What's the Deal with PLNs?

I have found some of the best ideas throughout my career through professional learning networks. I am a member of several professional learning networks and have learned a great deal from communicating with others through them. Three of the networks that I am most currently active in are Teaching with Schoology and 2ndaryELA on Facebook, and the TEA Blended Learning Grant Program Channel on Slack. Additionally, I also participate in learning networks for my role as a mother of twins, a mother of 3 children 2 and under, a resident of my neighborhood, and a mom in the town I currently live in. 

I have definitely grown as a member of these learning networks over time and I take and give them all in different ways. For example, the Teaching with Schoology Group is a group that I "take" more from than anything as teachers share helpful resources and tools that can aid in ensuring I offer quality support to the teachers I support in my district. However, I also contribute to this group often when I see others struggling with figuring out new workflows on this system that is new to many teachers across Texas. I like collaborating with others to find the best solution and be part of that process. The 2ndary ELA network is one that I do not contribute to much anymore, now that I am out of the ELAR classroom and my work focuses on blended learning and tech integration, but I do occasionally find helpful resources and conversations that I can use to support the teachers I serve. In the TEA BLGP Slack Channel, I have to say, I do not contribute much at all. This is a harder community for me to feel comfortable in as it is connected to TEA, however, I will say that there are always helpful things shared by the TEA BLGP team often and I appreciate the ability to communicate with them informally in this way. 

One learning network I have not mentioned because it is not a formal group is Twitter. Twitter is a platform that I have begun to realize is an extremely valuable professional learning network. I have connected with leaders in EdTech across the country and enjoyed the relationships that have formed through these critical conversations. I enjoy being a part of communities where what is best for kids is the focus of the conversation, and I love sharing resources and finding resources on Twitter, too. Following EdTech leaders like Catlin Tucker, Raise Your Hand Texas, Matt Miller, and Kasey Bell has been instrumental in finding the community I truly want to engage with on Twitter. 

Additionally, as our district has begun the transition to Schoology, I have created multiple professional learning network groups within the Schoology Platform to begin to get the teachers in our district comfortable sharing openly in professional communities. This has been a valuable tool and it is fun to see some of our less "tech-savvy" teachers start to ask questions and evolve in their fluency with EdTech programs.