Creating Your OwnPersonal Learning NetworkRabohlale JT 201071762

Utilizing the Web for Personal and Professional Growth

The Solution – Create aPersonal Learning

Network!Personal Learning Network –

A group of people who can guide your learning, point you to learning opportunities, answer your questions, and give you the benefit of their own knowledge, experience, and wisdom.

That number is only the amount of information moving over the Internet.

This number DOES NOT INCLUDE all of the countless times more information stored on all of the computers connected to the Internet!

1 Terabit networkable hard drives – holding about half the amount of information moving each second on the Internet – are becoming standard fixtures on HOME networks around the world!

And Guess What…

2-3 terabits per second move over the Internet * (est. March, 2008)= 2,000 - 3,000 gigabits per second= 2 - 3 Petabits per second

172,800 – 259,200 Pitabits per day 63,115,200 – 94,672,800 Pitabits this year That is… The entire contents of the Library of

Congress every 5 seconds! That is… The entire contents of the Library of

Congress moving over the Internet more than 2,305,282,680 times this year!

How Much Data is Flowing?

A River of Data Flowing Past You!

Let’s look at what can you do about it.

DATA – The river flowing past you INFORMATION – The Data you pull from the

river and assign relevance and purpose KNOWLEDGE – The Information that you

actually keep, apply, and use personally and professionally

WISDOM – Combining Knowledge with intuition and experience over time in a way that makes your personal and professional lives better

First… Four Stages of Learning

An Open Source project is a software product that is collaboratively built.

Everyone has access to help build the product if they have something worthwhile to contribute.

No one owns it. No one takes credit for it. Everyone gets to use the product… even those

who did not help build it. The “Sage on the Stage” is dead! Most of us

just don’t know it yet.

Learning is Becoming anOpen Source Project

Discovery Educator Network One of the best teacher resources I’ve found…

ever! View Introductory Video Webinars, resources, and local, regional, and

national events presented by leaders in technology-oriented education

Signup today! http://community.discoveryeducation.com/

Join the DEN!

If you think a blog is just a place to complain about your boyfriend, you’re wrong!

Blogs are now one of the most important parts of a Personal Learning Network

Podcasts are not just for kids either! In conjunction with the wise use of RSS

feeds, blogs and podcasts can really help you control and direct the flow of the data River.

Blogs, Podcasts, and RSS

RSS

RSS in 21st Century Teaching and Learning

It is not about who you know or what

you know,but who knows what you know.

Connection ….

Professional BrandingWhat is Professional BrandingTom Peters published on this topic in his 1997 Fast Company Article called “A Brand Called You”. The essence of Mr. Peters message is that you are in charge of your brand and that all of us can own some part of the market. Everyone can learn, and educate themselves to become, at some level, an expert. The vast majority of knowledge is available on the Internet and if you look hard enough you can find information pertaining to your specific situation. Almost 10 years after the article, the message is still being spread daily. In a world of sameness, you need to stand out even if that point of light is faint. You and only you are responsible for transforming that faint light into something bigger and that can only be done by a focused effort over a period of time.

“A personal representation that represents a skill set, a big idea, a belief system, and value-equation that other people find of interest. Personal branding is everything you that differentiates and market yourself, such as your messages, self-presentation, and marketing tactics”.-C. Kupta

“Personal Branding is the art of attracting and keeping more clients by actively shaping public”- P. Montoya

Online Web Presence (Web 1.0)2Way

Overview

15 Ways Tip…15 Ways Tip…

The personal web site is still one of the most critical foundations of your professional brand. The online environment allow you to manage your brand perception. The web allows you to archive and display your trademarks. Web sites don’t have to be complicated to be of value. Be sure to focus on the usability, graphics, navigation, metadata, page layout and information content. While technology comes and goes over time, the simplicity of design never does. Maybe a full scale web site is too much time and effort, if so then simply create a blog from one of the many free sources. The key is to get that professionalism out in the public. At the heart of a professional representation is to see that the individual has differentiated themselves from the pack, a diverse set of skills and talent, and a history of delivery. If you can communicate that in a simple and concise manner then you are at the top of your game.

Design and usability are still critical in establishing your credibility and trustworthiness. Invest the time and money to ensure your web site is professional looking.

Who is doing it Right!http://www.tompeters.comhttp://www.jimcollins.comhttp://www.stevehoberman.com/http://www.answerthink.com/http://www.davidco.com/http://www.thomaslfriedman.com/http://newparadigm.com/http://www.danpink.com/http://www.harveymackay.com/

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Professional Networking (Web 1.0) 4

WayOverview

15 Ways Tip…15 Ways Tip…

The term networking was first used in the 1500’s to describe the utilization of fishing nets versus the traditional line and tackle. What these early fisherman figured out that by using a net you could catch more fish in a shorter period of time; not to mention the least amount of effort. Networking is a lifelong relationship-building process that develops a wide range of interpersonal connections or contacts that you can contact or communicate. Networking is a social process that many of us are not very good at. This is especially true in the information worker where the skills of the introvert are valued higher than those with extrovert soft skills. Networks act as a kind of informal, highly customized, personal ‘knowledge business yellow pages’, providing a handy expert to fill in the brain-powered workers knowledge gap.

The first step is to start with people you know which might include family, friends, associates, and professional acquaintances. This is the fun part of networking, so enjoy the journey.

Six Degrees of Separation

In 1967, American sociologist Stanley Milgram (2001) devised a new way to test the theory, which he called "the small-world problem." He randomly selected people in the mid-West to send packages to a stranger located in Massachusetts. The senders knew the recipient's name, occupation, and general location. They were instructed to send the package to a person they knew on a first-name basis who they thought was most likely, out of all their friends, to know the target personally. That person would do the same, and so on, until the package was personally delivered to its target recipient. Although the participants expected the chain to include at least a hundred intermediaries, it only took (on average) between five and seven intermediaries to get each package delivered. Milgram's findings were published in Psychology Today and inspired the phrase "six degrees of separation."

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Social Networks (Web 2.0) 5Way

OverviewOnline social networks, such as Friendster, LinkedIn, and Spoke1, have rapidly acquired millions of users and assist them in forming new social or business contacts through those they already have. These existing contacts are either entered manually or gathered automatically, e.g., from email, instant messaging, and the web of trust for decentralized cryptographic keys (Adamic & Hogg, 2004). Online networks allow people to explicitly articulate their social network, present themselves through a Profile (interests and demographics), post public testimonials about one another, browse a network of people, and establish themselves as subject matter experts with features and answers from LinkedIn. Like any network, the environment must be managed in order to gain the greatest value. LinkedIn now boasts 10 million members and is adding 120,000 per week. Along with many other online networking sites, LinkedIn provides you the ability to crate, manage, and own your online identity.

15 Ways Tip…15 Ways Tip…Never turn down a connection, their address book may prove very useful! The goal is to connect with as many people as possible.

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Opportunities• LinkedIn• Friendster• Spoke1• Classmates• Orkut• Tribe

Publications (Web 1.0) 6Way

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OverviewIt seems like every industry has a trade journal or a magazine. Technology may be the worst of the bunch, from Data Management, to Disaster Recovery; we have a magazine for just about every genre of technology. Each month, these magazines produce mounds of information contributed by people just like you. Not to mention the growing number of online magazines where folks are begging for contributed content. The key is to generate an inventory of publishable material that you can use. This is a lot easier said than done. There are many ways to get published as noted on the right.

Ideally, we want a balanced portfolio of publications. Like financial investments, you should never put all of your eggs in one basket. A balanced portfolio would ensure that you focus on the many different levels as well as different categories. Professional articles are great but academic ones are just as important. At a very high level, professional publications need to be simplified and applicability while academic ones need more rigor. There is tremendous value in both of them.

Opportunities• Newsletters• Magazines• Journals• Books• Book Chapters• Book Reviews or Editing• Monthly Columns• Academic Journals• Online Magazines / Journals

15 Ways Tip…15 Ways Tip…Use the element of reuse to reduce the amount of effort. No one said that an academic or web 2.0 type publication couldn’t be used as a professional publication or vice versa. Reuse is the Key.

Public Speaking (Web 1.0) 7Way

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OverviewSpeaking in front of a group of people is one of the hardest things we do in life. From Tony Robbins to your Minister, everyone get butterflies before addressing a group of individuals. Remember, the attendees have selected your session to attend. They may have paid to see your presentation but you can bet they want to see you succeed. Nobody goes out and buys a car in hopes that it will break down. Every professional conference is looking for speakers with a story to tell. The hardest step is simply putting together 20 slides that tell that story and submitting it.

By far, conferences are the easiest method of getting published. There is always a conference that would like to hear about your case study or observed best practices. The reason is simple; most professional conferences are littered with vendors and consultants. Theory, products, and research are great, but when you have a story to tell, the world will beat a path to your door.

Opportunities• Local Civic Groups• Professional Conferences• Academic Conferences• Communities of Interest• Toast Masters• Religious Groups• Chapter Meetings

15 Ways Tip…15 Ways Tip…Practice, Practice, Practice. There is no substitute for this. Every professional speaker spends an enormous amount of time working out the session. “It takes me three weeks to put together a good impromptu speech." - Mark Twain.

Social Publishing (Web 2.0)8Way

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OverviewWhile we are still very early in the Web 2.0 environment, we still have a plethora of publishing opportunities. It goes without saying that people prefer to browse content versus actually reading and trying to comprehend every word. While I am guilty of not doing this very well, you should try to keep you 2.0 posts to a paragraph or two. Learn to write in a succinct, clear, and effective manner. If you can say it two sentences then do so, wordiness isn’t a virtue in the online environment. If you have more to say then try to break up your posts into multiple posts which will not only help your readers, you help yourself by increasing the possibility of an external link or Goggle result.

As we move forward, other opportunities will emerge. Be sure to notice what others are doing to build their Web 2.0 brand. Web 2.0 publishing is real time; there are no delays for editing or market potential. Web 2.0 is the perpetual beta and that will make all of us, under 30, uncomfortable.

Opportunities• Weblogs• Wiki• Podcasts• Social Networking• Ranking • Rating• Industry Forums• Book Marking• Communities• Professional Networks• Photo Sharing (Flickr)• Slide Sharing (Slideshare.net)

15 Ways Tip…15 Ways Tip…Small contributions add up over time. Don’t expect that a single post will move you the Google Rank #1. Brands take time and now the Web 2.0 environments changes your competition exponentially.

Work the “Zues Jones” Fringe (Web 2.0) 14

Way

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OverviewZeus Jones is an interesting example of an organization that has fully embraced the foundational components of a trademark program. They are a company that understands the potential impact of Web 2.0 technologies and the ability to create viral marketing. They state on their web site that they believe that actions speak louder than words and are dedicated to solving business problems by helping clients use their marketing to do things for their customers instead of just saying things to them. Instead of the normal marketing efforts such as building an online web site, brochures, and product announcements, they have utilized several facets of the 2.0 world.

Zeus Jones may not be the first person or organization that operates on the fringes of the Web 2.0 area but they are the first organization that has gone public with it. Not as a trial balloon but as an over arching corporate strategy.

15 Ways Tip…15 Ways Tip…Work the fringes and be willing to take risks in this new and confusing world.

What are they Doing?• Created a profile on LinkedIn to highlight their past experience and knowledge• Created Music that could be downloaded• Created desktop art with the company logo• Created case study videos YouTube• Created and commented on blogs about business, brands, and special interests• Created cell phone ring tones• Listed goals & values on 43 Things• Entered an online sewing contest• Created a “Zeus Jones” figure in one of the largest virtual worlds “World Warcraft”• Made predictions at “Longbets.org”• Developed RSS feeds to daily information

Abbey. (2009). Personal Learning Networks. Available online [Accessed on 18 March 2013]http://www.slideshare.net/evan_abbey/personal-learning-networks-1110160

Cofino. (2009). The 21 Century educator. Qatar : Qatar Academy. Available online [Accessed on 16 March 2013]http://www.slideshare.net/mscofino/the-21st-century-educator

Jain. (2009). Using online Professional networking to get ahead at Work Nasscom. Available online[Accessed on 16 March 2013] http://www.slideshare.net/OMShare/using-online-professional-networking-to-get-ahead-at-work-nasscom-fridays-20-38th-session-presentation

Keller. (2008). Creating your own personal learning network. Available online [Accessed on 19 March 2013] http://www.slideshare.net/cgkel/creating-your-own-personal-learning-network

Stephens. (2007). 15 ways to professionaly brand you. Available online [Accesssed on 17 March 2013] http://www.slideshare.net/rtodd/15-ways-to-professionally-brand-you

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