To map your PLN, use a tool such as Google Draw, Coggle, Miro, a Teams Whiteboard template or even PowerPoint (see more Visual Organizer Tools in the EdTech Sandbox), to create a visual diagram of the people, organizations, collectives, and others who are in your network. If creating a visual diagram presents a barrier for you, you can map your PLN by creating an audio, video, or written reflection. Whatever the format, be prepared to upload your work or provide a URL to its location in your response to this activity.
To Do:
- Identify a focus of your PLN. It could be your academic discipline or professional area, a topic on which you’ve already done some research or work, or a learning interest that you’re passionate about.
- Place your topic somewhere on your map. (You might put it in the central node, but remember, you are the centre of your learning network!)
- Identify a few people who already belong to your network as it relates to your interest or topic. These will be your nodes. They might be colleagues, influential educators, mentors, or people you’ve met at conferences or events. They could also be members of professional organizations. These are your existing connections.
- Think of a few more nodes that you may not yet know personally but who you would like to include in your network and add those nodes. Who are the noted scholars or experts in your area of interest that you might follow? (Note: you can tap into your Cultivate your PLN activity to use some of your new connections.)
- Map the nodes (names) that you’ve identified onto your diagram. Your diagram should include at least 5 nodes by name (i.e., specific individuals and organizations).
- Add details to each of the nodes in your PLN. Review your map and identify any patterns that emerge. For example, you might categorize the following in the design of your diagram (e.g., by grouping, or by using different colours, symbols, or text labels):
- Their role (e.g., educator, science researcher, blogger).
- Their role in your network (e.g., collaborator, mentor, provocateur, consultant).
- The relative weight of the connection (e.g., strong tie, weak tie).
- The reciprocity of the connection (e.g., one-way, dialogue).
- The technologies you use to connect to your network.
- The relationships between the different nodes (i.e., identify clusters of nodes who may interact).
- Anything else that helps to illustrate your interactions—past, present, or future—with your network.
- Export your diagram (or other) to an image format. Upload it or use a link to the image in your response to the Mapping Your PLN.
- After you make your submission, save the web address to your response (found in the green confirmation box) so you can use it later for your badge submission form.
This activity is part of the Map Your PLN section of the Collaborator Module.
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120 Responses for this Activity
- Mapping my PLN
by Afshan Jabeen (@ajabeen)
In this mapping process, I have highlighted the network of my institution and how it supports my teaching and learning endeavors to enhance student success and academic excellence.
- Mapping Your PLN – Carolyn Nesbitt-Larking
by Carolyn Nesbitt-Larking (@Carolyn)
Previously posted. Using cobblestones as the metaphor to to link the connection of independent organizations and my need to step into each organization to find best practices to then share with students and other professors teaching within the industry.
- Mapping My PLN
by anh lam (@anhlam)
Please see slide 3 in the link provided. I’ve used initials to keep individual names private.
- Mapping your PLN
by Ani Amirmooradian Malhami (@Ani)
I categorized my map into Groups, Newsletters, Companies and People.
- Professional network map
by Oday Aswad (@odayaswad)
I categorized my networks into actual and virtual and would love to see the connections in the forthcoming days by the means of this visual representation.
- PLN Map
by Peter Sheedy (@PeterS)
See attached.
- St. Lawrence College Connections
by Johnryl Chu (@Chrono)
This activity made me appreciate the people in my network and how much they have been helping me in my profession and pedagogy. It also allowed me to see how far I have come since I started teaching. I chose to narrow down my network to connections I have in the current institution I teach more… »
- Mapping my PLN in Gerontology
by NIsha Sheen (@NSheen)
Visualization of my PLN gave me a better perspective of how to create and expand my network for professional enhancement which favours better teaching -learning opportunities. This also serve as a reference point for ongoing engagement for learning,and relationship building within the community.
- Mapping your PLN
by Heather Somerville (@hsomerville)
To make the most sense of this, I chose to map my PLN by my various roles at the college and how they connect to professional learning. I’ve built various communities (so much so that I never know which person I’ll get to eat lunch with!). It’s been a pleasure to make connections and build more… »
- Mapping your PLN
by Shawn Luo (@sluo)
My visualization of the Professional Learning Network (PLN) centers around our collective commitment to advancing Indigenous Ways of Knowing within the nursing curriculum.
4 Resources for this Activity
- MindMapping.org
shared by Alan Levine (@cogdogblog@gmail.com)
A comprehensive review site of hundreds of mind-mapping software plus a blog full of related articles.
- PLN Mapping
shared by Lori Strauss (@lstrauss)
I often reflect on the value I add as I enter my winter years in teaching this program. Doing this exercise helped me see the value of the seasoned educator in the connections and quick access to resources to support the students, and their learning. Through the ever building network of friends, colleagues, community of more… »
- Toddler Learning Network
shared by Christopher Rowe (@ChristopherRowe)
While my network is still young… it’s growing and maturing. I’ve now had an opportunity to connect with some more people and to analyze the nature of those connections. I have a lot of work to do here to grow the network and get more engaged… but it’s a start.
- Visual Organizing Tools (Extend Toolkit)
shared by Alan Levine (@cogdogblog@gmail.com)
Find recommended tools for creating mind maps
(2 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5)
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Mary Jayne (MJ) Brown
This is a very interesting experience (experiment). It is good to have a visual of our connections and collaborations in our PLN. I am looking forward to adding more!