My Own Personal Learning Network

 

GEN 2243

Angelika Gazzara

Blog #2: Summarize chapter 6 and apply to my career

 

     Chapter six reinforces and emphasizes the importance of a great connection and the different ways of accomplishing this goal. It is essential to know what I personally want to get from the personal learning network. At the same time, I need to remember that it is always a two- way flow.  I need to find the best way to lay it out to others. It begins with creating subjects, ideas, topics that other like- minded people find interesting. In my career as a Human Service Specialist, I look to connect with people from other social services professions. With the two-way flow in mind, I want to share my own experiences from my community with others and at the same time bring back new ideas into my existing community (professional learning community + community of practice) to be able to improve and expand on the goals that I set. The textbook “ The Connected Educator” written by Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach and Lani Ritter Hall describes this very well with a quote from Martin Weller: “It is when an element of reciprocity is added over the blanket sharing that the network attains a more significant role in your life. Sharing is to reciprocity as gold-mining is to jewelry making- the latter cannot exist without the former, but it is the latter which adds real value and interpretation”. (p.95) 

 

     The best way to accomplish a perfect connection and ensure my personal goal will be met is to vet the people I follow. I will only connect with others who have the same goals and who I believe can positively and ethically contribute to what I am aspiring. Of course, I will also be open to debate as long as it remains constructive.  Once I determine the people I follow are respectful and ethical I can then expand by using some of their links. Others may have been able to find resources or connections that I might not be able to discover myself. Thus, their own links could proof to be a helpful tool for my own platform as well.  Again, as long as those are just as professional and ethical as the person I just connected with.  I want to create and then maintain an exciting and productive environment by including people from many different back grounds, but at the same time ensure people do not get overwhelmed. According to the textbook this can be done by providing a routine, a structured and familiar environment without too many options to choose from. What I also learned from this chapter is to make sure I am always a learner first and a teacher second. Otherwise, it defeats the purpose of connecting with others to share ideas and bring back information that in return helps my existing community grow.

     As a Human Service Specialist it is important I find resources that help me serve my community to the best of my ability. Connecting with other like- minded people will help me do just that. I am excited to be able to integrate and apply what I am learning about the connection with others. It will allow me to find new ways to serve my community and its needs. There have been many times in the past when I asked myself there must be a better way to do this. What resources are out there to improve people’s lives? Am I missing anything? How is it done in other communities/counties? Only one way to find out. Connect. Brainstorm.  Share. Retrieve. Implement. Anyone else out there in the Human Service Specialist or other social services profession who can relate? What resources do you use to make sure families in your community are receiving essential services? Let’s share and compare and brainstorm together!

 

 Reference

Nussbaum-Beach S. & Ritter Hall L. (2012). The Connected Educator, Learning and Leading in

a Digital Age. Solution Tree Press.