Building Your Personal Learning Network (PLN)

In this episode, we explore what a Personal Learning Network (PLN) is, why it matters for your professional growth, and how to start building one. You’ll hear practical ideas — from using social media and online tools to connecting with mentors and professional associations — plus key insights from recent research on how PLNs can help you stay current, inspired, and connected as an educator. 

Music by amado zapana from Pixabay

Transcript

Hi everyone — welcome back to Digital Pedagogy in Practice.

In today’s episode, we’re exploring a really valuable topic for educators: Personal Learning Networks — or PLNs — and how you can build your own, both online and offline.

There’s been some really interesting research around PLNs in recent years — and what’s clear is that they’re deeply personal and flexible.

When researchers asked teachers about their PLNs, the responses varied widely — because a PLN is shaped by your own interests, goals, and the ways you like to learn.

One teacher described their PLN as “mental food” — the challenge and stimulation that keeps them growing every day. Another teacher described it as a “collective brain” — a way of connecting with educators from all over the world and sharing knowledge.

At its heart, a PLN is about connection — linking with others, both online and offline, to guide your learning, inspire your teaching, and support your professional growth.

Of course, teachers have always built networks — but the term “Personal Learning Network” really started appearing in the late 1990s as digital technologies opened new ways for us to connect beyond our local schools.

One of the earliest definitions, from 1998, described a PLN as:
 A group of people who can guide your learning, point you to new opportunities, answer questions, and share their knowledge and experience.

That still holds true today — but now, our networks can be global, accessible anytime, anywhere.

But here’s an important point from the research: simply following lots of accounts on social media doesn’t mean you have a strong PLN.

— the real value of a PLN comes from interaction — sharing ideas, remixing knowledge, reflecting on what you learn, and contributing back to the community.

This is described as the “amplifier effect” — where we add value to what we’ve learned, then share it back into the network for others to build on.

Now, let’s break down the term:

P — Personal. Some people use the word Professional— but Personal highlights the fact that PLNs are self-directed. You choose what you want to learn, and who you want to learn with.

L — Learning. The kind of learning that happens through a PLN is social learning — it’s about recognising that no one can hold all the knowledge themselves. Instead, learning happens through connections — through interacting with others, with information sources, and with digital tools.

In a world where information multiplies daily, the most valuable skills are:

•  Knowing how to find and filter information
•  Recognising patterns and connections
•  And constructing new knowledge through interaction.

Theories like Connectivism help explain this. They show us that learning is an active process of creating connections — and that knowledge is distributed across people and systems, not just stored in our individual minds.

N — Network. A PLN is dynamic — it evolves as your interests change, as your professional context shifts, and as new tools emerge. It’s about relationships — with people, ideas, and communities.

A strong PLN can help educators:

•   Stay current
•   Gain new perspectives
•   Solve teaching challenges
•   And engage in lifelong professional growth.

So — where do you start? 

I encourage you to first take the time to reflect on:

• Who are you already connected with — online or offline — that supports your learning?
• What platforms or communities could you explore to expand your network?
• And how could you contribute to that network, so that it becomes an active part of your professional growth?

There are so many ways! Here are just a few examples:

Online opportunities:

• Subscribe to an RSS feed — then the info from the website is sent to you rather than you needing to go to the site for updates and new content
• Join some Facebook groups — like Minecraft Educators, or groups for your subject area.
• Subscribe to blogs — Classroom teacher blogs are awesome!
• Follow teachers who post on Tik Tok
• Explore Pinterest — or sites like Teachers Pay Teachers are full of ideas created by teachers.
• Follow educational YouTube channels — TED-Ed is a fantastic one.
• Listen to podcasts 
• Try social bookmarking — tools like Diigo can help you save and share useful resources with other teachers.
• And of course — LinkedIn is a great space to connect with educators around the world.

There are also many Offline opportunities:

•  Find a mentor teacher in your local area.
•  Attend face-to-face conferences or teacher workshops.
•  Join a professional teaching organisation.
•  Set up regular meet-ups with other teachers in your region.

And remember — a PLN works best when you interact. It’s not about passively consuming information — it’s about contributing, asking questions, sharing ideas, and engaging in dialogue.

As you build your PLN, you’ll likely start coming across a LOT of information. Here’s a tip — give yourself just 15 minutes a day to engage with your PLN. That could be reading a blog, listening to a podcast, or posting a question to a professional group.

That small commitment — done consistently — will really grow your network and your learning over time.

And most importantly — the goal of building a PLN isn’t just to gather ideas, but to apply what you learn to improve your teaching and ultimately, student outcomes.

Joining a professional teaching organisation is also a great way to strengthen your PLN — giving you access to networks, events, and resources that deepen your learning.

So — where to from here?

Start thinking about the platforms or communities that match your interests and goals. What excites you? What skills do you want to develop?

And remember — your PLN is personal. It’s yours to build, shape, and evolve — and it can become one of your most powerful tools for professional growth.

That’s it for today’s chat — thanks for listening! 

Until then — happy networking!"