We come across new people almost daily. We nod in solidarity as we are passing one another, we strike up a conversation because we have something in common, or see one of their posts on social media. All of these interactions are valuable and you can learn from each of these people, whether it be personally or professionally. We are making important connections or we are networking. Just like any other professional, teachers have a Professional Learning Network (PLN). A Professional Learning Network is "...any network that you create to learn from and share ideas with others." (Common Sense Education, 2017). This networking is what aids us in growing throughout our career, which also ends up helping our students too! Since moving to Missouri from Michigan, my in-person connections have grown rapidly and I am entirely grateful for that. I have met an unbelievable amount of people that want to collaborate and see the success that is happening inside my classroom. Before making the Mind Map below, I knew that these connections would be my strongest. After creating my PLN mind map, I realized that I still have a long way to go in utilizing resources to their full potential, more specifically the right side of my map: social media. I have established myself on many social media hubs but I haven't contributed to conversations, expressed myself, or delved deeper into the connections or resources that I could utilize. My social media is just "there". The next step, no matter how intimidating it may be, is to follow more insightful people and contribute to conversations especially on Twitter when there is a chat going on which could lead to so many opportunities. Time to take the leap! References
Common Sense Education. (2017, July 21). What's a PLN? And 3 ways teachers can get connected [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ju54C5A3RCw&feature=emb_logo
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