A personal learning network is an informal learning network that consists of the people a learner interacts with and derives knowledge from in a personal learning environment. In a PLN, a person makes a connection with another person with the specific intent that some type of learning will occur because of that connection.
An important part of this concept is the theory of connectivism developed by George Siemens and Stephen Downes. Learners create connections and develop a network that contributes to their professional development and knowledge. The learner does not have to know these people personally or ever meet them in person.
The following is an excerpt from Dryden's and Vos' book on learning networks:
"For the first time in history, we know now how to store virtually all humanity's most important information and make it available, almost instantly, in almost any form, to almost anyone on earth. We also know how to do that in great new ways so that people can interact with it , and learn from it."
Personal learning networks share a close association with the concept of personal learning environments. Martindale & Dowdy describe a PLE as a "manifestation of a learner’s informal learning processes via the Web".
What is a PLN?
The word “PLN” stands for “Personal Learning Network”, and it has its origins in connectivism theory (Siemens, G. & Downes, S., 2005).
Why you should begin your own PLN —Ashley Azzopardi (@ashleyazzopardi)
Let’s take this a little further…
The Personal:
Having a PLN is about making connections and building personal relationships with teachers, school administrators, university professors, and experts around the world. No matter where you are in the world, there’s always someone online available to answer questions, share their expertise, and simply chat about what’s happening in their lives and classrooms.
Having a PLN is about making connections and building personal relationships with teachers, school administrators, university professors, and experts around the world. No matter where you are in the world, there’s always someone online available to answer questions, share their expertise, and simply chat about what’s happening in their lives and classrooms.
The Learning:
Having a PLN is about sharing ideas and resources, collaboration, and learning. We may share our learning, ideas and expertise in different ways; using different media and tools, but the essence is the same: the PLN is simply the best professional development you will ever participate in – and it’s available 24/7.
Having a PLN is about sharing ideas and resources, collaboration, and learning. We may share our learning, ideas and expertise in different ways; using different media and tools, but the essence is the same: the PLN is simply the best professional development you will ever participate in – and it’s available 24/7.
The Network:
The defining feature of the PLN is that it is a global learning network, enabling people to tap into and share diverse, global perspectives on teaching strategies, educational issues, and technologies. If takes time and effort to build these connections, but it’s well worth the effort.
The defining feature of the PLN is that it is a global learning network, enabling people to tap into and share diverse, global perspectives on teaching strategies, educational issues, and technologies. If takes time and effort to build these connections, but it’s well worth the effort.
Therefore PLN is an individual learning method, It's more useful and economical for the currently learner. Everyone in globalization should to have and learn more about PLN. I just begins my PLN as the following mind map.

My PLN is start in the first step with 1) Teacher Based, I learn in a formal curriculum that the government provide. 2) My self learning Based(My life style), I just learn to reap in find my inspiration from the public library or by read any more that I want. 3. IT Based learning, I use IT system to fulfill my knowledge because it is the convenient channel to complete my lesson. and 4) I learn with Social Based, the last way that importance to learn that is the right way of our social. I learn any more from the social way and community life style to improve my life to be my self-regulation. that is my personal learning network.
From 1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_learning_network online 7/09/2014 12.46 p.m.
2) http://teacherchallenge.edublogs.org/pln-challenge-1-what-the-heck-is-a-pln/ online 07/09/2014 01.00 p.m.