st century educator.

This article describes the need for teachers to be a part of PLNs. The author talks about the importance of making connections to other teachers and countless resources to make yourself a better teacher.

This article describes the benefits of developing your own personal learning network. The author touches on the traditional learning networks of the past and their limitations and examines the benefits of the tech driven network.

In the education world, PLN stands for Personal Learning Network. What it means is that an individual has developed their own personalized "network" of fellow educators and resources who are designed to make them a better teacher. This network exists both in their real-life relationships and online through their social media connections.

This article describes a PNL but also discusses the benefits of developing a PNL. By sharing within your PNL members will not only gain new knowledge, resources, and ideas, but will also develop relationships with people across the globe!

A PLN is not PD. A PLN has (at least) 2 additional benefits: you study and research topics applicable to you, decided by you; you can form a symbiotic relationship where everyone is sharing information

Catapano explains what a PLN is and why people should have one. A PLN stands for Personal Learning Network. Basically, it is a group of individuals who are fellow educators who work together both real-life and online to make themselves a better teacher. PLN are mainly through social media sources like Twitter, Facebook, or blogs. Teachers can share their resources across the world with their latest research, experiences, or discoveries. Teachers get to take control of their own professional development.

I always like to find resources that cut right to the chase and explain exactly what the topic is. This article does that with professional learning networks. This article can be presented to anyone who asks "what IS a PLN anyway". The article relates the evolution of PLNs to include social media such as Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, ect. Themes of connectivism and communities of practice are found throughout the article as the writer explains that the true benefits is that PLNs are based off teacher's interests and passions rather than the usual top down professional development experience so many teacher experience. It drives home the point that successful PLNs revolve around the sharing of experiences and resources rather just viewing and consuming.

@teachingjake503, PLNs have become so valuable to me, especially when I was a first year teacher. Having support from people outside of the establishment was extremely helpful. I think people often buy into them more because of the choice they have. They can choose to include only those they feel provide value, are positive, and can offer support.

What is a PLN? Why Do I Need One? This article provides a simple and easy to understand definition of a Personal Learning Network and how it can be used by teachers to help them become a better teachers and can be used to help educations personalize their training. The article focuses on the use of social media as the primary resource for PLNs. http://www.teachhub.com/what-pln-why-do-i-need-one

The following article discusses why educators need a PLN. These networks are design to make you a better teacher. The personal learning networks are exactly that "personalized." Most professional development is designed by others, but your PLN is created and designed by YOU.

Written by Jordan Catapano who simplifies what a PLN is and explains why one might need it. He explains that a PLN is usually designed by educators networking with fellow educators to make them better teachers. This article goes through the theories and benefits of a PLN and what they intel or include.

"Why do I need one". This article discusses why a teacher should use PLN's and more importantly, create their own PLN. This was a nice read for me to put PLN's in perspective.

Interesting article on how PLNs relate to self-directed student learning. The author,Bernard Bull, provides some background on learning theory and self-directed learning to clarify how PLNs could be incorporated into any curriculum. The article includes a few how-to tips at then end.

Really great article about helping students create PLN's and why they need them. It starts with some theory about PLN's and then discusses self directed learning and self blended learning. A student PLN really is a collection of connections to people and resources.

I think PLNs are the cornerstone of self-directed student learning. As I read this article I kept thinking about how I could use this in a math classroom. The author states, "The idea of a PLN is simply a network of people and resources through which you learn and grow". He goes on to summarize key learning principles and accurately states, "a student personal learning network, which is a mix of connectivism, self-directed learning and self-blended learning". Great read Cheronne!

The chart of self-directed and teacher-directed learning is great. Those questions are what educators should be asking themselves everyday before they teach a lesson. This helps us identify exactly what needs to be taught, how to evaluate it and to make sure it was taught successfully.

This is a fantastic resource! I had never even thought of Personal Learning Networks for students, as I was so focused on it as professional development for teachers. By helping students create their own Personal Learning Networks you are able to shift from teacher directed learning to student centered learning.

Not only defines PLN's and gives some background learning theory information, but gives some concrete ideas on how to help students develop their own PLN's.

This article from Dr. Bernard Bull discusses ways that students (including all of us) can develop our personal learning networks. While we may have people that help us learn, there are different outreach possibilities to increase our PLN. He states that if students were to grow over time with their PLNs, the number of connections would be of more quality and quantity. He discusses this through the theory of Connectivism. He encourages including PLNs into the curriculum which then may allow for students over time to create personal teaching networks from the information they have learned.

The author not only explains the benefits of Personal Learning Networks but also asks himself what would happen if learning communities and organizations made student personal learning networks an integral part of the learning experience. With the popularity of PLNs, the author believes that students may not only build a personal learning network, but also venture into starting their own personal teaching networks.

This is such a fascinating article! I appreciated the explanation of what a PLN is, but also how to explain it to others and to even help them get started with one. I want to incorporate a great deal of technology with my f2f students this year as well as help them grow to being self-directed learners, so having this article as a resource of how to help students set up their own PLN is great! I hope this will intrigue them to become learners even outside the classroom.

Here the author argues that Personal Learning Environments (PLEs) are not an application but an approach to learning. They require a radical shift in how we use technology, but they supply a holistic environment where students learn to take responsibility for their own education.

This article presents the features and reasoning for personal learning environments in e-learning. It discusses reasons for its importance in e-learning and lifelong learning. The ways that "learning" is changing with new technologies and resources are considered. The social aspect of personal learning environments is also described, with an emphasis on the tools that are used to facilitate the connections.

The author discusses the potential of learning environments in eLearning and how these LEs can bring together more authentic contexts for learning. The paper also reviews the different purposes and uses of Personal Learning Environments. Through PLE, individuals are responsible for many aspects of their own learning within the most useful contexts. Blogging was also covered as a way to incorporate informal learning. Attwell considers the challenges associated with continued LEs after a course is over, and points out the overarching questions regarding the responsibility for institutions or teachers to continue to support this ongoing learning.

Attwell, G. (2007). Personal Learning Environments-the future of eLearning?. eLearning Papers, 2(1), 1-8. In Graham Attwell's article he offers some insight and ideas towards why personal learning Environments may be essential to learning in the future. . He details the technology behind the buzz surrounding personal learning environments and examples of how we can use them going forward. What I enjoyed about the article was the notion that everyone's learning environment, style, context, and situation are different and PLE's enable the learner to pace themselves and grow on their own terms. While detailing lifelong learning the author grabs the theory of self-driven education being helped by personal learning environments. Graham does a good job of not following into a common misconception that technology directly correlates to better learning, but rather approaches the aspect of what technology could do for learning as well as what personal learning environments could do for learning as well. From his own personal PLE list of software to explaining the next steps in adopting personal learning environments on a wider scale Graham makes sense of a complicated theory.

This article explains the basic idea of personal learning networks, especially related to e-Learning. The author makes the argument that the education system needs to adapt the ideas behind personal learning networks in order to be successful in the future.

This article discusses the important trends in personal learning environments. It talks of its importance in life long learning, informal learning, the impact of different learning styles and how technology is playing a huge role in our education today,

This is paper written back in 2007 about PLNs. The author argues that PLN are the future of elearning because of the power they have to offer individualized learning and give the learner the opportunity to organize his/her own learning. That educational institutions cannot expect to simply recreate the same forms of learning used in tradition education online. rather that we must learn to adapt to the new and emerging technologies of ubiquitous computing and social software. Considering that this article was written 9 years ago, I found it to be extremely accurate and representative of PLNs today.

The article looks at personal learning environments and discusses the possibility that some form of PLE will be needed as part of the future of learning. It also discusses the need for changes in education to accommodate PLEs as current teaching methodology is out of date with how current students wish to learn.

This article pushes for a change in learning through Personal Learning Environments. This article recognizes that PLEs help to foster lifelong learning though providing multiple tools and resources to support the learning. It is argued that this learning does not have to be a formal, institutional learning, but can be informal which adapts for different styles of learning. A very interesting aspect of the article to me is the addressing of assessment and how the learning that has taken place through the PLE would be assessed. This primarily explains that evidence could be shown through artifacts and possibly an e-Portfolio. It later goes on to explain what a PLE would look like which include a copious amount of tools that one uses daily for learning. These tools primarily would be comprised of what is called social software connecting collaborators. The important take away from this article is that a PLE is not a tool to be implemented, but instead an approach for the use of a web of tools for learning and sharing creating a bridge between the learner and the world outside.

@kcastello Thanks for the article! I particularly like the distinction you made between PLEs as an approach, not a tool.

This quote from the article: "A Personal Learning Network can be seen as one's gateway to continuous learning" is a true statement. Continuous learning is vital in life. This article has some remarkable points that make PLNs so important and an easier way to gain knowledge.

I think this article illustrated a number of valid points. This day and age only thrives with the means of PLN's. When we look in the past back to the 80's and 90's, it is very evident how we've evolved as a society. Back then, it was almost unheard of to have practical means of communication among those across the nation and across the world. We are so fortunate for the advancements of modern technology and networking.

This article built a strong case for belonging to a Personal Learning Network. It is imperative to keep up with today's resources and knowledge base. The small amount of time I used to build my PLN has proven to be so beneficial. I appreciated the final thoughts of the article to help guide me throughout this process. I am excited to strengthen my PLN and grow professionally this semester and beyond.

This article makes a case as to why Personal Learning Networks are an important part of continuing education. She describes this age as one of constant influx and change and therefore encourages people to use their PLN's to tackle new practices with a sense of creativity and innovation.

This is a great article to pass on to educators who want to know why a PLN is necessary and how connectivist theory makes it possible. Connectivism facilitates continuous learning, exchange of thoughts, and validates insights. Establishing networks allow teachers to tailor a professional development plan, and it doesn't need to take place at the faculty meeting or on teacher work days.

This elaborates on how chaos theory relates to all this, something I didn't really understand until I read this particular article. Additionally, it gives you an idea about the skills required in order to build a proper PLN... Here's a telling quote from the article... "In short, the concept of teams working shoulder to shoulder every day, literally and metaphorically standing by each other, talking over problems and challenges at their desks, is slowly being replaced by virtual teams who interact via social tools and platforms, use Webex for meetings, and update each other via enterprise social networks and WhatsApp. This is why the skill of being able to build one's Personal Learning Network is essential. It's time for everyone to take charge of their own professional development. One of the ways to keep on top of our game, and remain on the cutting edge of relevant skills and knowledge, is to be a part of communities of practices and to focus on building and maintaining our Personal Learning Networks with a deliberate intention to learn, share, and collaborate."

I really like this article. It is always good to read about the "why" behind our practices. The article explains that "A Personal Learning Network can be seen as one's gateway to continuous learning." This reminds me of the thinking behind connectivism, that connecting to a network of resources and people will help us become lifelong learners as we continuously connect to new resources and knowledge.

A fabulous article that describes exactly what a PLN is & isn't. They define it as: "A network of trusted connections with whom an individual interacts (and learns from) on a regular basis." - Jane Hart. It stresses that while technology has advanced and changed PLN's they are mainly about the connections formed & relationships made. It describes a PLN as being "random" while a COP is more intentional & formal (since COP often share professional expertise).

This article describes what PLNs are and how they differ from PLEs. It also outlines the importance of PLNs for becoming a better teacher and connecting with others.

This particular article talks about how PLNs have layers, starting with the center layer. This includes a person's mentors and friends. The next layer are people or groups that are bound by common interests. The last layer are the experts and professionals that people look to in order to gain personal knowledge. This article also points that sometimes people get PLNs and CoPs mixed up. However CoPs take this one step further by having a profession/ professional interests in common. In other words, most Trekkies at ComicCon are not CoPs, but rather PLNs.

This resource defines PLNs and the benefits of today's learners connecting online with people of similar interests. However, the differentiating aspect of this article is actually the section titled "What a PLN is Not." In this section, PLNs and CoPs are compared and contrasted regarding purpose and structure with PLNs being less formal than CoPs. Additionally, this resource illustrates the difference between PLNs and PLEs, markedly stating that PLNs are a part of PLEs and that they house the virtual network and tools used to collaborate. Finally, this resource pulls on Connectivism to explain the importance of a PLN, citing the Connectivist principle of continued learning made possible through constantly updating networks of users.

Michelle, what an excellent resource! I was particularly interested where it explained that a PLN is not a PLE because I'm finding myself in my elementary understanding of these concepts mixing these up!

This article describes three types of connected learning communities. These include professional learning communities (PLCs), personal learning networks (PLNs), and communities of practice (CoPs). All three are used in schools across the world now and serve different but very similar purposes.

This article defines professional learning communities, personal learning networks, and communities of practice. The learning theories supporting each are described, as well as the impact technology has had on each. While the article focuses on how each can effect professional development for practicing teachers, the ideas within could be generalized to almost any profession.

Summary: This article identifies a three pronged approach to teacher professional development: PLC, PLN and CoP. These three types of learning communities are explored by connecting each type of learning community to a learning theory or theories and / or how the use of technology also improves learning communities. Support is provided by citing studies and literature most relevant to community learning in the digital age.

This work addresses the importance of technology throughout personal learning communities, personal learning networks and communities of practice and describes its importance to connected learning. Technology is an amplifier and enabler of connected learning as it addresses the challenge of time by allowing 24/7 interactions. Technology has allowed the exponential growth of PLN's as it enables finding, synthesizing and evaluating information. Technology also increases the potential for learning across communities which can then be translated to practice helping improve education.

This was a great article to see the different ways in which any professionals can gain and share knowledge with one another. I enjoyed reading how each is connected to learning theories. It is interesting that the common theme is how they rely or depend on technology. I can attest to the importance of technology for the learning communities and networks that I am involved in. Technology makes these types of professional development possible to some people who, without technology, would not be able to partake. Most of the time technology is a wonderful thing. It truly makes you wonder what we did without it :)

I agree that technology has helped PLN and PLC's to grow. Technology allows us to collaborate with people all over the work rather than people who just work in our building.

This article summarizes key differences and similarities among different connected learning communities utilized by educators including, PLCs, PLNs, and CoPs. Within the article, each learning community is described in terms of its organizational structure, purpose, and effectiveness. This research based article discusses the learning theories that are applied within each of the learning communities to support their descriptions and findings.

PLN's occur in many ways. With the growth of technology they are becoming much more popular. Many of them are engaging through blogs and other forms of social media. With these becoming more and more popular connections are constantly being made. Creating PLNs and bringing back resources and other information to our PLNs is extremely popular. Personal learning networks are happening because of connections being made with others.

This article looks into the theories that support the theory or idea of personal learning networks. It touches the effectiveness of teacher professional development in terms of PLNs. It discusses technology in terms of PLNs and also the challenges and dilemmas of PLNs.

Thanks for sharing, David. I like that Mackley and Vincent show the various branches of their PLNs because it gives me a frame of reference and helps me see where I need to focus my own efforts. I find the concept of the PLE to be fuzzy, and feel that I need to learn more about it and its relationship to the PLN.

I liked this source because of the clear descriptions that it provides. I also loved the visuals at the end with the different networks that they are tied to.

This article does a nice job of explaining PLNs and the theory surrounding them. The article includes definitions of personal learning environments, personal learning networks, and connectivism. I also like that it includes diagrams to compare their PLNs, as well as an introductory video.

I picked this one, because it has a video that I found helpful. I learn better with sound and pictures. It stresses that PLNs are not things, but rather ideas. The other reason that I include this in my list is that the article actually provides diagrams of what different people's PLNs look like. Given that we're learning about this sort of thing in this unit, I thought I'd also mention this. Finally, I liked that this article acknowledges that according to the Theory of Connectivism, you don't even have to know the person who you're learning from.

Deborah, I love the idea of students guiding their own learning. It seems to be a great way to get them involved and motivated instead of just listeners in the classroom they are part of the learning network. Thanks for sharing!

While this site leans towards the how-to aspect of a PLN, I found it illuminating simply for the fact that the students described in this article create a PLN for each project.  It emphasizes the fact that a PLN is personal and not the same for everybody.  PLNs are personal, can be permanent or temporary, and exist for the sake of the person to learn.  

The website title really grabbed my attention and I wanted to find out what it meant. This was very interesting because it discussed netiquette and cyber-bullying as well. It helped to relate real-world with online by explaining how with a virtual locker it would change with what courses the students are taking. This really broke down what PLNs are and how they work. It was one of the better articles I have read. Thank you!

I'm still a little hesitant to assign the term Personal Learning Network to an assembly of RSS feeds as describe din this piece. A great part of it, but only part of it, I think. That feels a little too "one-way" to develop the interactivity that seems to be so indicative of the PLN. An interesting idea that came from this for me was that each time a student started a new project (cyberbullying, understanding the Constitution, cancer treatment research, etc.) they would develop a new PLN. This underscored the idea that a PLN is not stationary, but, rather, a dynamic network that will continue to evolve as long as one is striving to learn. It almost becomes a technological reflection of oneself.

Written by the Cool Cat Teacher, this article states that using PLNs allow her student to connect to informational sources and become self-directed lifelong learners. It moves students into the driver's seat and helps them sort through the plethora of information.

In this post, an educator likens student's personal learning network to virtual lockers where they store what they learn and produce academically and otherwise.

This article explains how students (teens) are using PLNs to organize and share their school work and projects. It also discusses the pros and cons of PLNs.

This is an interesting take on how a PLE can work in a school environment. Students can use their PLN as a collection system for information when they are doing their projects.

I appreciate the fact that they presented both sides to the story here. They discuss the advantages of PLNs but also raise questions on issues educators may be facing with them at this current time. As an educator, I like when others bring up concerns because then it allows me to brainstorm ways to circumvent the issues. It also assures me that I'm not the only educators facing issues implementing PLNs perfectly within my classroom. The authentic touch this article displays is refreshing to me. Don't get me wrong, I really love PLNs, but at the moment, there are kinks that need to be worked out to be fully effective in an elementary classroom setting.

I like how this article focuses on student use of PLNs. I tend to focus on their use for teacher PD, but they are certainly something we should be teaching our students! I also like how the article describes some flaws of PLNs, this will help people think of ways to make PLNs even stronger.

Interesting is that the focus is on RSS feeds and it feels very academic while middle school students are an upcoming demographic on twitter. Their use of twitter is of course social, but I wonder about using twitter as more immediate way to share information.

One thing the author mentions is the relationships built and camaraderie within his PLN. Member connections are a theme I have found to be overwhelmingly consistent throughout the research undertaken. One quote in particular that is fresh in my memory says PLNs, have a "commitment to mutual engagement, and to mutual understanding of that engagement" (Eckert, 2006). Members need be connected by vested interests, and within these interests, they become connected on a personal level, often building lifelong friendships.

There were some interesting points made in this article. It really focuses on the personal aspect of a Personal Learning Network and I like how Spiglanin points out that PLN's cannot be designed, they are "organic". After reading this article, I could picture a PLN for the first time and actually see how it relates to Connectivism. I could envision the network and how each individual within a network is connected or related to each other. One of the key aspects of a PLN that Spiglanin mentions stood out to me. The second aspect states,"Learning happens naturally as I engage with others in my professional network across a variety of social media. Recognizing this learning and making good use of it requires effective personal knowledge management practices." This stood out the most to me because it is one area that I still need to work on as I develop my own personal learning networks.

I like this article because it gives teachers a clear definition of what a PLN and how to connect to one. I am new to using social networking professionally so I am interested in learning ways to connect to PLN that would benefit my classroom.

Thomas Whitby is an educator that I have followed on Twitter and consider a valuble member of my PLN. So it is fitting that I would include an article written by Mr. Whitby explaining the purpose of a PLN. Mr. Whitby explains that PLNs use social media and technology to collect, communicate, collaborate and create with like-minded individuals. Unlike traditional professional development sessions, PLNs can take place any time and anywhere through the use of the WWW. Each PLN is uniques and serves its own purpose and each member is a potential source of information. Mr. Whitby concludes his article with information on how to build a PLN and links to PLN resources.

This article gives the definition of a PLN and answers the question of why they are important. It also talks about potential barriers, this is important! It also has links to other resources for PLNs.

This blog post thoroughly defines PLNs, even addressing the debate over its acronym. Is it professional or personal learning networks? This post settles on a happy medium: personalized learning network. This entry goes beyond the definitions as it addresses both the barriers to PLNs and what can be gained from them. It also offers suggestions on how to build a PLN and helpful links.

I love the video! This is the first video I've come across that gives a short, sweet introduction to exactly what a PLN consists of. It mentions both the online global community and the people who you interact with. I love how it mentions that you get to choose who is in your PLN. That isn't something that has been mentioned in my research.

This discusses what a PLN is and the benefits to having one. It talks about the flexibility a PLN allows you that a more traditional setting would not. A PLN allows you to personalize things and choose your level of involvement.

This was a great article that succinctly describes what a PLN is. The page includes a brief video in which Marc-André Lalande illustrates, in a very practical manner, how educators can use PLN's to connect with other professional educators to share ideas. He also shares a few of his favorite PLN's, including Twitter.

Marc-Andre Lalande breaks down the definition and key aspects of PLNs. He first expresses the importance of choice in a personal learning network, as it is a "personal" decision who to connect with, when to connect with them, and why you connect to begin with. Next, he discusses the idea of a "network" and how the Internet provides connectivity to people of all backgrounds to engage in conversation on topics of similar interest. Finally, he explains the crucial "learning" aspect of a PLN, asserting that learning happens through observing (or "lurking") as well as contributing to a discussion.

Great article Michelle! I like how it breaks down and explains "personal" and "professional" learning networks! Great insight!

Good resource. Simple, to the point. The video is a good resource to share too. If you have colleagues who don't know about PLNs, this is a good place to start.

This resource is a great one to have access to. It explains what a PLN is in layman's terms down to what is "personal" what is "learning" and what is "network". It also has some helpful media to better solidify the concept. Thank you for posting. #EdTechSN

Another great resource alexisseidl. This resource does a fantastic explaining PLN's in very simple terms and does a great job of incorporating media to enhance the learning experience.

This article begins with a very simple explanation of what a PLN is. It breaks down each letter and describes it in detail. It also provides some great multimedia tools including a pair of videos about being a connected learner and a description of a PLN. There is also a voicethread about why you should have a PLN. It even provides you with a challenge to develop your own PLN.

This source offers a plethora of modalities to explain what exactly a personal learning network is. It can mostly simply be defined by the three parts in the name of a PLN: personal, building relationships to fit the individual; learning, the professional development aspect of collaborating and sharing resources; network, the platform that forms the means for building connections. The source offers a short video, a VoiceThread presentation, examples and personal testimonials to prove the power of PLNs.

This is website breaks down the basic idea of a PLN. It also has a step by step guide to set up a PLN. There is a short video that is very clear and easy to understand that explains a PLN and how it benefits the participants.

I enjoyed reviewing this resource. The details are plainly laid out and easy to follow. Really helps to explain all there is to know about PLNs.

While this is a blog post, it is one by teachers for teachers, and it really does a good job to explain what a personal learning network (PLN) is piece by piece. There are great videos and visuals within the post that also provided insight into a PLN and why it's a valuable part of being a professional, especially in education. I love that we are encompassing that in this course too!

This site contains a professional learning series on building a personal learning network.The what and the why. It is complete with multiple videos and infographics to aid understanding.

I really like the breakdown of PLN on this page. The collection of resources really allows for an easy to understand experience!

Pinterest Personal Learning Network portal with a wealth of PLN information available from theory to practice and everything in between.

I realize this is a bit outside the scope of being a "theory" based link, but I had to post it none the less. This is a creative use of Pinterest, a social networking site, to share PLN resources.

I just loved this - someone has created board on pinterest for personal learning networks. Social media at its best. :)

Great visual representation of PLN's. Reminds me of symbaloo which I use for bookmarking.

I found this one too and posted it! I love the idea of using a personal learning network to explain a personal learning network. :)

okay, who doesn't love Pinterest? Well here is a TON of information on PLNs on Pinterest. Many resources here.

I am a huge fan of Pinterest so I thought I would check there first for more information on PLN's. I really had no prior knowledge of what PLN's were so I thought this was a great starting point. There are several websites about PLN's.