{"id":3683,"date":"2020-12-23T17:11:00","date_gmt":"2020-12-23T17:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/agile-ed.com\/?p=3683"},"modified":"2020-12-23T17:11:00","modified_gmt":"2020-12-23T17:11:00","slug":"professional-learning-networks-opportunities-and-leadership-that-matter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/agile-ed.com\/resources\/professional-learning-networks-opportunities-and-leadership-that-matter\/","title":{"rendered":"Professional Learning Networks: Opportunities and Leadership that Matter"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Craig Perrier<\/a><\/p>\n

Ok, I admit it \u2013 I love networking.\u00a0 More specifically, I love developing professional networks, both mine and the people I am connected to. In fact, it is one of the most rewarding professional practices I get to facilitate. The value of a successful, productive introduction connecting people who didn\u2019t know each other is often unquantifiable, usually yields unexpected opportunities, and typically ripples to others who generate additional value and possibilities.<\/p>\n

\"Professional<\/p>\n

It is no surprise then that one of the most compelling reasons for educators (teachers and administrators) to the network is to augment their practices.\u00a0 In turn, having an active and dynamic professional learning network (PLN) is an essential professional practice.\u00a0 But, PLN can be unwieldy things.\u00a0 Problems often arise around their creation, maintenance, and opportunity costs resulting in dormant or superficial relationships. \u00a0The good news is that they need not be.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As a provider of educational resources or service, you should be answering this question on a regular basis, \u201cHow are we contributing to existing and help developing new PLN for educators?\u201d\u00a0 As a voice in the field the more active you are, the more networked you are, the more legitimacy you have.\u00a0 As you seek to create a new or refine an existing PLN presence, keep the ideas below in mind, and watch your influence grow.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Community Involvement: <\/strong>Some PLN have a theme or focus.\u00a0 If you are finding those existing ones too crowded, you can always create your own.\u00a0 How you do this matters.\u00a0 One suggestion is to be involved in open interactive events likes Twitter chats (see a list here).\u00a0 Another route is to create your own community of interest around issues or questions you and your team are wrestling with.\u00a0 Doing so creates your own focus group and PLN.<\/li>\n
  2. Provide a Service or Resource for Free: <\/strong>PLN are often drawn to free opportunities and resources. Promoting an aspect of your main product pro bono is the most common practice.\u00a0 As a way to distinguish yourself in the field, offer a service or product related to yours for no cost.\u00a0 For example, hosting professional development events or offering services needed by schools creates a PLN you have direct access to for feedback, promotion, and communication.<\/li>\n
  3. Get Educators to Contribute:<\/strong> Voice matters, and if you are in education, teachers\u2019 voices are golden. For your next project, be sure to involve educators not only in the pilot or work but with each other. In my experience, I have offered to share and promote the project I worked on with my network as a courtesy. Formalize that action with the teachers you hired as consultants by including an aspect of outreach as part of their service.<\/li>\n
  4. Avoid Networking Strike Outs:<\/strong> What I am about to share has happened to me a shocking number of times at in-person or digital conferences. First, I have gone to a company\u2019s booth or table and no one was there. Strike one.\u00a0 Second, I shared my business card with a vendor and they never followed up. Strike two. These are missed opportunities to develop or engage in a PLN.\u00a0 As an alternative, take initiative with people who come to you by connecting them<\/em> on your communication with an invitation to a future virtual event you are hosting.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Carving out your space in PLN can happen in many ways.\u00a0 Whatever path you take it is important that you maintain your activity, are supportive, and seek to expand the network to garner even more opportunities.\u00a0 Your presence will transform you from an educational business to a trusted leader in education.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Contact Agile today!<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    By Craig Perrier Ok, I admit it \u2013 I love networking.\u00a0 More specifically, I love developing professional networks, both mine and the people I am connected to. In fact, it is one of the most rewarding professional practices I get to facilitate. The value of a successful, productive introduction connecting people who didn\u2019t know each […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1574],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3683","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-educator_perspective"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/agile-ed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3683","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/agile-ed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/agile-ed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agile-ed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agile-ed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3683"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/agile-ed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3683\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/agile-ed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3683"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agile-ed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3683"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agile-ed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3683"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}