Engagement In Learning Communities

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING NETWORKS

The PLN’s that I use the most regularly are Twitter and Facebook. In my district, we have a very large twitter presence and use hashtags often to get information to our staff and students. As much as I think that PLN’s are a great way to stay in touch with the happenings in the district and in education, I believe that this forum sometimes is too broad and one person’s tweet can take on a life of its own, especially when taken in the wrong context. Simply look at our new Secretary of Education’s tweet on Friday, asking “now where do I find the pencils”. This one comment infuriated many in the education community and spawned a backlash against her on a global level. I would venture to guess that this was not her intent when she made the comment, but it just goes to show that people are listening, even when you think they aren’t.

On the other hand I find Facebook to be a great PLN, especially as a Master’s student. When I began my program through Lamar University I felt a bit lost with the whole process and integrating a rigorous program into my already busy life. When someone in the program began a Facebook page for our program it began to make things easier to manage. This became a great tool to look for clarification on assignments, bounce ideas back and forth, and vent about time management, but also seek encouragement from one another.

I find that TCTA (Texas Classroom Teacher’s Association), is a great organization to keep abreast of what is going on on the Local, State and National level when it comes to education. I became a member of TCTA as a first year educator when I was looking for insurance. There is not as much interaction, but the organization has a weekly newsletter sent out via email, an annual magazine and their website has great resources for teacher such as professional development, scholarships, legal advice and much more.

When I first began exploring becoming a teacher, I found that AAFCS was a great resource for helping me gain certification as a Family and Consumer Science teacher. This organization provides resources to study for and take the Family and Consumer Science. The members include educators, counselors, nutritionists, scientists, researchers, designers, administrators and consultants. Since Family and Consumer Science was originally Home Economics, this organization does a great job of helping to integrate the old ideas and concepts of being a Home Economics teacher with the requirements needed in education today. Having so many different perspectives is an asset to the members and helps to make us better in our fields and ultimately contribute great skills to our students.

Another great PLN is the Discussion Boards we use weekly via BlackBoard. I find this so helpful, being able to interact with my fellow Master’s students, listen to other’s opinions, see where they are going with ideas and generally gain more knowledge from one another. Each week, I find that I change my view or hear a new idea that I hadn’t thought of before. Someone posted before that we use each other’s ideas as “professional borrowing” and I find that so true. The best ideas sometimes, come from someone finding a new brilliant way to look at something and others expanding on that idea to make it even more brilliant.

I do not contribute much in the way of tweeting/blogging or committing my opinions to print. To be perfectly honest, I don’t have the time, nor do I have the inclination to get into debates with people about my personal opinion. If there is something that I am truly passionate about, then I will certainly lend my voice, but otherwise I’m a listener and I absorb what I am hearing, later forming my own opinion that I may or may not share. I still believe in old school networking, shaking hands, repeating someone’s name so I remember it and engaging them in meaningful, face to face conversation. If we need to join each other’s networks after that initial encounter, then I’m game or if that is the way to engage with someone initially great, but just because technology is the future, doesn’t mean we have to give up all of the ways that have worked previously. I think we have to find a way to integrate old school and new school methods together. Collaboration and engagement come naturally when you really feel comfortable working with someone and the only way to truly feel comfortable is to get to know them. Knowing someone digitally vs. knowing someone personally are two very different things. Let’s find the balance.