9 AM - Charge Ahead and Take Charge of Your Learning, Room W115

In this fast-paced session, you will learn how to use a myriad of tools available to build your own professional learning network. Whether it’s social bookmarking, video or photo-sharing, online webinars, twitter, blogs or wiki’s, you’ll see how you can pull together resources to build your own personal learning network.

Session Handout here:
Draft Presentation here:

Will Richardson on Personal Learning Networks


Brave New World

An Introduction to Personal Learning Networks: Beyond the Tools...

There are always new web tools, but it’s more important to become part of an online learning network than to master any specific tool. The purpose of this session is to help participants develop the new literacy of joining and growing an online learning network. To that end, the session aims to establish the importance of learning within a social network (based on social constructivist theory) and to help participants see beyond specific tools to discover ways they can build their online learning network over time.

Welcome Question

• Who makes up your learning network?
• Archived Twitter Responses:
  • The Question: Who is in your learning network? How has your online learning network changed your life?
  • The Replies: 18 Responses

Learning to Network & Networking to Learn

• Make Connections
• Make Contributions
• Make Conversation
• Make Requests
• David Jakes' Post on The Strength of Weak Ties: http://jakespeak.blogspot.com/2007/11/strength-of-weak-ties.html

Two-Way Web Stories

• Introduction to the Two-Way Web
• Blogs
  • Example: http://edtechlife.com - And a Story: David Warlick commented on my blog! (In 2005)
  • More: http://supportblogging.com
  • Workshop Wiki: http://blogifyoulovelearning.wikispaces.com
  • Get Started: http://edublogs.org
• Jeff Utecht's Original Post about 25% Time and Professional Development: http://www.thethinkingstick.com/?p=96
• RSS
  • Example (Bloglines - Shared): http://www.bloglines.com/public/markdouglaswagner
  • Example (Google Reader - Shared): http://www.google.com/reader/shared/user/10649784667868956453/state/com.google/broadcast
  • Workshop Wiki: http://reallysimple.wikispaces.com
  • Get Started: http://bloglines.com
• And More...
  • Wikis
    • Example: http://hmtech.wikispaces.com
    • More: http://educationalwikis.wikispaces.com
    • Wikis for PD: http://edtechlife.com/workshops/
    • See Also: http://www.wikipedia.org and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcasting
    • Workshop Wiki: http://wikiwhileyouwork.wikispaces.com
    • Get Started: http://wikispaces.com/site/for/teachers
    • International work between schools https://islaymonroe.wikispaces.com/
  • Podcasts
    • Example: http://k12onlineconference.org/
    • More: http://www.epnweb.org
    • Workshop Wiki: http://podcastined.wikispaces.com
    • Get started: http://podomatic.com
  • Google Docs
    • Example: See the presentation slides
    • Workshop Wiki: http://googled.wikispaces.com/docs2
    • Get Started: http://docs.google.com
  • Social Networking
    • Example: http://classroom20.ning.com
    • Get Started: http://www.ning.com
  • IM and Video Chat
    • Get Started: http://www.skype.com
    • See also iChat for Mac to Mac videoconferencing.
  • Streaming Media
    • Example: http://www.practicaltheory.org/serendipity/index.php?/archives/896-Learning-From-the-Kids.html
    • Example: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/weblogg-ed-tv
    • More: http://edtv.wikispaces.com
    • Workshop Wiki: Coming Soon
    • Get Started: http://www.ustream.tv
• Social Microblogging
  • Example: http://twitter.com/markwagner
  • Workshop WIki: http://twittermethis.wikispaces.com
  • Get Started: http://twitter.com
  • Or Create Your Own Social Microblogging Community: http://shoutem.com/ (Example: http://teach42.shoutem.com/ )

Learning to Network & Networking to Learn

• Make Connections
• Make Contributions
• Make Conversation
• Make Requests

Getting Started

• Pick Three Blogs to Read.
  • Try: http://weblogg-ed.com http://www.davidwarlick.com/2cents/ http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/
  • Create and write a blog when you're ready. Get Started: http://edublogs.org
  • Use RSS to read more when you're ready. Get Started: http://bloglines.com or http://reader.google.com
• Join Classroom 2.0: http://classroom20.ning.com
• Join Twitter and Follow Others Get Started: http://twitter.com
  • Tweet when you're ready.
• See also:
  • Liz Davis' post with "Ten Tips for Growing Your Learning Network": http://edtechpower.blogspot.com/2008/10/ten-tips-for-growing-your-learning.html
  • Jen Jones' post on "Getting Personal and Staying Professional.": http://injenuity.com/?p=40
  • Dr. Wagner's article on "Learning to Network and Networking to Learn": http://edtechlife.com/?p=2067

Extend Your PLN Face-to-Face

• The MACUL Conference: http://www.macul.org/page.php?pid=223
• Wayne RESA, http://www.resa.net/development/
• NECC, http://center.uoregon.edu/ISTE/NECC2009/

Extend Your PLN Online

• Join Classroom 2.0, http://www.classroom20.com/
• And Teachers 2.0, http://teachers20.ning.com/
• And The League Learning Network, http://leaguelearn.ning.com/
• And The One to One Network, http://onetooneinstitute.ning.com/
• And MACUL Space, http://maculspace.ning.com
• K12 Online Conference, http://k12onlineconference.org/

Reflection Question

• How can you expand your learning network?

***Presentation and notes adopted from Mark Wagner, Ph.D., //mark at edtechlife dot com//. **//http://networktolearn.wikispaces.com/monterey//**