The Personal Learning Network otherwise known as PLNs are fast becoming an important place for learning in the 21st century.  What used to require an encyclopedia, a "smart" circle of friends, and enough money for college tuition, is now replaced by the savvy internet Google search and a meaningful hashtag.  You can now collaborate, learn, become inspired, all without leaving the laptop or  the smartphone.  This blog will identify what a PLN is, why it may be important, and how it may be used in the classroom.

PLNs made easy

http://onceateacher.wordpress.com/2009/05/05/pln-your-personal-learning-network-made-easy/

A PLN in short is "the entire collection of people with whom you engage and exchange information usually online."  This can be any form of information.  A link to a journal to a friend.  An answer to a question on twitter.com.  A picture you share on pinterest.com.  What makes a PLN great is the ability to share a wide array of information with millions of people.  A great example of the power of PLNs comes in the form of advice.  It used to be that one would have to ask colleagues for teaching strategies that work in their classrooms.  Acquisition of vocabulary is a prime example.  What if you colleagues do not have an effective way of teaching vocabulary to their students?  One could research the internet, dig through old textbooks, or harness the power of an PLN.

I personally follow thirty two people on twitter.com.  All of which are educators or aspiring to be one.  As a result, twitter.com has become a way for me to "ask the experts."

In this case it only took me thirty minutes to find some great techniques for vocabulary.  What if 600 people followed me?  Imagine how many responses I would get!

Edmodo:  The "facebook" of the classroom

http://tuesdaynighttech.wikispaces.com/Edmodo

PlNs can be useful in the classroom as well.  

"Edmodo is a social networking site for teachers and students to collaborate and communication within the education world. It can help teachers become connected to other teachers within the same school or other schools. It allows for message sending, a digital calendar, and gradebook, and allows for collaborations between teachers by encouraging the sharing of links, assignments, files, polls, etc."

A prime example of this is edmodo.com.  Edmodo is a way for educators to use what students already know, love, and in some ways cannot "live without" FaceBook!  It is a fantastic tool that has made its way to many classrooms across the world, mine included!  The key to a good PLN is to use what students already know.  Familiarization of technology makes it easier for teachers and students to embrace.  Use what they know!

Pintrest:  A visual way to share your PLNs with the world

http://www.pinterest.com/esheninger/personal-learning-networks/

Pintrest.com is a website dedicated to sharing pictures on the internet.  It has been a way for people to create online bulletin boards, scrap books, wish lists, etc.  It also has a function in the classroom.  A way to share student work with your PLN which includes parents, students, and staff.  It is also a good way to learn more techniques.  

The way students learn is changing.  What used to be a simple trip to the library, the card catalog, Dewey Decimal System, and the dusty books in the reference section has evolved to a simple button click and keyboard strokes.  Educators need to embrace these new techniques.  Otherwise they risk turning students off and disengaged.