Journal 7: Grow Your Personal Learning Network

PLNs, Personal Learning Network, are not new and in this ever-changing, technology rich environment and it is imperative as an educator to educate yourself about these new (or old, depending on how technologically savvy you are) technologies and learning networks. There are three main types of PLNs: Personally Maintained Synchronous Connections, Personally and Socially Maintained Semisynchronous Connections, and Dynamically Maintained Asynchronous Connections.

Personally Maintained Synchronous Connections this is the traditional network that includes the people and places you go to answer questions and solve problems. Now, you can enhance this PLN tool by using instant and text messaging, Twitter, chat, and teleconferencing.

Personally and Socially Maintained Semisynchronous Connections refers to Twitter, texting, personal Facebook profiles and Syndicaster. They are conversations, but not really conversations. Semisynchronous is the idea that collaboration does not have to happen in real time.

Dynamically Maintained Asynchronous Connections refers to the information coming to us mainly by the RSS aggregator. The first two PLNs described connect us with each other, but with this PLN it connects us with the content and information we find valuable and important. One of the most useful PLN tools is social bookmarking by Delicious. Once a person organizes their tags, that information becomes available to a whole community.

Creating and using your PLN is a learning experience. You are constantly reflecting upon the knowledge gained, the experience of using and being engrossed in others PLNs, participating in learning activities and reflecting upon those learning experiences and reintroducing those ideas and experiences back in the learning community. It is a discipline and a responsibility to use your PLN because you are involved and engrossed in other people PLNs.

Question #1: What is a potential weakness for PLNs? PLNs can become limited in their range of perspective. Since poeple are creating PLNs it is only natural to obtain and seek out information that agrees with our personal point of view. It is important to include all view points in order to have the whole argument and truth of the matter available to viewers.

Question #2: What does a RSS aggregator do? A RSS aggregator train relevant content to come to you so you don't have to go looking for it.

Warlick, David (2009, March/April). Grow your personal learning network. Learning and Leading with Technology, Retrieved 04/01/2009, from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/200904/