Growing Your PLN
Hey Coach,
Now more than ever I need to be able to find support and resources on my own. What are your suggestions for growing my PLN?
Sincerely,
Home Alone Teacher
Hi Home Alone,
With a new school year comes new challenges - especially this year. In past years, your Personal Learning Network (PLN) may have consisted of your grade level teachers and other support staff at your school. While you can still rely on those individuals for ideas and support, it’s a great idea to grow your PLN so you can call on others when teachers and support staff may not be available remotely. Not sure where to start? Here are some ideas to help you grow your PLN in a remote working environment!
Social Media
Using social media to connect with other educators and find ideas to use in the classroom is a great way to build your PLN. These tools allow you to reach out to other educators for inspiration, help with tech tools, and teaching strategies. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Twitter: Start by following fellow educators at your school or in your district to stay connected. Then branch out by searching popular education hashtags to find people and resources focused on your needs. You can also grow your PLN by engaging in Twitter Chats. (Don’t miss our #iTeachAsks questions every week!) We love this comprehensive calendar of education chats.
Facebook: Join education groups and pages of interest. These are great places to ask questions, share ideas, and engage in discussions. Check out some of our favorite groups: Teach with Tech, Kid President in the Classroom, and Technology Teacher Talk with Brittany Washburn.
Instagram: There’s so much professional sharing and learning taking place within Instagram posts, stories, and on IGTV! Follow education related pages and the hashtag #teachersofinstagram. You’ll find that many people you follow on Twitter and Facebook have an Instagram account as well.
Pinterest: This is a great visual platform filled with resources on lessons, projects, and tutorials on tech tools. Use the search bar to find what you’re looking for.
Websites
Identifying some favorite websites and blogs can be another great way to enhance your PLN! Keep a bookmark for your go-to sites in Chrome so you can easily reference them when you have a question or need to spark some inspiration. You can also add your favorite websites to an RSS feed reader such as Feedly or Netvibes or subscribe to receive their new post updates via email. Here’s some websites we follow:
Podcasts
Try making podcasts a part of your daily routine. Listen in the car, while you’re cooking dinner, or while exercising. Start by checking out the iTeach Podcast.
Become an Ambassador
Many tools and programs offer free ambassador programs or certification programs for educators. Pick a favorite tool or platform and apply to join one of these groups. By participating, you’ll learn more ideas for using the tool, build a community of support, and be better equipped to share your knowledge with other teachers. Lots of our iTeach coaches are Seesaw Ambassadors, Nearpod Certified Educators, Microsoft Innovative Educators, and Flipgrid Certified Educators!
Book Study
Build knowledge by diving into a good book! Some of our favorites:
Becoming Better Grownups by Brad Montague
Courageous Edventures by Jennie Magiera
Empower by John Spencer and A.J. Juliani
Strive by Scott Amyx
Using the suggestions above, you will be well on your way to strengthening your professional learning network. Don’t forget to make iTeach a part of your PLN by following our Blog, subscribing to our Newsletter, and finding us on Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, where we share tons of resources and ideas!
All the best,
Coach
