Global Collaboration and Community
The Assignment:
Combining everything we have learned thus far in Global Collaboration and Community, we were asked to make a Digital Citizenship Lesson and collaborate globally for the final project, as well as within our PLN. For this lesson, I collaborated with, Chad, from the cohort, and we had a great time! For my final project, I decided to connect with a person from my Twitter PLN, Dianne. She and I had introduced our classes earlier in the year through Google Hangouts, and now we have embarked on a blogging expedition!
Reflection:
During Global Collaboration and Community, we were asked to learn more about a PLN (Professional Learning Network), as well as evaluate our own PLN. At first glance, I thought I had a pretty good PLN in place, but after diving deeper into its full potential, I realized my PLN needed a little updating! Thanks to the members of this cohort, I had a good place to start. As I evaluated different platforms to strengthen my PLN, I decided the best avenues for me were Twitter, Google Hangouts, and blogs.
Twitter and learning more about hashtags has revolutionized the way I teach and connect with others. I live in a picturesque, rural, two-stoplight-town in Montana, so face to face collaboration happens infrequently, to say the least. Twitter, however, allows me to explore a topic of interest on my time frame and resources are at my fingertips. I am literally able to implement a new idea the next day in class. Hashtags add another element of connection because I am suddenly immersed in the hashtag's universe, reading comments from various people who are not in my PLN. (yet!)
Being a connected educator is something I am still in awe over. As part of our final project, we were asked to collaborate with another member, and even though I use Google Tools all the time, it still makes me giddy when I share ideas back and forth with somebody live! In addition, Google Hangouts has been an integral piece to my connected educator puzzle. I have learned how to do Mystery Hangouts from the one and only, Matt Miller. I have had chats with people who are in charge of technology for an entire district. I was able to participate in the live Education on Air with the HyperDoc Ladies. My class is also able to interact with other students from around the world. Life as a connected educator is transformational.
This assignment was a wonderful journey for me because it forced me to step outside my comfort zone and work with someone I had never met, until the #elementary in Slack! To be honest, I felt a little like the last person in the gym, waiting to be picked for a team because I was late to the game in using Slack to its full potential. Yet, within a short time, I had a response! Chad and I were off and running within minutes sharing ideas on a Doc. All the anxiety of not being chosen went away and the journey was a great learning experience.
I will forever be developing, expanding, and participating in a PLN. Honestly speaking, I have been more of a consumer than producer within my PLN, but that is changing! Hopefully, if you have not begun your PLN journey, my story will be the spark to ignite your journey.