Using Your PLN for Growth

I actively use my Personal Learning Network (PLN) for professional growth and learning by continuously engaging with others on different social media platforms. PLNs do not follow the “teacher-student structure,” instead everyone is a teacher (Woods, 2013). Therefore, by using my PLN, I am both learning and teaching. The type of platform also makes a difference in how I use my PLN. Here are the top three platforms I use:

• Instagram
  • Instagram is the social media platform I have had the longest. I would also say it is one of the ones I use most frequently. I love Instagram because of all the different things you can do. You can share pictures and videos either by posting them or uploading them to your story. You can also follow many different accounts, where you can find inspiration. Next, you can direct message people, which is a great way to share resources and seek advice, and lastly, you can comment and create group chats. All of these amazing features have helped me create my PLN. I follow and surround myself with people I admire and want to learn from, such as TeachersLoveHacks where I get ideas I want to integrate and use in my future classroom.
• TikTok
  • TikTok, similarly to Instagram, is another platform I use quite frequently. TikTok has less features than Instagram, however, still contributes to my professional growth and learning. I learn a lot from watching tutorials, like how to play certain games, that I then bring with me to summer camp, and will probably also bring with me into my future classroom. Some other beneficial things I have learned from TikTok include sign language, teaching strategies, and appropriate teaching outfits, which was great when I as doing my practicum in the spring.
• Pinterest
  • Pinterest is a platform I do not often use, however, every now and then I check it out, as I find the content quite creative and inspirational. The reason I do not use it that often is because I really like to comment and talk with others. I find this helps deepen my learning as I can ask questions or answer other peoples questions, however, I find this feature not as prominent, compared to other platforms, like Instagram and TikTok. Another reason I often do not use Pinterest is because you can only post pictures, no videos, and as someone who learns best by having both a visual and audio component, my attention gets lost.

Engaging with Your Community

I engage with my PLN community by updating my account by posting, uploading to my story, and responding to comments and questions, as well as by engaging with other peoples content by commenting and asking questions. This again, helps to promote a relationship where everyone is the “teacher.” When engaging with my community, I sometimes feel anxious because I do not know how others will respond, or if they will judge me. However, knowing my account is private helps me feel more comfortable. Going through my followers every now and then also helps as I can remove anyone I do not feel comfortable seeing or engaging with my content. These protocols help me feel safe to participate in discussions, offer support and feedback, and share valuable content.

Building a Supportive PLN 

So far I have taken the following steps to build a supportive PLN:

• Follow people that inspire me that I want to learn and collaborate with.
• Remove followers that I feel uncomfortable with seeing my content.
• Adjust the privacy settings on my account so I feel comfortable engaging with my community.

After checking out “Building a Professional Learning Network” narrated by Rahul Menon, I learned more ways to build a PLN. Here are the steps that I will take to continue building my PLN:

• Continue to follow more people who share the same interests and goals as me, such as teachers.
• Take a few minutes a day to scroll through a PLNs social media page. This will help me stay updated with the latest trends, discover new ideas, and build relationships.
• Join virtual or in-person meetups if the opportunities come up. This will help me build more personal relationships.
• Optimize and professionalize my account by using a professional picture and creating a new biography that will tell others who I am and what goals I have. This will help attract those who share similar goals.
• Engage more by participating in more discussions, by commenting and asking other people more questions. This will be especially helpful when I begin teaching as I will have a lot of questions and need support from those more experienced. I think beginning to follow more teachers and making connections now will help me in a few years.

Expanding Your PLN

References

Purdue_GEER. (2022, August 2). Building a Professional Learning Network. Retrieved August 7, 2024, from YouTube website: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTdE46gW21o

Woods, B. (2013, November). Building your own PLN: seeking new insights and ideas? Expand your personal learning network. T+D, 67(11), 70+. https://link-gale-com.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/apps/doc/A348998538/ITBC?u=uvictoria&sid=summon&xid=1010abdf