Building a Professional Learning Network Using Twitter

Building a
Professional Learning
Network (PLN)
Using Twitter

I am Spencer Burton and I am
here to guide us in our exploration
of building a PLN on Twitter.
Let’s continue to learn together
after our workshop on Twitter:
@spencerburton
Hello, tweeters!

Land
Acknowledgement
The schools in the Waterloo Catholic District School
Board are situated on the Haldimand Tract of land that is
the traditional home of the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe
and Neutral People.
We acknowledge the enduring presence and deep
traditional knowledge, laws and philosophies of the
Indigenous Peoples with whom we share this land today.
We seek a new relationship with the Original People of this
land, one based on honour and deep respect.
We are grateful for the opportunity to learn here and
reaffirm our collective commitment to make the promise
and the challenge of Truth and Reconciliation real in our
community.

Today, we will be exploring how to
use Twitter as a tool to collaborate
with and learn from other educators,
both locally and globally!

I know I will be successful when I…
★ Understand the importance of building a Professional Learning Network (PLN)
★ Create and effectively use a Twitter account as a platform for my PLN
★ Engage with other education professionals to launch my PLN
★ Develop 21st-century competencies using technology as a professional tool
Here are some learning goals that will help
to guide our workshop:

PLNs
1
What is it and how do we
build one?
Twitter
2
What is it and how does it
work?
Building a PLN
3
Let’s use Twitter to create
a PLN!
Connections
4
How does a Twitter PLN
connect to our professional
development (i.e., 21st
century skills, SAMR model)?
Conclusion
5
Wrapping all of today’s
learning together!
Survey
6
Let your voice be heard!
Workshop Agenda

Building a Professional
Learning Network (PLN)
1

Learning Goal:
By the end of this section, I will be able
to define “PLN” and explain why it is
important for our professional
development as lifelong learners.

Let’s start off with a
quick discussion question:
What do you think of when you
hear “professional learning
network”?

What are some Professional
Learning Networks that you may
be already a part of?

PLNs help to foster collaboration among
educators.
True or False?
PLNs are a great platform to collaborate
with others, share experiences, and
give/receive support and feedback!

You need to be a computer genius to be
able to create a digital PLN.
True or False?
Creating and using a digital PLN
is a skill that can (and should) be
learned by everyone!

PLNs provide access to a wealth of
information and resources.
True or False?
PLNs are a great way to stay up-to-
date on best practices and lesson
ideas, thanks to the many educators
who are willing to share!

PLNs are a waste of time.
True or False?
PLNs allow you to connect with
other educators and access
information instantly. The access to
collaborators and resources could
actually be seen as invaluable!

Building a Professional Learning Network Using Twitter

● Began curating my PLN when I first applied to my
Bachelor of Education in 2014
● Knew there was much to learn from others
● Wanted a place to share my own thoughts and reflections
● A place to store my successful activities (pictures, etc.) to
refer back to in future years
My Experience with
PLNs

But wait…
There are many ways and platforms to create
a Professional Learning Network.
Let’s explore where I chose to create my PLN!

Learning Goal:
to understand Twitter as a social media
platform and explain how it can be
used to create a PLN.

What is this
“Twitter”
thing you
speak of?

Let’s watch a quick video to
see some screenshots of
tweets you may see!
There are many different tweets that
you will see on Twitter, each with its
own purpose for being sent!

Let’s take a closer
look at the various
parts of a tweet.

Discuss with your group:
What are some ways that you believe
Twitter could be used as a platform for a
Professional Learning Network?

How Can Twitter Be Used Effectively
in Education?

Strategies for Growing PLN
Here are 5 go-to strategies to help you find and follow
relevant educators and organizations:
Search Hashtags
Follow Accounts
Engage with Others
Twitter Chats
Share Your Content

Search Hashtags
● Hashtags are a great way to find tweets and accounts related to
your interests
● Try searching for hashtags related to education, your subject area,
or specific events
● You can also use hashtags to participate in online discussions and
to connect with other educators
● Suggestions: #WCDSBinnovate, #WCDSBawesome, #edchat,
#edtech

Follow Accounts
● Once you have found some hashtags related to your interests,
start following the accounts that are using them
● This will allow you to see their tweets in your timeline and start
building your professional learning network
● Suggestions: @spencerburton, @WCDSBnewswire, @edutopia

Engage With Others
● One of the best ways to connect with other educators on Twitter is
to engage with their tweets
● This can include retweeting, commenting, or asking questions
● By doing so, you can start a conversation and build relationships
with other educators

Twitter Chats
● Twitter chats are online discussions that take place at a specific
time and are organized around a specific hashtag
● They provide a great opportunity to connect with other educators
and to learn from each other
● I helped to facilitate the #ONedchat between 2016-2019!
● Suggestions: #EdTechChat Mondays 8PM, #LeadLAP Mondays
9PM, #TeachPos Sundays at 7:30pm

Share Your Content
● Sharing your own content on Twitter is a great way to build your
Professional Learning Network
● This can include blog posts, articles, or resources that you have found
useful, or posting pictures of your lessons in action!
● By sharing your own content, you can start a conversation and
connect with other educators who are interested in the same topics
● Don’t forget to include hashtags in your tweets so other educators
can find and be inspired by your content!

Let’s look at an example that
George Couros, a Canadian
educational leader, uses in his
book The Innovator’s Mindset
to show the effectiveness of a
PLN using Twitter.

What can we learn from this reading?
Twitter is a platform that allows us to easily connect with
educators, both locally and across the globe, in a matter
of seconds. Even when we log on with the purpose of
looking for something specific (e.g., searching #scichat for
mitosis lesson ideas), we can be inspired in ways we
weren’t even searching for. This is the power of a PLN
using Twitter!

Break Time!
When we return,
we’ll build our PLNs using Twitter!

Learning Goal:
to create a Twitter account and use it
to build a Professional Learning
Network.

We will be using this time to beginning building a Professional
Learning Network using Twitter.
First, we will create a Twitter account. If you already have an
account, you can use this time to update your existing account.
Then, you will have some time to build and explore your PLN,
gaining some practical, hands-on experience with Twitter.
Let’s get tweeting!

Step #1
Create a Twitter Account

Step #2
Follow 5+ Twitter
Accounts

Step #3
Post 1 Tweet of Your Own

Step #4
Respond To Someone
Else’s Tweet

Step #5
Retweet 1 Tweet You Find
Interesting/Useful

What are your initial thoughts and feelings
about using Twitter to connect with other
educators and building a digital PLN?

Break Time!
When we return, we’ll reflect on today’s learning!

Learning Goal:
By the end of this section, I will be able to
understand how using Twitter connects to
21st Century Competencies, Board
guidelines, and the SAMR model.

How do the 21st Century Competencies on
the following slide align with building a
Professional Learning Network using
Twitter?

Communication and Collaboration
By participating in a professional learning network on Twitter, teachers
can communicate and collaborate with other educators and
educational organizations to share best practices, resources, and ideas.

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Twitter provides teachers with a wealth of information and resources,
which requires them to exercise their critical thinking and problem-
solving skills to evaluate the quality and relevance of that information.

Citizenship
Twitter provides teachers with opportunities to develop their digital
literacy skills by using social media platforms, hashtags, mentions,
and other features to connect with a global audience of educators.

Creativity
Twitter can provide teachers with opportunities to engage with new
and innovative ideas and strategies for teaching and learning, which
can encourage creative thinking and innovation.

Board’s Responsible Use of Technology
● Remember that, with any use of technology for professional
purposes, we must refrain from the following:
○ Posting student work, photographs and/or video images on any public website
without prior written consent from the student’s parent or guardian, except
where noted in the Student Personal Information Collection / Use / Disclosure
Notice (APC023-AX: Appendix A).
○ Posting student’s personal information such as birthdays, class lists, marks and
demographic information.
○ Using the internet or email accounts in a manner that is not consistent with the
mission of WCDSB, misrepresents WCDSB, or violates any of WCDSB’s policies and
procedures.

What stage of the SAMR Model for
Technology Integration does using Twitter to
create a PLN fall within?

Time to reflect on
today’s learning!

Takeaways from Today’s Workshop
A PLN is a network of
educators that share
knowledge and resource
to grow as professionals.
Twitter is a social media
platform that can be used
to connect with educators
from around the globe.
Using technology can help us
develop 21st century
competencies, which will also
help us to teach our students
these skills.
Technology is a great tool, but
we must remember to use it
responsibly.
Tweeting, retweeting,
searching hashtags, and
following are effective
ways to build and engage
with your PLN.

Post-Workshop
Survey
Please take a few moments now, or
at another convenient time today,
to complete the post-workshop
survey. This will be beneficial in
helping me develop future
workshops and facilitate deeper
learning experiences!

Post-Workshop Survey
1. On a scale of 1-5, how effective was the
workshop in meeting its objectives?
2. What did you like best about the workshop?
3. What could have been improved?
4. How do you plan to use Twitter to support
your professional learning and growth?
5. Are there any additional resources or support
you would like to receive in the future?

CREDITS: This presentation template was created by Slidesgo, including icons by
Flaticon, and infographics & images by Freepik
Thanks!
Let’s continue to learn together!
Join my PLN!
www.twitter.com/spencerburton

Building a Professional Learning Network Using Twitter

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