Connecting with other educators is important for our professional growth. Online connections help this to happen. This is a presentation I delivered in 2009.

1. The Power of the
Online
Professional Learning
Network
Helen Otway
Manor Lakes P-12 Specialist
College

2. Background
 Teacher at Essendon Nth PS
 Leading Teacher at Parkwood Green PS
 Ultranet Coach, WMR, DEECD
 Assistant Principal - ICT/Student
Learning at Manor Lakes
P-12/Specialist School

3. Guiding questions…
 What is an online Professional Learning
Network (PLN)?
 How is this different to traditional Professional
Learning experienced in schools?
 How has Web 2.0 made an impact on
Professional Learning for educators?
 What are some examples and tools for online
PLNs?

4. “When I first began teaching in the
1980s as a graduate, the people I
would turn to for support would be my
fellow teachers and my leadership
team. They knew everything I needed
to know about what to teach and how
to teach it. Or so it seemed.”
http://helenotway.edublogs.org/2008/05/31/the-power-of-the-professional-learning-netw
/

5. Typical Teacher Network
This was me
Alec Couros

6. “At times, depending on budget
allocations, I could go off to a PD
to hear what was happening with
Literacy or with new technologies.
This information sat with me until I
was ready to use it or would be
buried within my mind with all the
chores that were more pressing at
the time.”
http://helenotway.edublogs.org/2008/05/31/the-power-of-the-professional-learning-netw
/

7. Traditional Professional
Development
 Whole school PD
 After school - 3:45pm
 Offsite workshops
 Planned for you
 Scheduled
 Have to attend

8. “In 2008 this would no longer be
enough for me and wonder if it is
enough for others. Admittedly I am
not a graduate teacher anymore but
still feel that there is a wealth of new
knowledge and experiences,
especially in the area of ICT out
there that I cannot ignore. So would
my immediate colleagues be able to
support my desire to learn and grow
now?”
http://helenotway.edublogs.org/2008/05/31/the-power-of-the-professional-learning-network
/

9. http://www.wordle.net/

10. “In the last 8 months my life as a
teacher and learner has changed
somewhat to include a new online
Professional Learning Network
(PLN). A network that is growing
and fluid enough to accommodate
my wonderings and discoveries, my
shifts in mindset and my whims.”
http://helenotway.edublogs.org/2008/05/31/the-power-of-the-professional-learning-netw
/

11. The Networked Teacher
This is
me now
Alec Couros

12. Implications of Web 2.0
on Professional Learning
Learning -
 Anytime, anywhere
 Interactive and dynamic
 Collaborative and connected
 Relevant and purposeful
 Spontaneous and open
 Reflective

13. Steve Hargadon’s 10 Trends
http://helenotway.edublogs.org/tag/twitter/
 New publishing revolution
 A tidal wave of information
 Everything is becoming participative
 The new pro-sumers
 The age of the collaborator
 An explosion of innovation
 The world gets even flatter and faster
 Social learning moves towards centre stage
 The long tail
 Social networking really opens up a party!

14. Why Professional Learning?
 Knowing what to do
 Knowing how to do it
 Knowing the best way or other ways to do
something
 Knowing where to find help
 Knowing who to ask for help
 Do these fit with your expectations of PL?

15. Online Professional Learning
Networks
 Ning (social network/website)
 Blog (online journal)
 Twitter (micro-blogging)
 Diigo (social book-marking)
 And heaps more!!
We will look more closely at the top four

16. “As a result of joining these online
communities and developing them into my
own PLNs, I have been on a huge
learning curve and also a journey that I
have some say, in how and when I learn. I
am able to self regulate my professional
growth and can share my reflections
along the way through the same networks
that support me. This blog helps me to
process and document my journey.”
http://helenotway.edublogs.org/2008/05/31/the-power-of-the-professional-learning-network
/

17. Nings

18. Ning Interestingness!!
 Launched in 2005  Join discussions and
 Online platform forums
 Add friends or
 Join networks ‘colleagues’
 Create own profile page  Join groups with specific
 Make it unique interests
 Add photos, text, and  Create you own group
videos  Create your own network
 Write a blog post  Over 500,000 networks
now

19. Some examples
 http://classroom20.ning.com/
 http://secondclassroom.ning.com/
 http://nowconference2008.ning.com/
 http://oznzeducators.ning.com/
 http://school20.ning.com/

20. Blogs

21. Blog Interestingness!!
 Short for weblog  Shared online over the
 A web page Internet
 Journal like  Read by your network and
 Most recent entries or others
‘posts’ go to the top of the  Subscribed to
page  Hosted by -
 Text, images, videos can – Edublogs
be included – Campus Edublogs
 Personalised – Blogger
– Typepad

22. Some Examples …
 http://helenotway.edublogs.org/ Helen Otway
 http://mscofino.edublogs.org/ Kim Cofino
 http://heyjude.wordpress.com/ Judy O’Connell
 http://betch.edublogs.org/ Chris Betcher
 http://weblogg-ed.com/ Will Richardson
 http://theopenclassroom.blogspot.com/
Jo McLeay

23. Twitter

24. Twitter Interestingness!!
 Free online micro-  Follow people with
blogging service similar interests
 Users send and receive  Have updates sent to
updates mobile
 Messages are no longer  Direct message someone
than 140 characters  Seek advice
 Begin with the question -  Answer other people’s
What are you doing? queries
 Add friends and follow

25. Why use it? Twitter
 To be connected with like minded people
 To share links and ideas
 To learn what is happening with education
locally and globally
Or as an ICT facilitator in NZ put it -
And a university lecturer says
-

27. Diigo
http://www.diigo.com/profile/helenotway

28. Diigo Interestingness!!
 Social book-marking  Add friends
service  Join groups
 Like delicious  Pool resources for
 Save ‘favourites’ to specific projects
the Internet  Annotate and add
 Access book-marks on sticky notes to a
any computer at website or article
anytime

29. Diigo Groups
http://groups.diigo.com/groups/peer-coaching
http://groups.diigo.com/groups/google-in-education