Similar to my previous PLN progress report, I am still using the same tools. For my personal learning network (PLN), I use Symbaloo to organize various websites and some tools that I would use to gather my sources for a project, research or to expand my network. Aside from Symbaloo, I use Delicious, Screenr, Youtube, Livestream, Skype, Twitter, Facebook, Google Chat, and Blogger.
These tools are still helping me expand my personal learning network. I have come across new ones but I am not sure what kind of role it will play (major or minor). I did some more research on other ways to expand my PLN but I think I am at a comfort zone at the moment. Even though I am at my comfort zone, I am still eager to find a great way to expand it.
Twitter and Blogger are the top tools that help me expand my PLN the most. Sometimes I get educators from around the world adding, or "following", me on Twitter. I would "tweet" resources that relate to education and that gets re-tweeted. By being re-tweeted, new people will read it and see who it came from. I also re-tweet and reply to other educator's tweets. I am conversing. Starting conversations is a great way to expand your network. It is the same for blogging. When you leave a comment, especially if you add a question, you are trying to start a conversation. Leaving the writer a question may get them to converse back. That have worked very well for me throughout the semester!
Another great thing that I really didn't put much thought into are "tags" or "hashtags" in Twitter, Blogger, and Youtube. Tags or hashtags are keywords you associate the content with. When people type in words in the search bar, they can find your content. For example, if you put #EDM310 hashtag in your tweet, people who search for #EDM310 can find all the content related to that keyword. For blogger, it may be a little different but works in a similar fashion. You can organize your posts with it so people can find related contents quicker. On Youtube, they offer a tag box.
In my recent search of finding new tools, I've come across RSS feed, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. Pinterest is more for image resources but you can add/link resources to the image. They also have a section just for Education. In the education part of it, people share lesson plans, activities, and many more. RSS feed is a way for people to subscribe to your web content. It is a quick way to update your subscribers with changes you might have made, news, new posts, and etc. It is really an easy way for subscribers to stay up to date with everyone they have subscribed to. I am still searching for new ways to expand my PLN and will never stop doing so!! I always want to be up to date with new technology as time goes on!
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