Have you thought about your Personal Learning Network or PLN? A PLN is the people and resources I can access to learn in my professional context. My initial reaction after thinking about and mapping my PLN was that I needed to expand it. To expand my PLN, I could follow the suggestions outlined by Tanya Menon in her Ted Talk about great opportunities and how to create opportunities by increasing your social network.
Mind map of Karen Artabasy's Personal Learning Network
One of Tanya's suggestions was to get out of your routine and provide yourself with opportunities to diversify your network (6:52). I am a creature of habit. I go to one of three places for breakfast almost every day. I walk my dog at the same time in the morning and evening. These are opportunities to expand my network, but I also need to switch it up now and then to make new connections. I will do this by trying a new breakfast place or walking my dog around the neighborhood instead of the park to increase the opportunity of making new connections.
I can apply this strategy of mixing it up with my digital PLN. When I find a podcast I like, I subscribe and listen to it consistently, like Brene' Brown's podcast. I have parlayed listening to her podcast into exploring guests' social media feeds to expand my PLN to another layer, which is how I found Adam Grant's work. To further develop my PLN, I can search for interesting topics, discover new podcasts, or speak to coworkers to see what they use in their digital learning network.
Until I had the opportunity to map out my Professional Learning Network, I hadn't reflected on its strengths and weaknesses. Now that I have mapped it out, I can apply new strategies to expand it.
References & Image Credits:
Artabasy, K. (2022). Karen Artabasy's Personal Learning Network. [Photograph] https://drive.google.com/file/d/124axKlZ-nkBUNJCLUzT7oNofnUCzyOkr/view?usp=sharing
Brown, B. (Host) (2020-present). Dare to Lead [Audio podcast]. https://brenebrown.com/podcast-show/dare-to-lead/
DevPro PD Flipped. (2012, October 18). What is a PLN - Marc-Andre Lalande's take [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLLpWqp-owo
Menon, T. (2017, March). The secret to great opportunities? The person you haven't met yet [Video]. TED. https://www.ted.com/talks/tanya_menon_the_secret_to_great_opportunities_the_person_you_haven_t_met_yet/transcript
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