Can your PLN be used to help professional development post-course?
A PLN can be used to help professional development post-course because there are many opportunities to network and learn. For instance, Amy Storer mentioned she attended a conference in Houston where someone suggested she create a Twitter account, which she did not know was an educational space at the time (Wakelet, 2022). After following many people, she made a classroom Twitter for her students to refer back to for learning and to connect with authors (Wakelet, 2022). For Amy, following people on Twitter helped her create her PLN by finding people with similar interests and skills, and she used these connections to help her students. As well, these connections could have created more opportunities as an educator to learn from other educators in her space for lesson inspirations or ideas.
Can your PLN be relied on to open professional opportunities?
A group in your PLN can be relied on to open professional opportunities because it helps individuals gain advice and feedback or create other connections that would not be possible without a PLN. In the video, Dyann Wilson mentioned before the pandemic, she used conferences to network, but the shift to online led her to use Wakelet and Twitter (Wakelet, 2022). These platforms allowed her to build connections she would not have had in real life. Amy had a similar experience on Facebook, where she joined instructional coaching communities. When she joined the community, Wakelet, it opened even more doors for her to connect, share and listen to stories (Wakelet, 2022).
You do not have to review the complete video – select sections you think are important to reflect on, and please reference the time index in your references.
One part of the video that stood out to me was when Amy shared her story with Ryan Davidson at 23:31 (Wakelet, 2022). She was actively searching for an activity or video that could teach her students about weather maps. She came across a video by Ryan Davidson. She sent him a message on Twitter and asked him if he would be interested in visiting his students about the weather and he said yes. Two years later, she had two students, interested in severe weather, so she contacted him again. I believe this story is important because it shows that that asking a question can play an important role in creating a meaningful connection. Even though nobody had responded to Amy before Ryan Davidson, she still kept trying. It positively impacted her students and her career as a teacher. I think it is important for anyone wanting to build a PLN to take Amy’s advice because all it takes is asking.
References
Wakelet. (2022 August 11). The Benefits of Growing your Network & PLN. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEa8JgAE_qM