Yesterday I ran a Tech-To-Go kiosk at NCTE. It was a lot of fun talking with teachers eager to learn more about social media. At NCTE, I think there is a clear and strong desire out there, even amongst colleagues not yet on the PLN, to learn how to use technology to improve their teaching, spark their learning, and engage their kids. I wound up jumping all over the web showing off sites like Twitter, Google Docs, Flickr, Wikispaces,and the EduPln Ning. Below are the slides I put together when I had no idea what to expect.
Comments 4
Hi Chad,
Be careful mixing the terms PLN and PLC. The two are not synonymous. A PLC is a group of educators *working together to improve the learning of specific students.* While it may sound like this could be any group of educators connected in any way, that’s not how a PLC works.
So, while it may be possible to have a PLC that is strictly online, that PLC would be the extreme exception.
LOVE the slideshow, but I’m left wondering if you meant PLN when you typed PLC. It could have been a totally honest mistake.
Posted 21 Nov 2009 at 9:07 pm ¶Thanks for the feedback & constructive criticism, Russ. I see your point entirely – can I count you as an advanced-copy reader ahead of my next presentation?
I meant to type PLC and might have left the title in place regardless to drive home the idea for social media novices that groups like the PLN and ECN Ning regularly offer specific help to educators in need of making changes in the classroom. While specific student data isn’t involved, a sense of teamwork on our students’ behalf is, and I hope I was able to communicate that to the folks who visited the kiosk.
Our idea and practice of PLC work is more limited by definition – and for the good reason of protecting students – but I hope we continue to share with one another the products we bring out of PLC discussions that help our students. I certainly appreciate your comments here, as well, Russ.
Best,
Posted 21 Nov 2009 at 11:13 pm ¶C
Good thoughts, Chad. I’m right with you that specific “situations” can be discussed with our online learning networks. That’s amazing.
One big thing thing that separates a PLC from a PLN is context. As a group of 6th grade Language Arts teachers, we sit down after we’ve assessed students and talk about what went well, etc. We can talk about the common assessments we used. It (attempts to) remove those variables.
I think a person can maintain a PLN and a PLC in perfect harmony, but I think it’s important to have the distinction between the two.
Posted 22 Nov 2009 at 5:34 pm ¶Somehow, a comment from @pammoran got lost here. Pam submitted it near 8:00 PM EST on December 19th, 2009. I paste the comment below from the automated email notice sent to me from the blog:
Posted 19 Dec 2009 at 10:11 pm ¶Trackbacks & Pingbacks 1
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