I strongly believe that collaboration is essential in the process of professional growth. There comes a point where you may have exhausted all your resources within your own local network and you must seek guidance or help from “the outside”. One could simply “Google it”, but you are limited to yourself and to your understanding. The best remedy for this is to join a professional learning network for whatever topic it is that you are pursuing. I am very much someone who is not ashamed to say that I google pretty much everything that I am unsure of. This methodology has gotten me far in life. However, there are times that I have needed additional interaction with individuals from online networks to best solve an issue. I have primarily been a consumer when it comes to utilizing professional learning networks. I rarely make my own posts and when I do, they have mostly been requests for assistance. As a future leader, I believe that it vital that I begin getting into the habit of joining more professional learning networks and participate in them more frequently, not just as a consumer, but also a contributor. The more knowledge that I can be a part of, the better gain I will have on my own personal growth as an educator and a leader. By becoming a better educator and leader, I will be able to have that much more to give back to my professional workplace and to the online professional community.
You can view my page on learning networks HERE.
Key Takeaways From Peer Discussions:
Learning Networks provide essential collaborative resources that bring you into the global perspective of learning rather than a local perspective.
You don’t always have the answer, but it’s likely someone in your community does.
Learning Networks can bring out the best in you and make you better.