Creating a Professional Learning Network (PLN)

Every profession requires each individual to have a coherent plan that they will use to ensure the succession and progress of a specific organization. Teachers as professionals ought to engage with other teachers from all over the world to find ways and methods of teaching that will ensure a worthwhile learning experience for learners. The idea of creating a learning network is founded on the notion that no one can ever know too much, therefore, an extra mind can do wonders to our education system . Therefore, being connect with the rest of the world can help ensure this.

What is a Professional Learning Network?

A professional learning network (PLN) is an approach used by teachers or other professionals to ensure that they learn more about their profession and improve their practice. It helps connect people from various parts of the world who happen to have the same occupation, profession and expertise with the purpose of sharing ideas, methods and teach others along the way. A PLN is an ongoing learning process that changes over time depending on what problems or challenges an individual is facing in relation to their field of expertise. According to Tobin (1998), PLNs help employees learn about their professions through their colleagues. Therefore, for an individual to grow professionally, they need input from other people they share the same profession with.

PLNs were first created as a method of connecting different professionals but they have grown to explore even more aspects. For example, in an educational context, teachers use PLNs to collaborate and study with their fellow colleagues, also analyzing student data, their learning styles, achievements and reflecting on their own teaching practice to observe whether their methods of teaching are still effective and cater for learners' diverse needs (Trust, 2012:2).

BENEFITS OF PLNs

- PLNs are global support networks that decrease isolation and promote independence.

- One cannot be isolated because they are connected with the rest of the world.

- One learns to be independent because what they have acquired from other professionals can only be applied in solitude. ( conversation are online)

PLNs are divided into two categories

1. Information aggregation : helps you stay up to date.

2. Social media connection : to connect with people.