This is a prompt in our course that has me thinking deeply. Is it important to be a connected educator? Absolutely!
Currently, for this course, we are reading the book Personal Learning Networks by Will Richardson and Rob Mancabelli. Chapter 2 points how we are not only educators, but we are learners too. I feel that Professional Learning Communities (PLC) are starting to experience a shift where they are not becoming Professional Learning Networks (PLNs). We are no longer relying on the colleagues that exist just within our building, but those within the entire world. We are becoming connected through technology and social media. Resources such as Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest are no longer considered time killers but are now becoming a resource to connect with other colleagues to collaborate long distantly.
Richardson and Mancabelli also tell us that it is not the number of connections we have but the quality of those connections. From experience, I am finding that to be true. When I first started using Twitter or Facebook, I would find myself "following" anyone that had knowledge in Special Education or Reading since I am licensed and teach in both. Before I knew it, my "feed" was was becoming unmanageable and I was missing very good information.
The importance of being a connected educator is that it provides us the opportunity to grow right at our fingertips. Not only is social media a resource to us but there are also online journals or webinars. The more connected we are the more the opportunity to improve.
During the coming 12 weeks, I plan to create a quality PLN. I will be assessing my current activity and determining what is beneficial to me and what it not. I plan to use my PLN tool as a resource to learn and to collaborate.
Its also important, in my mind, to be someone of quality too. Whenever people follow me, I will first look at their Bio's. And then, I look at what they have been posting. I want to make sure that what they post is something I want to see. I do make an exception to this rule - the newbies. These are the teachers that may still be "eggs". They might not have much posted at are very new. If I know they are teachers and I know they are fairly new - I will follow them. Will you also assess what you share?
ReplyDeleteI agree in regards to being of quality. I try to be careful what I share out and leave to a more professional level. Right now, I have not shared anything real original but I have been able to show what I have learned from others and how I have applied that in my classroom.
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