The following post was written by JoEllen McCarthy, one of the co-hosts of this month’s #nctechat on Twitter this Sunday, August 16th at 8 PM ET.
“Say yes to connecting with others, allow for discovery, for the energy of wonder that fuels all learners and fuels professionalism.” – Donald Graves
Educators know that learning is about lifework not schoolwork. Learning and life are also about relationships. So it is true that we can no longer think about PD in very concrete terms. PD is not about an event, an inservice, a workshop or a document that you get at a conference and take back to your school and stick on a shelf. It is about the relationships that exist among passionate educators. Those relationships reach new levels when we use social media like Twitter and Voxer to share, collaborate, learn and grow. Professional Learning Networks help support learning communities, where everyone feels valued, supported and heard. The power of the PLN is that those connections serve as the inspiration.
Please join Tony Sinanis and me this Sunday at 8 PM ET on Twitter as we explore ways to expand your capacity for collaboration and use your PLN as an energizing tool for facilitating and enhancing learning relationships. We hope you will come share your stories, grow your network, and be energized by the power of the PLN.
Here is a preview of the questions that will guide our discussion:
- How do you define a PLN?
- How does your PLN fuel and energize your learning life?
- How have your extended your PLN connections beyond social media?
- How do you show/inspire/demonstrate to your students the importance of developing a PLN? Can we add SLN?
- What role does NCTE play in your PLN?
- What goals do you have for your PLN for the upcoming school year?
- We invite you to share a photo, video, link, or digital tool that adds to the power of your PLN.