The 411 on PLNs
Imagine this:
You are at your desk and your boss presents you with a task to complete that you know little about. You've got until the end of the week to have the completed task on your boss's desk, but you don't know where to start.
OR
You're interested in looking into a topic that you've been curious about, but no one in your professional circle has the expertise to help you expand your knowledge.
OR
You're the leader of a club and want to bring in some new and out-of-the-box inspiration to your next meeting or event, but you don't know where you would even begin to search.
What if I told you that I can solve all of your problems with the stroke of a key?
Wonderful people of the internet, let me introduce you to the concept of a PLN, or Personalized Learning Network, an extremely helpful resource that, according to Tom Whitby's article "How Do I Get a PLN?", "uses social media and technology to collect, communicate, collaborate and create with connected colleagues anywhere at any time".
Back in the days of old when technology was just beginning to blossom, professionals everywhere were limited to the collective knowledge of their circle of compatriots which, at the time, seemed sufficient enough. But as time passed and humans began to tap into the astounding potential that technology offered, the possibilities for connection in the professional world reached a lot farther than ever imagined.
With the development of social media apps like Twitter and Facebook, people now have the ability to draw and collect knowledge not only from their colleagues, but from the colleagues of their colleagues, from people that work for the same company stationed at a different branch, and from like-minded people all around the world who wish to share their ideas. Crazy right?
It's not hard for one to imagine the benefits that a PLN would bring to a professional setting; the value of being able to communicate with a worldwide community is almost unmatched. Some of the many benefits include:
- Being able to access resources that you would not have otherwise been able to acquire (without travelling halfway across the world)(Whitby),
- Enabling communication and collaboration with other professionals on a scale hitherto undreamt of,
- Encouraging, allowing for, and rewarding participation from any and everyone, no matter where he or she may lie on the corporate ladder,
Now Imagine THIS:
Your boss approaches you with a task to complete that you know little about. Stumped, you open up Twitter to view your PLN that you've built up over the last couple of months. Within the hour, you've educated yourself on the subject matter of the task with the help of a professional from across the country and hand in your task days before it was due.
OR
You're interested in looking into a topic that you've been curious about, but nobody you know has the expertise in that topic to help you out. So, you begin to refine your PLN to hone in on what it is that you're curious about, and after a day or so, you've built up an arsenal of resources on your new topic. You're the expert now.
OR
You're the leader of a club and want to bring in some new and out-of-the-box inspiration to your next meeting or event, so you hop onto your PLN to search for things that others in your field of interest have tried or thought about. Your ideas spice up the meeting, making you the star of the show.
All with the stroke of a key. I wonder...how far can we take this technology, this unimaginable connection we've created?
For more on Tom Whitby's article, click the link!
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