Developing a Personal Learning Network (PLN) can sometimes be a full time job. I am proud to say that mine is coming along quite well, but I have to stop and honestly reflect on where I am in this adoption process. For me, it was and is an evolution. There were several steps involved to get to where I am now, which by the way is no where near where I hope to get to.
At a technology conference, I was introduced to Skype and, by chance, Twitter in the same session. I was immediately engaged by Skype and the possibilities for use in the classroom. I went home and started looking around for people who used Skype and stumbled across a Ning called Classroom 2.0. For me, this was the jackpot. I found people here discussing things that I could only dream of implementing in my classroom. I met a couple of people through this network who were interested in using Skype, but I still had a long way to go. I also began to play around with Twitter. I followed a couple of people that I had met on Classroom 2.0. I have to admit that Twitter was really tough for me. I almost gave up more than once. I felt like the new kid at school and none of the cool kids wanted anything to do with me. Thanks to a few kind souls, my network began to slowly grow. I learned to contribute when I could and to absorb as much information as possible. Today, it is my single most valuable tool that I have for finding new resources to use at school.
Through Twitter, I came across Syliva Tolisano's Around the World with 80 Schools project. This really set me on fire with Skype. I loved it and my kids loved it. I also found my way to her blog, which led me to want one of my own. This is kind of where I am today. I am more of a consumer than a creator. I absorb and use great ideas from those gracious enough to accept me into their networks. I fully intend to repay the many favors as my experience and confidence grows. I am constantly awed and thankful for all the great people and ideas in my PLN.