My Personal Learning Network

1. My Personal Learning Network Natalie Webster – EDIT 202

2. Me, on TwitterJune 16, 2013 For my PLN I chose to use Twitter, as it had the most users and therefore the most possibilities for connections. Over the semester I have found so many professionals and organizations to follow that have been informative and inspiring.

3. BEdition Magazine • The magazine of the Faculty of Education at the U of A • Regular tweets every day • Tweets about things that are relevant to education students, from interest areas like second languages and technology, to talks with Faculty of Education alumni, to administrative things • Bedition Magazine helps me stay on top of what is currently happening in the education world in Alberta, as well as provide information about being a teacher in Alberta, including tools to use in the classroom and where to go for support. • Paper free!

4. Beyond the Crayon • A post-secondary inclusion facilitator that tweets almost daily about issues facing the special needs community in Edmonton • Not afraid to tweet about controversial issues like her support of the gay community and the funding cuts to PDD • Helps me stay on top of issues in the special needs world, and she also engages in conversations that can help me to see all sides facing an issue like EA support for adults

5. The Educator’s Spin On It • A group of educators that share teaching resources online • They Organize education conversations with the hashtag: #weteach for educators and others interested in education, and they also post frequent tweets that facilitate discussion • I also follow them on Pinterest where they post amazing teaching and learning through play resources – they frequently refer to their Pinterest on their Twitter • Are a wealth of knowledge when it comes to all kinds of resources: school subjects, classroom management, after school activities, outdoor activities, sensory activities, technology, and even other great people to follow on Pinterest and Twitter • I have use many of their resources in my work as a a one-on-one aide for specialized services programming, and hope to use many of their curricular resources when I am completing my APT

6. My Growth Before having a twitter account I had no idea about the vast amount of resources available to teachers. I can find support, what other grads are doing, teaching resources, new technological advances, resources for the special needs world… the opportunities are seemingly endless. So many educators and education related professionals have twitter, so it only seems logical that I would join their world to give me an advantage in finding resources, making connections, and even participating in discussions to see other peoples’ points of view about issues in the education world. Currently I haven’t participated in any discussions but I have re-tweeted things that I found valuable, and people have even re-tweeted my tweets! You can see some of my interactions on this screenshot 

7. @wnatalie8 In the Future Here is a screenshot of my personal twitter page. Over the semester I have followed 104 people, and 23 of them have followed me. I hope to expand my network further by participating in discussions more, and networking with people who are at a similar point in their professional journeys.