PLN for the Bewildered

We live in the era of information and it’s close relation - the acronym. I have sat through many meetings and attempted to decode each rapidly fired alpha representation of policy and concepts; IEP, EQAO, BIP, BIPSA, TTEP, SIP, ELL and the list goes on. The speaker is usually someone well versed in the document or procedure associated with each acronym and shares their knowledge with ease.
I would like to present one more acronym and to promise, at the outset, that I am neither knowledgeable nor at ease with the concept - the PLN. For those unfamiliar with this particular grouping of letters, while I must admit to experiencing a brief sense of professional superiority, I am replete with solidarity for the bewildered, so I will quickly decode. PLN refers to Professional Learning Networks.
In the spirit of brevity, I will say this: PLNs are impactful and worthwhile but require attention and effort. I have recently begun establishing my PLN and in all honesty, I had to remove many individuals. While there are many interesting concepts and perspective which can be pursued on line, in this case, less is more.
So, if I can share one simple strategy for establishing a PLN it would be this. Pick one individual whose online communication you value and just follow that person. Read their posts daily. Engage in conversations with that person. Then, when you believe you are ready for more, add another voice to your PLN. The goal is to take control of your learning, so it would not be effective to be overrun with information.
This approach may seem very simplistic - and in fact it is. Keep in mind the title of this blog!

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