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=**Professional Learning Networks (PLN) **=  NCTies Conference March 2009 by: Deborah Goodman, Technology Facilitator Edenton-Chowan Schools ** Do you sometimes feel as though you are a stranger in a strange land? Could it be the tidal wave of new technologies associated with Web 2.0? It can be overwhelming. So, are you ready for an extreme makeover, Cafe Style, whether you're a beginner to get you started or the coffee house junky who can't get enough? In this session, you will learn of tools that can help in constructing your personal/professional learning network.

David Warlick, in __Learning & Leading with Technology__ (Mar/Apr 09), mentions in his article, //Grow Your Personal Learning Network//, that this is not a new concept. We've relied on friends, relatives, colleagues, personal subscriptions, books, etc. to supplement what we need to know. Web 2.0 tools can link you to collaborative communities which can serve to keep you abreast of the latest technologies, trends and issues in our ever changing global community. You will also see how these tools can become the scaffolding in which to construct your personal/professional learning network. David categorizes PLNs into three main types: sychronous (real time), semisynchronous (almost real time), and asynchronous (over time) connections.   We will look at online resources such as Skype, Twitter, Delicious, Diigo, EdTechTalk, Google, Second Life, Facebook, Plurk, and other social networking tools. Many educators have taken advantage of these tools for meeting their professional development needs. I find them self sustaining and just in time. Steve Hargadon, in [|Thoughts on Social Networking in Education] says, "What makes social networking for professional development so powerful is that 1) it's not geographically or physically bounded as a conference is, 2) it takes place 24X7, not just for a few days a year, 3) it allows for asynchronous contribution, so conversations can grow richer over time with more contributors, and 4) it allows for the "publishing" of material or contribution by those who would never previously have written an article for a journal or made a formal presentation at a conference.

House coffee, Cappuccino, Expresso Latte'?

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