My Ever-Growing PLN

When I started this class several weeks ago, my primary tools for communicating with colleagues were the phone and email. While I will still relay on these modes of communications on a daily basis, I now will incorporate RSS feeds, Twitter, blogs, and podcasts into my "Toolbag of methods of sending and receiving information. I have a new network of colleagues (my elearning classmates) that I can continue to exchange thoughts and ideas with after this class is completed. The new tools that we have used in this class have made my task of connecting with others outside of my work environment much easier. During the past two weeks, I have connected with someone who shares my love of science fiction via my Twitter account. I have had several people comment on the blog that I posted on my facebook account.

I now have the knowledge and confidence to use these new tools. I will begin to schedule time to use these tools on a daily/weekly basis. For me, the critical time for ensuring that my PLN continues to grow is in the first few weeks after this class is completed. For me, I need to continue using these web 2.0 tools to help them become habit-forming. How many of us have attended a workshop, conference or in-service and was so excited about implementing new ideas or programs into our schools or our work habits only to fall back into our old ways of doing things once we returned to our daily work environments? We all have been excited (at least I hope we all have!) at some point in our careers about integrating new ideas or initiatives into our school systems or our daily work routines.

In order to prevent my pre-existing, established methods of sending and receiving information to again dominate how I do my job, I am going to make myself start using some of these tools to comminute with colleagues, parents, and students. I am already making plans to use my blog as a form of "Internet Newsletter for my department. I have already created a podcast that I posted to help explain to parents why we are creating new bus routes this year.

I think the best way to encourage my administrative colleagues is to model and promote my own use of these tools. I plan on sharing my use of these tools with them at district leadership meetings. I also think another way to motivate them is to sit down with them and create! One-on-one sessions with collegues are a great way to get tem started. LCD projectors and smart boards now make it possible to plan on-line demonstrations with small or large groups.

Lastly, I think creating a kind of "Professional Jealously" among colleagues can be a very strong motivator to encourage them to use web 2.0 tools. They must see how the use of such tools is making a positive difference in how I perform my administrative duties. Therefore, it will be my job to use these tools and create a new "Internet Buzz" in our school system and community at large.