This week I wanted to do things a bit differently. Rather than looking at the readings with the lens of a student, as assigned articles for discussing and arguing what they are discussing and arguing, I’m trying to look at this course more as how it connects to my practice as an educator.
For one, I’m trying to move away from what the readings say about PLNs and instead work at hammering out a deeper understanding of what a PLN actually is for me and how it works in my professional life as a teacher.
I met with my pod group today and this is something we talked about as well. One group member is pursuing the path of optometry and the other is becoming a teacher (so the two of us had some things in common). The three of us all seemed to have in common that we were still seeking a deeper understanding of how PLNs work in our fields, as opposed to our classmates who will use platforms like LinkedIn in the obvious ways. For example, as a teacher, I’ve never been active on LinkedIn. It has never seemed to apply to me, not for getting hired, and not for any meaningful networking related to my career.
Especially now that I know for certain that I will be remaining in this course, I want to make it work for me. I’ve been looking at how I can take away practical learning from this course, for example, if I were to get my students to set up a blog. Additionally, I want to make it meaningful and look at the PLNs I’m already a part of and how I can make them work for me; and how they are currently contributing to my learning and growth as a teacher.
I started mapping out some of my professional network and connections I’ve built both in person and online. It made me think of connections I’ve built, or learning I’ve done, through professional development in the different school districts I’ve worked in. When I was in Yellowknife, one of the big consultants working with our district was Layton Schnellert. Many school districts have worked closely with him and Shelley Moore, particularly around meaningful inclusion. When I met Layton in Yellowknife, he talked about the work he had been doing in BC. He had worked with SD22. I had attended SD22. We talked about some of my former high school teachers he had worked with. And now I work in SD22, and I actually just found one of his books in the staff room that a leaving principal had left behind, and I picked it up!
I openly wrote “SD22” instead of “the district I work in” because when I search for myself online, my full name is listed on my school website, just as it is written here. I don’t use my full name online whenever I can help it. Aside from my school website, it was really hard to find anything about myself online, which is the intention. I have thought about it before, that my name is so public through my work which doesn’t feel completely comfortable to me.
I thought about the excerpt Adrian posted from Privilege of a Public Identity by Hilary Schmidt. Certain groups must be afforded reasonable accommodations. I wonder what kind of an answer I would get if I asked to remove my name from my employer’s website.
This week I wanted to wait to meet with my Pod group until after I had a chance to do the readings. In hindsight I would’ve liked to meet earlier in the week. I found connecting with colleagues/ classmates provides valuable insight as we move through the assignments of the week.
Mapping ‘Visitors and Residents’ Exercise:
