21 things teachers can do to grow their PLN (Professional Learning Network):

6. Follow a teacher on LinkedIn.

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What is LinkedIn?

Put simply, LinkedIn is a social network for professionals. Boasting more than 500 million members in 200 countries, LinkedIn is currently the world’s biggest professional network.

For years, professionals have been leveraging the power of LinkedIn to find new career opportunities and grow their professional network and now educators are jumping on the bandwagon and using LinkedIn to grow their Professional Learning Network (PLN)!

Getting started

If you’re not already on LinkedIn, joining is easy. Simply, visit https://www.linkedin.com and click on ‘Join now’.
​Once you’re signed up, you will be asked to complete your profile. This is vitally important as the more detailed your profile the easier it is for LinkedIn to connect you with the appropriate people. Also, having a detailed profile will also help others decide whether or not to connect with you!

Finding other educators on LinkedIn

​Upon visiting Voxer (voxer.com) or downloading the app for the first time, you can easily be mistaken in to thinking that it’s just another messaging app however, as many before have come to realise, Voxer is more than just a messaging platform! Voxer differs from other social networking tools, such as Facebook or Twitter, as it is more intimate and personal. The reason for this, in my opinion, is due to the ability to talk to people and hear their voices via the ‘walkie talkie’ feature.

Finding people you already know on LinkedIn
There are several ways to find people you may know on LinkedIn. You can:
  • Import your email contacts and invite them to connect.
  • Look through the ‘People You May Know’ section.
  • Use the Search bar on the LinkedIn homepage.
 
 
 
Finding educators on LinkedIn
Trying to find other educators on LinkedIn can feel a little daunting at first however, by following these simple tips, you’ll soon be growing your professional network:
  • Join education LinkedIn groups  – By far the best place to find other educators on LinkedIn is in education related LinkedIn groups. See below for guidance on joining and finding education related LinkedIn groups.
  • Check out other people’s connections - Another great source for finding people to follow is other people’s connections. Check out the connections of teachers/educator’s you already follow and see if there is anyone you recognise from your other social media connections.
  • Perform a keyword search - Searching for education related keywords such as ‘teacher’ or ‘educator’ etc., will help you find teachers & other educators more easily.
  • Visit education blogs – Many teachers who blog also tend to be active on other social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest etc. When visiting a teacher’s blogs, look out for the LinkedIn icon or ‘Add me to your PLN’ section.

Groups

Education groups
Education related groups are a great place to connect and collaborate with other educators.  You can find LinkedIn Groups you already belong to on your profile and discover new groups to join by searching in the  Search bar at the top of your homepage.
 
Finding groups you want to join
There are two ways you can find groups. You can search for groups by name or keyword, or you can browse groups recommended for you by LinkedIn.
To search for groups by name or keyword:
  1. In the Search bar at the top of your LinkedIn homepage, type keywords or group names of interest, and click Search.
  2. On the search results page, click the Groups tab.
 
To browse groups recommended for you by LinkedIn:
  1. Click the Work icon in the top right of your LinkedIn homepage and select Groups from the menu that appears.
  2. Click Discover at the top of the page to view suggested groups.
  3. You can then request membership by clicking the Ask to join button under the group description.
 
 
Joining a group
There are two ways you can join a group:
  1. Click Ask to join on the group Discussions page, or anywhere you see the button.
  2. Respond to an invitation from a group member or manager.
Once accepted, you will be able to join in group conversations as well start your own conversations.
Top education groups
​Here are some groups to start you on your LinkedIn journey:
  • 21st Century Educator - This network is a place to discuss 21st century education concepts and methods. Join us in discussions around competency based learning, recognition, social learning, flipped classrooms, differentiated curriculum, collaboration, social networks, apps, mobile, wikis, blogs, and other Web 2.0 ideas. https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1837214/profile  
  • EduBloggers - This is a group for those people blogging about the K12 classroom including teachers, administrators, curriculum directors, professional developers, preservice teachers, and college level educators who focus on k12 education. https://www.linkedin.com/groups/141946/profile
  • Teaching STEM – The Teaching STEM Network's aim is to bring together individuals from education and industry who wish to promote and teach the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects and STEM activities in schools, colleges and universities.. https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4018734

Useful links

List of top LinkedIn groups for educators: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140408022900-143099425-the-best-linkedin-groups-for-education-professionals

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