Bolg 7- How my PLN is still growing

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My PLN is still gradually taking shape, but there are already some learning spaces that are very important to me. Currently, my PLN mainly consists of teachers, classmates, course reading materials, YouTube, Reddit, Bilibili, and AI tools. Although I haven’t been actively using more formal professional platforms like LinkedIn or BlueSky, these digital spaces have actually been helping me learn all along. For me, a PLN isn’t some abstract concept—it’s a way of learning that I genuinely rely on in my daily life. For example, I often use YouTube to rewatch class recordings, especially when I didn’t fully grasp certain concepts during the lecture; I’ll use the videos to reorganise my thoughts. Sometimes, I’ll also watch some related content to get a general idea of what we’ll be covering, which makes it easier to follow along during the lesson.

These online resources also support my academic goals in various ways. Professors, classmates, and course materials provide me with systematic knowledge and feedback; YouTube and Bilibili make learning more accessible, as I can review difficult sections repeatedly at my own pace. This is really important to me because some classroom content is so information-dense that hearing it just once isn’t enough. For example, in the CSC305 course, I sometimes download the subtitles from the lecture videos and use ChatGPT alongside the professor’s slides to help me organise the content. This helps me understand exactly what each slide is covering and makes it easier to break down complex concepts into something I can grasp. Reddit offers a different kind of help. It exposes me to more informal but sometimes richer perspectives, showing me how the same issue is understood and discussed across different cultures and communities.

AI tools have now become part of my PLN, as I use them to organise my thoughts, explain unfamiliar concepts, or sort through ideas when my mind is cluttered but I can’t articulate them clearly. In the Canadian educational context, Chris Kennedy, Director of Education for West Vancouver Schools, discusses in his blog *Culture of Yes* how teachers need to gradually build their professional digital footprints and engage in broader educational discussions through digital spaces. This perspective made me realise that a PLN is not just a place to find resources; it is also connected to how I will gradually develop my own identity as a teacher. Similarly, the Canadian Teachers’ Federation views professional learning networks as an important space that supports teacher exchange, collaboration, and shared growth. This has made me feel that in Canada, a PLN is not merely a personal learning habit; it is actually closely tied to teachers’ professional development.

However, my PLN also has clear strengths and limitations. Its strengths include high relevance, ease of use, and the ability to provide a wide variety of learning resources. The problem, however, is that the quality of information across platforms varies widely, and the software’s algorithms may continually recommend content that aligns closely with my existing views, which can undermine true diversity. I’ve come to realise that PLN and AI not only influence learning methods but also raise equity issues. Not everyone has equal access to digital resources, experience using platforms, or the ability to judge the quality of information. So while these tools improve accessibility, they may also make existing disparities more pronounced. The introduction of AI makes this duality even more evident. Estaiteyeh and Mindzak noted that pre-service teachers in Canada, on the one hand, recognise the value of AI, but on the other, feel uncertain about how exactly it should be used in education. I particularly resonate with this, as I find myself in a similar position: as a student, I’m already using AI to support my learning, but from the perspective of a future teacher, I also worry that it might make learning too superficial or deprive students of the process of truly thinking through and digesting knowledge.

For me, this means I need to view it from both perspectives: as a “student currently using AI” and as a “future teacher who may need to guide students in using AI.” This is also closely related to the “dual position” faced by pre-service teachers mentioned by Estaiteyeh and Mindzak. I’ve realised that AI is already shaping the future of teaching, learning, and assessment. In summary, my PLN is indeed supporting my professional growth, but it also reminds me that I need to be more conscious in evaluating the quality of resources, actively seek out diverse perspectives, and use AI more responsibly.

Reference:

Estaiteyeh, Mohammed, and Michael Mindzak. “Building AI Literacy in Pre-Service Teacher Education in Canada: A Case Study of Two Cohorts.” Journal of Teaching and Learning, vol. 19, no. 4, 2025, doi:10.22329/jtl.v19i4.10041.

Kennedy, Chris. “Building Your Education Digital Footprint.” Culture of Yes, 8 June 2015, cultureofyes.ca/2015/06/08/building-your-education-digital-footprint/.

Théoret, Pauline. “New Professional Learning and Development Network to Benefit Teachers across the Country.” Canadian Teachers’ Federation, 23 Mar. 2018, www.ctf-fce.ca/blog-perspectives/new-professional-learning-and-development-network-to-benefit-teachers-across-the-country/.