PLNs- Learning for Educators

Learning for Educators

Professional Development or PD is part of an educator's job description. This is not a fanciful phrasing, it's often literally written into job descriptions or contracts. Educators are expected to have a passion for learning and to devote a discrete amount of time annually to learning new techniques or skills that can be applied to their classrooms or educational environments.
Traditional PD tends to be scheduled from the top-down, with institutions devoting student days off to tell staff about new policies or providing reading materials summarizing new studies. One-size-fits-all lecture methods don't sound very much like it fits with the active learning strategies I recently wrote about on this blog; if we know that students aren't empty vessels into which teachers pour knowledge, why would we expect professional to be any different? 
Looking for innovative solutions to PD limitations and challenges, some studies (like this one) look at the power of the Professional Learning Network or PLN to give educators the way to maintain their identities as lifelong learners and continue to grow and refine their professional techniques.

Image Source: Tenor

What is a PLN?

PLN stands for Professional Learning Network or Personal Learning Network. The two are often used interchangeably, but the technical difference is right there in the name: "Professional" is for an individual's professional growth while "Personal" might be, but can also expand to extracurricular interests. We will largely be talking about Professional Learning Networks, but you will see how they cross over.
Put simply, a Professional Learning Network is a set of relationships and connections where professionals can learn from each other, exchanging contacts, information, feedback, and insights. The network relationships are based on reciprocity and mutual respect that all members have ways to grow and valuable perspectives to share. PLNs are not new, but the increased level of global connectivity due to modern technology has led to new ways to connect outside of one's immediate community. PLNs are not exclusive to the education field, but the fields commitment to PD has made them a robust part of modern educators' career planning. 

This self-paced course from The Teacher Challenge is a great way to learn more.

While building a PLN can seem like just another thing educators have to add to their overstuffed plates, data supports that a good PLN provides holistic support to educators. In this 2016 survey of teachers responses showed that PLNs helped multifaceted personal growth, helped teachers try new teaching techniques, productively changed teachers thought patterns, and increased student performance. The benefits spread out to the larger community; sharing within a PLN is sometimes called "knowledge mobilization" and this article looks at how it is key to a useful PLN.

P for Professional, P for Personal

One of the best part of PLNs is the ways they address the broad, complex needs of educators. Learning "how to build a PLN" initially felt to me like an impersonal, grind-heavy to-do checklist. Sure, it was beneficial, but could it work for everyone? My turning point came when looking at this study which had different teachers explore their own PLNs and learning goals. The participants were asked to respond to prompts in a semi-structured interview and also to sketch a mental map representation of their PLN. Below are some of their visualizations (with some details blurred to protect confidentiality).

Image Source: Science Direct

Image Source: Science Direct

Image Source: Science Direct

Image Source: Science Direct

Image Source: Science Direct

Clearly we are not looking at one homogenous system, but instead a groundwork upon which different professionals can address their own needs and create their own network style. Participants defined themselves as the Constant Explorer, the People Person, the Pioneering Change Agent, the Global Connetictivist, and the Rural Networker. They all experienced professional learning opportunities across public, personal, and pedagogical arenas but with a focus on their specific goals and using different tools or the same tools in different ways. Their Professional Experience was Personalized.

Growing Your Own Network

One of my favorite metaphors for a PLN comes from this Oklahoma State University article where author Cathy Green describes a PLN as a garden that needs tending. With that in mind, I created this visual aid for growing your own network.

Image Source: Blog Author via Canva

As I mentioned above, there are many great lists of steps or tips for growing your PLN, but a key part of using them yourself is to guide yourself by defining your own goals. This list from Digital Promise suggests creating an "elevator sentence" for yourself to refine who you are and what you are interested in. Knowing this can help you see which PLN connections are right for you.

The most immediate PLN connections are sometimes available in person. If you are part of a school community, there may be opportunities right there to share experiences and divvy up keeping up with new research and technology, sharing the most pertinent information with your group instead of reading and learning every thing yourself. 
But the best PLNs are diversified and digital connectivity helps with this process. This set of tips from EdSurge reminds us that your PLN doesn't have to be only other educators; students, parents, and community activists have valuable information to share. EdSurge's list also reminds educators buildign a PLN to look out for whose voices they aren't hearing and who isn't being represented in the conversation.

PLN growth online has a few avenues: informal education based, formal education based, and social networking. Informal education options could include blogs, education site community forums, YouTube videos, or listservs. Formal Education options might be digital conferences, online courses, or moderated discussions with industry experts. Social options might include Facebook groups, X conversations, LinkedIn, or Instagram profiles. All of these online options are subject to change over time: Twitter has historically been an excellent place to engage in live conversations, but the platform has been undergoing significant cultural changes in its shift to X.com.
One of my favorite ways to explore new potential network contacts is through the research strategy "pearl growing", which you can read more about through this link. Looking at the sources your sources follow or the tags they use frequently is a great way to target your search for your next network link.

If all of this reading is starting to overwhelm you, consider this video a great review that will take less than 5 minutes of your time.

Some of the best suggestion sources, like this link from Edutopia acknowledge that it can be intimidating to start developing a PLN! Growing one takes work, self-reflection, and must be done wit intention. However the benefits are undeniable not just for professional growth, but for personal support. These networks are about more than a web of connections, but instead are a community ready to help support each other and recognize and value each other's expertise. Value and invest in yourself with your own, personalized Professional Learning Network and feed your inner student.