As an instructional consultant a large part of my job is helping find solutions to problems that require deep understanding, careful thought, and much deliberation. The districts that I serve trust in my knowledge and expect me to be the "guru”. The pressure can be overwhelming. In this role I am often thrust into situations where I am expected to know something that I don't. It's a humbling experience. As I participated in state wide meetings and built up a stronger more complete professional learning network (PLN), a powerful understanding emerged that can easily be summed up in a quote by the great Helen Keller.
“Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.”
PLN Map created by Chad Riffle on popplet.com
This week I spent some time considering my PLN and creating a map of my "phone a friends." I rely on this network in my current role and have spent the last few years of my career building it up into a robust machine seemingly capable of tackling any challenge. It is a visual representation of the connections, people, and groups that I rely on daily. I am proud of how well rounded it has become. Four years ago it would have been limited to less than half of the connections with most similar to myself in skill sets and background. Today there are representatives from all over Michigan with diverse skill sets and backgrounds. However, I see room to grow. Having a diverse network forces us to "widen our social world" Menon (2017). Few of my connections are from outside of Michigan. My goal for the next couple of years is to strengthen and diversify my PLN utilizing social media to include members from all over the world.
References:
Menon, T. (2017, March). The secret to great opportunities? The person you haven't met yet [Video]. TED. https://www.ted.com/talks/tanya_menon_the_secret_to_great_opportunities_the_person_you_haven_t_met_yet/transcript
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