Ok, let’s take a look at some of the leading PLN community platforms:
- ISTE: Right off the bat, I see that it costs $75/year for the membership required to join a PLN with ISTE. There are 20 focused PLNs with a diversity of topics and specializations that look interesting and exciting. I also see that PLNs have membership in the thousands, often with hundreds of discussions in each. I’d have to pay and log-in to see what kinds of discussions are taking place, which is a shame. I see that as an accessibility issue and a barrier to access for those who don’t have the funds or don’t want to pay before knowing whether the PLN will suit their needs.
- Microsoft Educator Centre: The first thing I notice is that there is no obvious route to PLNs, and I think that’s because they don’t actually exist here. I looked under “Programs” first, and see that those are courses offered by Microsoft to become a brand leader. I skipped over “Lesson Plans” (those look cool, I’ll come back to those later) and checked out “Training”, where the most likely option is “Learning Path” (which I think are actually mini-courses). Once I’m in, I really appreciate the menu on the left that allows me to filter for difficulty level, progress, subject, age group, skill development, duration, and product. I test it out to see if there is anything like the Social Justice PLN I mentioned in my last blog post. As it turns out, the menu options didn’t make it easier to find what I was looking for, but with only 34 options, I was able to scroll through and find this one: Creating a digitally inclusive learning community. Sure enough, this is a mini course that takes the learner through 6 modules over the course of 6 (non-consecutive) hours. I try to see if there is a cost associated with this and it lets me click right in and suddenly I’ve started the course without intending to! I’m not sure this course addresses the issue of tech accessibility for low socioeconomic families, nor does it meet the need of a PLN where folks can share knowledge and come together.
- Apple Teacher: First off, this is free. Secondly, like all things Apple, this is proprietary. It teaches you how to use Apple products and technology. Without logging in, I’m also not sure this offers PLNs. It looks like a similar offering to the Microsoft platform: lessons and courses. I keep looking and find something that sounds like a PLN under “Teacher Resources“: right on the banner, it says “join the conversation with fellow teachers.” It looks like I could follow and join in on conversations at #AppleEDUchat and on Twitter @AppleEDU .
- Google for Education: I scroll down the main page and I think I find what I’m looking for almost immediately. The Communities section offers connections to educators around the globe (with a neat digital map to show where those educators are!). It doesn’t look like there’s a group for Western Canada yet! While courses and trainings are easily and freely available through Google, it doesn’t look like my PLN needs would be met here.
So, it would seem as if ISTE has the most dedicated PLN platform. I wish I could dig through the discussion boards before having to pay the fee, so that I could see what topics have been covered. At the end of the day, I’m honestly most likely to start (and join) a focused PLN through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. That’s where I’m most active, where I’m comfortable, and where I know I can find the specific topics I’m looking for (for free) without barriers to access.
Comment from Leigh
Hi Katrina,
I also noticed that Apple Teacher and Microsoft Education Centre both didn’t have platforms where you could engage in discussion. I much prefer the ISTE because it does provide an actual platform for discussion and growth of knowledge. I enjoy speaking to other people and hearing their perspectives, rather than taking a course to learn about how to use new technology. I did like all of the lesson plans that were available, however, I’ll have to go back and see if any of them are relevant to me and my teaching.
I notice that you, like most others see the ISTE membership fee as a barrier. In September, I’m going to see if my Professional Development Funds would cover this membership cost for me. I do wish there was an option access one discussion before paying, just to see if the discussions are rich and beneficial to my growth before signing up and paying out of my own pocket.
Hi Leigh, I agree that I prefer to join a platform that offers opportunities for discussion. What I realized after reading some of our colleagues’ posts is that I could use the courses offered through Google, Microsoft, or Apple to help me begin my own PLN or better contribute to one I am already a member of. I hadn’t thought of that. I also agree that it would be possible to apply for Pro-D coverage! My district only offers coverage once per year, which means that I generally only ask for a refund on the most expensive PD I engage with. The ISTE membership does not fall under that category, and so I think I would be personally responsible for that fee.
Hi Katrina,
I appreciated that your post on PLNs took a perspective on how intuitive each platform was to actually locate the PLNs. It’s interesting to hear your candid experience and recognize that some of the larger companies like Microsoft and Apple do not make it obvious that PLNs are available to join. I also really liked how you shared specific information about how easy it was to navigate the PLNs once you made it in (for example, the information on filtering in the Microsoft PLN). There’s definitely a large community outside of these four platforms and I’m glad that you’ve decided to pursue those instead in order to best fit your needs.