5 Tips for Growing your PLN This Year

Now that we’re a full step into the new year, it’s time to start making good on our New Year’s resolutions. For many educators, that includes forging new connections and implementing new strategies for making professional learning sustainable all year long.

One way you can do both at once is through a professional learning network or PLN. These personalized networks are often made up of numerous educators working together to build professional relationships, share insights, and enhance their professional capacity through mutual learning.

Put another way, a robust PLN is your ticket to ongoing professional development that’s tailored to your individualized learning goals. Through a PLN, you’ll expand your horizons and foster human connections that you can leverage down the line for some much-needed support and problem-solving.

All of that starts by building out your PLN. Here are five strategies for growing your PLN that I recommend to all K-12 teachers and administrators:

Attendance at these types of networking groups has remained low after the return to full, in-person learning. As a result, some regions have pivoted to offering role-specific networking groups where CS educators or library media specialists can share experiences and navigate shared challenges together.

Unlike when I started my career, you also don’t need to travel far to take part in a networking group, either. Many networking groups have found a comfortable home online, making it easier to reap the benefits of a networking group without taking more time out of your busy schedule.

That being said, it’s also easy to follow everyone in sight on social media, which can cause you to lose track of the voices that matter most to you. Here’s how you can make the most of that social media  “follow” button when building your PLN:

• Start by following colleagues in your district and speakers from conferences you’ve attended.
• Next, take a page from the arts community and follow the people those people follow. This is a great way to discover what inspires the people you already look up to, opening new doors to growth and discovery you didn’t previously know existed.
• Stay organized from the jump using tools like Lists on Twitter. This can be especially helpful for folks in multiple roles who want a quick, focused view on different segments of their PLN.

All of this wisdom applies to other social media platforms beyond Twitter, too. LinkedIn, for example, has become a popular online networking tool for many K-12 administrators, while Instagram is gaining popularity among library media specialists and elementary educators.

Alternatively, you can also participate in a Twitter chat. These conversations – facilitated by users via shared hashtags and communal replies to timely questions – are a great way to dig deep and unearth nuanced views on topics that impact your role or a topic close to your heart (such as your content area or grade band).

To make this happen, EdCamps utilize an informal, unstructured format where the audience decides on the spot what the “sessions” will be. Without a clear facilitator or set presentation (and often, no vendors), attendees are free to have impromptu conversations and share resources based on their communal needs.

These conversations are always a breath of fresh air and I highly recommend them to folks who have only ever taken part in “sit-and-get” conference workshops.

• Don’t be Afraid to Lurk – Joining a conversation or a new networking group can feel intimidating at first. If you’re not ready to contribute immediately, feel free to sit in the back and simply listen. This is a great way to feel out the group and discover prevailing topics that you can add your voice to down the line.
• Be Kind and Be Open – Especially on social media, it can feel easy to let your hottest take roll without a second thought. But you attract more bees with honey than vinegar, so be thoughtful, be respectful, and be open to new ideas and perspectives. You might just learn a thing or two!

Helping you Make New Connections

The Learning Technology Center also makes it easy to grow your PLN and forge connections that will serve your year-round professional learning goals. We offer free regional and role-specific networking groups that allow peers to share resources and collaborate on projects focused on enhancing educational opportunities using technology.

Another great way to build your PLN is by joining the LTC Community. There, you’ll find hundreds of fellow teachers, admins, and coaches asking questions and sharing their insights on topics that matter most to them. Best of all, membership on the LTC Community is free!