Share Paper: PLNs for Educators: Why Do Some Educators Lurk While Others Lead?

  1. Torrey Trust, University of Massachusetts Amherst, United States
  2. Sarah Prestridge, Griffith University, Australia

Abstract: Through a five-week open online course designed by Dr. Torrey Trust’s students, educators discovered how to cultivate diverse and dynamic professional learning networks (PLNs) that supported their ongoing learning and growth. Surveys, course artifacts, and online community posts were collected and analyzed to uncover why the course participants engaged in learning within and across spaces in varied ways – from lurking to collaborating to leading. In this paper, we present a new model to showcase the complex, multifaceted nature of influencers that shape how and why educators engage in specific actions within and across their PLN spaces as they seek ...