In our digital age, the development of a personal learning network may happen without you even realizing it. Social learning has become second nature to individuals that leverage technology for their personal development. The establishment of a personal learning network (PLN) provides a steppingstone to growing your professional skills and personal interests and opening doors for future career growth. So, what is a PLN and how can you develop one for yourself? 

The learning theories of connectivism and constructivism are essential to understanding the concept of a PLN. Connectivism refers to the notion that learning through our connections with peers propels us beyond our own scope of knowledge, allowing us to construct new understanding of concepts (Haas et al., 2020). The learning theory of constructivism is based on the idea that knowledge is constructed through social interaction with our peers in the learning environment (Haas et al., 2020). These two theories coupled with the idea of learning through the utilization of social networking tools, both online and in a face-to-face setting, are what form the concept of the personal learning network (Oddone et al., 2019). 

The availability of online learning and social networks has exploded over the past thirty years (Kennedy, 2018). As technology has continued to develop, the opportunities to connect online, at the time and place of our choosing, has enabled us to connect with learning opportunities in any field. We can connect with mentors or act as mentees, supporting the learning of others and enriching our own by sharing our expertise and our resources (Haas et al., 2020). Below you can review my current PLN and review some of my ideas for expanding it into new fields beyond education this year. What does your personal learning network look like? You might be surprised to find how rich it already is. Take some time to research new networks and how they benefit your learning, and how you might contribute to the learning of others. 

References 

Haas, M. R. C., Haley, K., Nagappan, B. S., Ankel, F., Swaminathan, A., & Santen, S. A. (2020). The connected educator: Personal learning networks. Clinical Teacher, 17(4), 373–377. https://doi.org/10.1111/tct.13146 

Kennedy, J. (2018). Towards a model of connectedness in personal learning networks. Journal of Interactive Online Learning, 16(1), 21–40. 

Oddone, K., Hughes, H., & Lupton, M. (2019). Teachers as connected professionals: A model to support professional learning through personal learning networks. International Review of Research in Open & Distance Learning, 20(3), 102–120. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v20i4.4082