Can your PLN be used to help professional development post-course? 

Absolutely! The PLN I have created and continue to build post-course will help my professional and personal life. I have become more aware of the different usages of social media in both these areas and in hopes of educating those around me. As a future educator, the concepts, terms and content of this course made me realize the importance of PLN for teachers and has opened my eyes to the possibility of integrating with other teachers, not just at the school I will be working at but various teachers across the country or around the world within PLN I will create to build and help my professional development. 

Can your PLN be relied on to open professional opportunities? 

I believe so; most notably through typical professional platforms like LinkedIn, which I am still determining how to use them. As Sophie Lui mentioned, she doesn’t use the platform because she doesn’t know how best to use it or how to benefit from its use; I absolutely related to that sentiment because I, too, have an account, but I don’t know how beneficial it would be for me to use it. After taking this course, I have a clearer idea of the usage and will consider using it next time I seek professional opportunities. Although, I also feel like professional opportunities can spur through any platform you use for your PLN. If you’re building professional connections and reaching an audience of a variety of people, then, in my opinion, many opportunities can occur. Again, I think it’s all about how you use your PLN and who you interact with within it. 

References:

Mortenson, R. (2019). How to make best use of a professional learning network (PLN). TechLearningMagazine. https://www.techlearning.com/news/how-to-make-best-use-of-a-professional-learning-network-pln#:~:text=Through%20book%20clubs%2C%20discussion%20groups,learning%20through%20non%2Dtraditional%20means. 

“Sophie Lui – EDCI 338” Youtube. Uploaded by MILLER on June 6th, 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfcXgKLzOVM&t=784s