Build a PLN in Three Easy Steps!

 You can read this entire blog post or you can go to the bottom of this post to find the three easy steps to build a PLN.  I wouldn’t be offended if you chose the second option because if there’s one thing I’ve learned about being a connected educator, it’s that everyone has the freedom to choose what they take away from other people’s resources.  Furthermore, that gives you more time to create and share your resources.

Becoming part of a Professional Learning Network (PLN) has opened me up to a world of professional development on a global scale.  On Twitter, I can be as passive or as active as I wish to be.  As a passive observer, I can read other people’s tweets or sit in on Tweet Chats and read other people’s answers to questions.  As an active participant, I can seek out and follow other educators, create tweets, and even collaborate with others in Twitter, in another platform, or in real life.

Now, here are the three easy steps:

1. If you already know how and why to use Twitter, then skip to step 3.  Otherwise, watch Ashley Cross’ YouTube video, “Twitter for Educators.”  It’s an excellent primer for teachers who aren’t yet connected to gain an understanding of how and why educators should use Twitter.

2.  Set up a Twitter account and start using it, hashtags, twitter chats, and all.  If you don’t understand hashtags or twitter chats, then watch the video in step 1.  It’s under ten minutes, but packed with lots of info.

3.  Keep at it, keep an open mind, and stay positive.  As an educator, you do these things already.  Keep sharing and giving in order to keep the resources abundant.  You'll get to explore tools and resources that you may not have known before.