David Black posted on April 14, 2008 18:51
Lately I've been talking and writing more about PLNs -- Personal Learning Networks -- and how they are necessary for me to be able to sort through the challenges we face in education, ministry, and society due to the proliferation of new technologies. This weekend I was working on a presentation and I needed to save a YouTube video but couldn't remember the online conversion tool needed to download the video. So I shared a post on Twitter, which quickly went out to those educators in my network. Within two minutes I had my answer. It was Zamzar I was seeking. With that information, I quickly converted the video and integrated it into my presentation.
How long might I have spent searching for that tool if I did not have my network? I might have found Zamzar quickly, but it also might have ended up being a much longer search. The key with a network such as this is to give as well as get. I make it a point to respond to as many queries from others as possible. We all need help from time to time, but we all have something to share. Connecting with a network is a great way to build your professionalism as well as to add value to the ministry of another.
(By the way, here is a link to my Twitter ID, in case you are interested in becoming part of a network yourself.)