Building a PLN

     These past few weeks I have gradually built what is becoming a pretty strong professional learning network (PLN). I must admit that in the beginning I was a little nervous and even skeptical about reaching out to complete strangers. I feared that no one would be interested in what I had to say, and even worse, that I would indeed have nothing valuable to contribute. However, these fears instantly vanished as I realized that educators really are the most supportive, welcoming, and generous people in the world.
     Twitter has allowed me to make connections and build a PLN faster and easier than I could ever have imagined. Honestly, I am completely shocked that I have as many Twitter followers as I do. It just goes to show that educators, like myself, are always searching for ways to learn and grow, and that means reaching out and connecting with as many like-minded individuals as possible. But it also demonstrates how supportive educators are of each other. In their book What Connected Educators Do Differently (2015) Whitaker, Zoul, and Casas explain why it is so easy to build a network of connected educators using Twitter. They state, "connected educators know that starting out to build a learning network can be difficult and can even be a waste of time unless you are following people who follow you back. As a result, connected educators tend to follow many of the educator who follow them..." (p. 47).  This has definitely proven true, as many of the individuals that I follow follow me as well.
     Although Twitter has allowed me to connect with the greatest number of educators, it has not been the only platform I've used to connect. This week I was extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to interview Catlin Tucker via Google Hangouts on Air. You would think that it would be nearly impossible to get someone like Catlin, who is so accomplished and undoubtedly busy, to give up their time for a complete stranger. But it wasn't difficult at all.  All I did was simply ask, and she said yes. This is just another example of how supportive educators are of one another and how dedicated they are to improving education. This experience definitely opened my eyes and made me realize that perhaps I need to be less selfish with my own time and knowledge. There's nothing wrong with being on the receiving end, but to truly benefit from a PLN, I need to make sure that I give as well.
      Connecting with other educators and having the opportunity to share ideas, thoughts, and resources has been one of the most beneficial learning experiences for me as an educator. As 7th grade English teacher Pernille Ripp states in Whitaker's et al book, "I didn't know I was unconnected, until I got connected" (p. 41).