The Power of Personal Learning Networks

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

As technologies in the mobile and social media industries grow and change, so does the need for growth in educational technologies and learning environments. In today's 21st-century world, learning can occur anywhere at any time and is no longer only contained in schools, colleges, and libraries alone (Oddone, 2022). Personal Learning Networks (PLNs) are communities of websites, social media sites, experts, and groups of professionals who share and learn about specific subject areas in an informal environment(McCorkle & Alexander, 2019). PLNs allow learners to dive deeper into subjects of interest and learn at their own pace. Learners can spend as much or as little time on a subject as they prefer (McCorkle & Alexander, 2019). PLNs give learners access to a multitude of different experts who provide alternative perspectives on specific subjects, enhancing the learning experience. This flexibility and adaptability in learning greatly help to improve learner engagement and retention.

An individual's PLNs will grow and change as they grow and change through their academic and professional career spaces. I am an Elementary Music Teacher, and my PLN consists of various experts and resources that contribute to my daily work as a music educator. However, as I transition into the instructional design world, my PLN has expanded to include more instructional design resources. More than likely, once I begin working in the ID field full-time, I suspect I will no longer need to access my music education resources at all. You can take a look at my current personal learning network below.

I am also considering expanding my instructional design PLNs even more by joining the Association for Talent and Development. There are an extensive number of webinars, events, courses, micro-courses, and other helpful resources that I can access to assist me in my transition to instructional design. Who or what resources are currently part of your PLN? Are your PLNs the same as five years ago, or have they changed? What PLNs are you interested in participating in in the future? Comment below!

References

McCorkle, D., & Alexander, J. F. (2019). Using a digital personal learning network assignment to teach social curation and lifelong learning in marketing. Journal of Advertising Education, 23(2), 108–120. 

Oddone, K. (2022). The nature of teachers’ professional learning through a personal learning network: Individual, social and digitally connected. Teaching and Teacher Education: Leadership and Professional Development, 1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tatelp.2022.100001