A personal learning network or PLN is the creation of a network that includes support, connections, relationships, and resources that promote and encourage ongoing learning. A PLN is extremely important to an educator and will prove its worth through interaction that may result in professional growth, inspiration, and enlightenment. Creating such network is ongoing throughout one’s career as is their learning as well. Below I have complied some sites and blogs that interested me to lay the foundation of my own PLN. As I am slowly entering the world of an educator I plan for my PLN to grow along with me through this journey. It may include various components such as collages, blogs, websites, and other social media platforms that will allow me to interact with other individuals within the field.
Below I have listed some websites that I believe could be beneficial in my success in my future elementary education classroom.
1: The Learning Teacher Network has created an online community of educators that have a clear vision of using education to focus on maintain a sustainable world. Through the use of various platforms via online, print, and conferences they have created a unity of educators that are hopeful to educate their students and each other how to preserve of world for generations to come.
Our Story – Education for Sustainable Development and the LTN
2: Teachers Support Network is an online network that connects educators with hiring professionals. They encourage recruitment, placement, development and retention in an ever changing job market.
https://www.teacherssupportnetwork.com/
3: Teachers.net is online support system that has free lesson plans, teacher chat boards, open job postings, classroom project suggestions, and even a live chat feature to speak with fellow educators.
4: Classroom 2.0 is a free social platform for educators to communicate, join webinars, find events, and research forums about various topics related to the educational field.
https://www.classroom20.com/forum
5: Goodreads is a website that offers great reviews and suggestions on selecting reading material. It has multiple different categories and could used across various reading levels; I believe it could be a fun tool in helping my students get excited about reading.
I have also complied some websites and blogs that encourage the marriage of education and technology within the classroom.
1: Curriki is online community that combines teaching with technology and has over 50,000 free resources that offer many lesson ideas. They also offer a blog, newsletter, professional development, and various groups that cover an array of topics.
2: Common Sense Education is a website devoted to helping teachers with the utilization of technology in their classrooms. They offer free lesson plans, app ratings, and advice how to effectively introduce technology into lessons.
https://www.commonsense.org/education/
3: Cool Cat Teaching is a website/ blog that covers stories of multiple teachers and highlights their accomplishments in making learning fun for their students. Many of the blogs posts incorporate fun ways to add technology into the curriculum to enhance the students experience.
https://www.coolcatteacher.com/
4: Shake Up Learning is an exciting blog that offers tips, cheat sheets, and even a pod cast to help with tech needs within the classroom.
https://shakeuplearning.com/blog/
5: Google Classroom this allows educators to have an organized platform form for homework, quizzes, and projects that students can access online both inside and outside the classroom.
https://edu.google.com/?modal_active=none
Local organizations that offer professional development that includes workshops related to technology.
Liberty Science Center in Jersey City
https://lsc.org/education/for-teachers/professional-development/group-workshops
They Provide various workshops that highlight effect ways to promote an increase of technological literacy within the classroom. Two examples they offer are Computational Thinking For Stem Educators K-12and Intro To 3D Printing K-12.
The New Jersey Educational Computing Cooperative (NJECC)
They are a nonprofit based at Mont Claire State University with a goal to promote and support the integration of technology in NJ’s K-12 classrooms. They provide workshops, professional development, monthly meetings, and various conferences to support their initiative.
Rutgers Continuing Studies Centers for Mathematics, Science, and Computer Education
https://cmsce.rutgers.edu/workshops
They offer professional development, work shops, and summer programs that focus on various ways to utilize technology within the classroom. Many of their distinctive topics include curriculum fun projects to get students excited about learning.
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