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Community and Professional Learning Networks

The Community Module

Professional Learning what....?

    In education there are so many acronyms. PLC, PD, PLN, and hundreds more. When I saw the acronym PLN, I certainly thought "oh a PLN! This has to be like a PLC, Professional Learning Community." In some aspects Professional Learning Communities  and Professional Learning Networks are similar, however they are also definitely different. A PLC or Professional Learning Community is a group of teachers that meet on a regular basis and work collaboratively. In my grade level PLC, we collaborate on lesson plans, student learning targets, review data, and things that pertain to our specific grade level and its content. We sometimes have different coaches or specialists join our meeting.  In my experience, every school uses Professional Learning Communities differently. What do PLCs look like in your school? 

    Once I started digging into Professional Learning Networks, I began to understand the difference. A PLC is kind of like the start of your PLN. You can absolutely utilize these individuals within your PLN to share resources and ideas with. However, you want to expand beyond those within your inner circle.  Doctor Torrey Trust at the University of Massachusetts discusses how Professional Learning Networks  support teachers and the benefits it has. It can support teachers in four areas: social growth, affective growth, cognitive growth, and identity growth. 

Image Source: Unsplash


Which PLN area do I identify with?

    One way it supports teachers is through cognitive growth. Doctor Trust shares that with cognitive growth it is a lot about being able to reflect on your teaching to help improve your practices (LMT, UMass, 2017). This is the area that I identify with the most. I am the type of person who loves to get ideas from others. I am that teacher that loves to come in and observe you to see how you do things in your classroom. I believe the best way to learn something is by seeing someone model it for you. This is also why I love using Twitter/X Instagram, and Tik-Tok to see what other teachers share. When I got my first teaching job fresh out of college, the first thing I did was make a teacher Twitter/X account. Since then I have been able to use that account to stay connected to educators I met at conferences and presenters I enjoyed listening to. 

What does it look like in my classroom?

Image Source: Personal Image

    
Image Source: Personal Image
Through these social media platforms and people I stay connected with through my PLN I have gotten so many great ideas for my classroom. I have found great get to know you activities for the beginning of the school year. I saw a teacher that every year at the beginning of the year she reads the story “Our Class is a Family”. The teacher then has their students decorate a puzzle piece that represents them. She then puts the puzzle together and displays it throughout the year to show the class being a family that fits together. I cannot find the original post but here is a similar idea with a different book. I found this idea a few years ago and have done it in my classroom ever since. I have also found so many ideas for different classroom management ideas through my PLN. One idea that I found that I love is a classroom expectations bingo board. The bingo board is completely customizable to the needs of your students and the expectations you are reviewing. My students love it, and I have different bingo board themes for different times in the year! Is there anything you have found on social media that you have used in your classroom and loved? 

Should You Join a PLN?

Check out my infographic to see why you should!
Infographic property of blog author

Resources
LMT UMass. (2017, April 4). PLN student learning benefits. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSp8QtnJ444&t=2s

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Comments

  1. EdMarch 20, 2024 at 5:40 PM

    Hi Ashley,
    I teach at a middle school in Bolingbrook and you described exactly what our PLC does. We have a subject grade level meeting each week that goes over plans and compares data. We also have a larger whole grade level meeting where all of the 8th grade teachers get together. The larger group meetings are usually used to disperse important dates and focus a little more on the social emotional data throughout the grade level. I love using PLNs to get new ideas for classroom activities. I definitely like that Bingo board as well!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ashley PeschMarch 21, 2024 at 5:58 PM

      Hi Ed!
      We also have a whole district grade level meeting twice a year! It is nice to see everyone who teaches the same thing as you in the same room. It doesn't happen very often. We use it to touch base and also discuss dates for things.

      Delete
  2. NMZumpanoMarch 21, 2024 at 10:48 AM

    This is a fantastic infographic, Ashley. You are correct in that your PLC is a part of your PLN. For me, one of the main differences is that in a PLC you are focused on a common goal but with a PLN you are focused on a personal goal. I'm glad you have both to help!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ashley PeschMarch 21, 2024 at 5:59 PM

      I like the way you describe the difference between PLC and PLN! You can utilize your PLC to help with your PLN personal goal as needed.

      Delete

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