Professional Learning Networks

 

Part 1: Initial Reflections

            Firstly, I think it is important to acknowledge the colleagues that work with us in our respective schools, as they bring their own wealth of knowledge and expertise, and can also point us in the direction of various resources online. Coming into this assignment, I was already connected to several groups on Facebook and LinkedIn, however it had been years since I used Twitter so I asked a colleague for advice about finding interesting people on that platform. It was through my colleague that I also found out about a new platform that is similar to Twitter, that many educators are now joining, called BlueSky. I searched for some new people to add to my Twitter and Bluesky networks, by using hashtags. When I spoke of my interest in teacher well-being, earlier in the year, another colleague pointed me towards a professional on LinkedIn, who specialized in this area. The video What is a PLN - Marc- Andre Lalande's Take acknowledges how important others are at their respective schools, within a PLN, with this quote, “Contribution to learning focus is what you create together through the internet.

It is a network because these people are in turn connected to other people and organizations that influence and enrich the interactions of your group through various collaboration tools usually referred to as Web 2.0. It is focused on learning.”

            On Facebook many of the meaningful groups that I am a part of are related to teaching Mathematics in an inquiry-based way, or they are about the PYP / inquiry-based teaching in general. The Mathematics groups I am a part of, I found through reading “Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics” By: Peter Liljedahl and “Mathematical Mindsets” By: Jo Boaler. The latter also prompted me to find Jo Boaler’s website youcubed.com. Steve Wybourny's Blog was also introduced to me last year, as an excellent resource for Math engagements.

            My groups include those on Neurodiversity, Inclusive Education, Early Childhood, the PYP and the International Baccalaureate. I also follow individuals who make posts about their work in inquiry-based teaching, Literacy, DEI, outdoor education, edtech, curriculum development, school cultures and student centeredness are all topics that I frequently receive posts about from individuals in my network. Some of these individuals I found when I was doing professional development online. Others show up in the “suggested” area of my LinkedIn. In addition, I follow a variety of international schools, to see what they are doing.

In the past more often than not, if I had something that I wanted to share, I would share it on LinkedIn, or I would create an entry on my teaching portfolio https://www.teacherextraordinaire.com/ and then occasionally repost it on LinkedIn. For specific queries I may Google and then read answers on various websites or blogs or read answers to similar queries on teacher forums such as A to Z teacher stuff or Reddit r/teacher groups. Admittedly I am not active on these forums, just a “lurker”

I also periodically listen to PodCasts. Most recently I have been listening to PodCasts about teacher wellbeing in international schools and DEI in international schools, although I have consumed a variety of topics throughout my tenure as a teacher.

 

Part 2: Connect

            For a more comprehensive list of my Professional Learning Network please go to the section “Part 3 – Map and Reflection Version 2” as that diagram comprehensively lists many people, platforms, newsletters, groups and forums in my Professional Learning Network. Below are the 5 entries on my Professional Learning Network that currently excite me the most.

 

Trevor MacKenzie (Individual Contact) on LinkedIn

Trevor MacKenzie has written many books having to do with inquiry. Most recently I have been fascinated with his book, “Inquiry Mindset: Questions Edition.” Trevor MacKenzie is also a frequent presenter for Toddle Ties and does inquiry related workshops around the world. Trevor MacKenzie is very active on LinkedIn and also shows examples or reinterpretations of the strategies he has published. Most recently I found a post interesting where a teacher took his “deep and shallow questions” model and changed it so that the shallower questions were based around more simplistic essential concepts in the PYP like “form” and “function” with concepts like “responsibility” and “perspective” being acknowledged as deeper and often harder to answer questions.

 

The International Schools Podcast

I first found this Podcast when I looked up Dr. Helen Kelly on Apple Podcasts and found her talking about teacher and school leadership well-being in the context of international schools. Recently I have become very interested in teacher wellbeing in the international school context, as I think it’s something little studied and spoken about, and teaching abroad is not the same as teaching in one’s home country. Also, not all international schools are built equally or even follow the law of the countries they are in. Since listening to this first episode, I have listened to other episodes on the podcast as well. Currently I am half way through an episode on bereavement and how to support children and teachers in the international school context.

 

Literacy Leaders Newsletter on LinkedIn

            The Literacy Leaders newsletter on LinkedIn describes itself as, “A newsletter for educators who want to transform literacy research into action, achievement, and motivation.” In 2015 I became a Reading Specialist in the province of Ontario. When I started my Professional Masters of Education, I decided on a specialization in Literacy. Since then, I have been doing my best to try to be well-educated in all things Literacy. This newsletter provides links to various articles about educational best practices. Those who receive the newsletter can read and discuss their opinions. Through this group and also a Literacy group I am a member of on Facebook and a Literacy specialist I am connected to on LinkedIn, I can remain well informed.

 

Teaching Math Mindsets on Facebook

“Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics” is a specific inquiry based approach to Mathematics by Peter Liljedahl. I am a part of the group “Building Thinking Classrooms” on Facebook, which is an active group with over 72 000 members. This group focuses on this particular approach to teaching Mathematics, which involves students working collaboratively on vertical surfaces, on meaningful problems where they can go deep and where the problem can be extended to go deeper, and has many entry points. In this group teachers share their wonders and puzzlements. They are also clarifying how to teach Math using these procedures / approaches and they are sharing specific activities and Math problems that have worked successfully for them.

 

Teacher Extraordinaire (Teaching Portfolio / Blog / Website)

            While no one specifically leaves comments on my blog, using the statistical information I can see that people all over the world are accessing my blog https://www.teacherextraordinaire.com/ I mainly started my blog as a way to document my teaching journey. Of course, it is also a useful marketing tool at points in time where I am looking for jobs. I don’t keep on top of updating it, but I hope that teachers can find things on there that inspire them. Given the advent of AI, I’m certain that very soon I will need to put up more material that reflects the changing landscape of teaching and show the ways that I am using AI to enhance my own teaching practice.

 

Part 3 – Map and Reflection Version 1

Please keep in mind that my PLN has existed for years. The number of resources I have accessed over time has been numerous, and there is no way to keep up with everything. As such this may not be a true reflection of every single resource I have come across or have used. It’s not even a reflection of everything that I’m currently subscribed to.

Part 3 – Map and Reflection Version 2

Part 4: End of Assignment Reflection

            For the most part my Professional Learning Network was already created. What this assignment did encourage me to do was to log into my Twitter once more and update it. As I would like to participate in my school’s PubPD at some point, it also makes sense to start up my Twitter for that reason, since very often topics of conversation take place across schools and new people with different or similar perspectives can be added to your network, based on the event. Additionally, I am wanting to learn more about EdTech, and there seem to be many people who use EdTech well, that exist on that platform. The activity also got me to look more into BlueSky, which is similar to Twitter and is an app that many teachers are moving over to.

            The book Edublogs Teacher Challenge: Building your PLN for Teachers states that educators should create a PLN to: "be in charge of your own PD, explore your own interests, needs and passions, connect when it suits you - 24/7, brainstorm and fine tune your ideas, there can be light and shade, stay current in research and best practice, students need globally connected teachers and learn and connect in a way you enjoy."

It’s not like a professional development session with a live speaker, wherein you need to sacrifice a particular amount of time on a particular date and at a particular time. As I am a generalist (homeroom) teacher it also enables me to dip my toes into a variety of different content areas.

            As performance arts are a particular interest of mine, I wish to find more in my professional network about teaching to this area. Additionally, I currently teach Visual Arts and Science (through the lens of Units of Inquiry) so could benefit from some teachers doing dynamic things in those areas as contacts on my Twitter. Robotics and hands on technical activities like building rockets are something else I would love to know more about, so I would love to have professional contacts in those areas as well.

            Overall Professional Learning Networks are a great way, filled with self-agency wherein teachers can engage in and discover a variety of different resources and research. As Green points out in their article about Personal Learning Networks, those who are successful in their Personal Learning Networks are both passionate and curious, and both of those are extremely valuable attributes for a teacher to have.

Sources

DevPro PD Flipped. (2012, October 19). What is a PLN - Marc-André Lalande's take. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLLpWqp-owo&t=17s

 

Edublogs Teacher Challenge: Building Your PLN for Teachers, https://teacherchallenge.edublogs.org/creating-a-pln/

 

Green, C. L. (2020). Personal learning networks: Defining and building a PLN. In T. I. Asino (Ed.), Learning in the digital age (pp. 1-15). Oklahoma State University. https://open.library.okstate.edu/learninginthedigitalage/chapter/personal-learning-networks_defining-and-building-a-pln/