The document provides tips on getting started with a PLN, such as choosing blogs and experts to follow on social media, participating in discussions, building an online identity, and sharing resources with your network. It emphasizes that PL

1. Only Connect:
Harvesting the power
of social media
Julie Adams and Eleanor Johnston
Information Services

2. Session outline
• Personal learning networks
– What, why, how
• A look at some of the tools
• Developing your own network
– Where are you now
– Getting where you want to be

3. Personal Learning Networks
What?
Why?
How?

4. What is a PLN?
an environment for a
person to manage A network that consists of the people a
connections learner interacts with and derives
knowledge from.... a person makes a
connection with another person with the
The PLN is an environment for
specific intent that some type of learning
a person to manage
will occur because of that connection
knowledge (whatever than
(Wikipedia)
means)
PLNs provide individuals with all about using web tools such as
learning and access to leaders and blogs, wikis, Twitter, Facebook to
experts around the world bringingcreate connections with others which
together communities, resources extend our learning, increases our
and information. reflection while enabling us to learn
together as part of a global
community.

5. Why?
Draw on a huge range of ideas and experiences of experts
working in a wide range of roles, all over the world.
• Connect with others
• Collaborate: Share and exchange ideas and experience
• Contribute
• Inject creativity into everyday practice
• Enjoy a constant flow of ideas
• Encourage innovation
• Develop enthusiasm and passion
• Timely: learn what you need, when you need it.

6. ... but also...
There are
now huge
...so it can amounts of
be difficult information
to get to available
what we
need
PLNs can
help filter
the
information
down
The issue is “not information
overload, but filter failure”
Clay Shirky

7. http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/communications/internet-minute-infographic.html

8. How?
• You decide!
– What tools you use
– Who you connect with
– How you want to learn
– When you want to learn

10. Some tools we’ll look at...

11. Blogs
• Directories: Technorati
• Search: Google blog search, Google ‘experts’
names
Finding: • Social discovery – Twitter, Facebook
• Other bloggers links
• Links from other websites
• RSS feeds
Follow: • Choose your reader
• University blog server
Create: • Within some other tools
• Free tools: Blogger

12. Social Network tools
Linkedin
http://www.linkedin.com/
http://learn.linkedin.com/
Yammer http://www.yammer.com
Facebook http://www.facebook.com
Google+
http://www.google.com/+/business/

13. Multimedia Social Media
YouTube
SlideShare
Flickr

14. PLNs
• See what others have said:
http://edtechpost.wikispaces.com/PLE%20Diagrams

15. PLNs
What does yours look like?
What do you want it to look like?

16. Getting started...
All networks start with
a single connection...
Find your entry
point!
...and build on it

17. Some quick ways to start
• Pick 5 interesting blogs to read regularly
• Subscribe to blogs e.g. Google Reader
• Comment on the blogs
• Join a social network
• Read tweets and find some experts to follow
• Bookmark and share things you find

18. Tips on building Your PLN
• Don't just lurk – Comment, Engage and Participate
• Start slowly (maybe find mentor(s) to help you)
• Build your identity - use the same username across
tools
• Share as much as you take (resources, successes,
failures, other connections)
• Start conversations
• Try new tools for yourself
• Lifelong learning is the key!