Personal Learning Networks- PLN

 For those who has never heard of anything about personal learning environments, it is time to join different learning networks. But what is a personal learning network, and why is it so helpful for educators nowadays?

 Well, let's take a look:

 A personal learning network consists of the people, places, and things that help you learn. By definition, every lifelong learner has a PLN, whether the person realizes it or not. Also, every person who has a PLN is a lifelong learner. Let’s imagine, for example, that you are a PhD student and working with middle school kids from science classes. Your PLN might look like the following:

Why is a PLN important?

Having an active personal learning network is important for a number of reasons:

1. Lifelong learning: A PLN helps you learn and grow. Your professional and personal development is important for you and your students. If you are an active, lifelong learner, you’ll naturally model that process for your students.
2. Community: All learning is social. When we learn something new, we want to share it with others. Having a PLN connects you with others, helping you share discoveries, triumphs, and troubles.
3. PD shift: Professional development has been shifting for some time now, from daylong sessions with speakers and room filled with teachers to a more individualized approach. A PLN helps you get a little professional development every day rather than all in one marathon session.
4. Conversation: Having a PLN puts you in the center of the educational conversation, letting you shape new trends and reform efforts.

How can I develop a PLN?

Start with what you have. Draw a cluster, putting yourself at the center and writing down all the people, places, and things that help you learn. Think about the following possibilities:

• Colleagues at your school or from previous experiences (depending your interest area)
• Students, from whom you learn every day
• Friends and family members
• Professional organizations such as the  NARST, HASTI, AERA, ASTE, NSTA, IJESE, NABT, CSTA
• Newsletters such as The Thoughtful Inquirer,Girls like Biology, Boys Like Physics.
• Social media such as Twitter (such as #edchat, #scichat, #sschat), Edweb, Linkedin
• Programs such as NOVA or Mythbusters (science teachers), Quest Atlantis, scienceline, learn atmospheric science explorers
• Books such as Inquire: A Guide to 21st Century Learning, Handbook of research on science education
• Conferences and other professional-development opportunities such as Webinars ,
• Museums, fairs, reenactments, and other educational experiences: The Museum of Science and Industry