Many of us have experienced the benefits of Personal Learning Networks (PLN), which include
- access to a 24/7 network of resource-sharers, SMEs (subject matter experts), supporters, and friends
- access to resources when we need it
- extended professional development in the learning style we like best wheter it is a video, blog post, podcast, webinar, or slideshow
- connections with educators, classrooms, and
- the ability to ask our favorite authors questions and receive responses
- the ability to share our expertise and research to a global audience who can use it
- establishing relationships with other educators that creates a richer experience at conferences we attend
- immediate feedback on our presentations, teaching methodologies, and projects
- collaborative problem-solving with challenges we face in our schools
For these reasons and several more, it is important to encourage other educators to build a PLN. Often, introducing educators to a tool is not enough. Educators new to PLNs need some guidance and mentorship along the way. With this in mind, we have developed the European Union project, Autonomous ‘Personal Learning Networks’ for Language Teachers (APLaNet) For Language Educators and Users of Internet Language Resources.
You Can Participate as a Mentor
Do you have slideshows, blog posts, videos, wikis, podcasts, and other materials you have developed about PLNs? How about passing these materials along to help an educator in Romania, Poland, Turkey, or other places around the world develop their own PLNs? Would you be interested in skyping a group of educators in another country and sharing your experiences with PLNs? You do NOT have to be a language teacher. We are looking for members of nings, Facebook, Twitter, or other social media sites who would like to help educators build their own PLNs. If you have been participating in these forums or have your own blog, then please help us help other educators. If this project is approved we will not start for many months. Therefore, do not worry if you don’t have too much experience now and are just starting. By the time we ask you to help, you probably will have plenty experience in building PLNs.
About the Project
The APLaNet project will be showing and helping language educators how to join existing and create their own PLNs on existing social networks. The project will show you how to join and use the resources that are daily being created, shared, tested and talked about.
Using a PLN language educators will be able to find their way through the jungle of ICT resources on the net and find language teachers, just like themselves, that will help them use the resources.
We are looking for two types of Associate Partners:
1. Teachers of languages – interested in piloting the project
2. Existing users of Social Networks
Click here to sign-up. This form is due by Mon., Feb. 9th.
Thank you for your participation!
