Finding the value of being an active memeber

           A learning network is a place where growth happens. It is any type of event where learning happens, encouragement takes place, and ideas are shared to positively affect one’s personal or work environment. Learning networks provide support and create opportunities where people can use new techniques or contribute techniques to benefit their current situations. Having a learning network will and should affect both the consumer and the contributor due to the fact that collaboration and constant discussions occur from people with similar topics or issues adding their different perspectives. According to the article" 3 Step 4 Building Professional Learning Network", by Brianna Crowley a learning network is “an ever-changing group of connections to which teachers go to both to share and learn". It "Includes organizations, communities, and individuals who help a person grow as a professional"

 My experiences with the following learning communities has been very rewarding. I consider myself a consumer instead of a contributor because at this point in my life, I am trying to obtain my best practices and feel myself out as a teacher. I am on a journey to understand what type of teacher I am and how I want my classroom to function. Knowing that I have a lot less experience, I don't always feel comfortable sharing information that I may have gained in a classroom unless these people were just as new to this world as I. I do not post anything but a thank you or a like on something that I found interesting from them due to the fact is not as experiences as most with teaching. 

My Learning Networks and Where I stand with them:

Edutopia:

 http://www.edutopia.org/

          Edutopia is a learning network that enables a teacher to develop skills as a professional through multiple resources. It allows teachers to share ideas and learn from each other but also guides a professional in the direction that interests them the most. It talks about current issues and provides opportunities to talk and learn about the biggest issues in education like how to relate subjects to real world situations, project based learning, and how to correctly assess students. This type of website incorporates a lot of fun and engaging ideas that will truly make a difference in someone’s teaching environment. The 5 keys to this site include: real world connection, core to learning, structured collaboration, student driven work, and multifaceted connections. I have not been a part of this learning network long and consider myself a consumer. I intend to one day soon be an active member by giving feedback to the project based and real world tasks that are provided. I want to be able to share my findings with my students and things I would keep and did or would alter in order to help teachers dealing with the type of environment I find myself in. I would contact several people within the group that have the same interests and discuss the topics that we have in common. Thus growing my learning network and creating more opportunities to learn from different perspectives. 

Classroom 2.0 

http://www.classroom20.com/

          My first experience with classroom 2.0 showed me that teachers around the world understand that our jobs are very demanding. This site in the first five seconds allowed me a chance to see the type of teachers that care about success for not only students but teachers as well. There was encouragement given to specific teachers and discussion about how some think our job is straight forward but until put in the situation where teachers leave work and still work at home spending hours and hours on planning and grading that they are not paid for, others would not truly understand. This site is a space where videos and questions are asked to evaluate the lifestyle of a teacher and talk about techniques that can help improve difficult situations inside and outside the classroom. You must first be approved because of spam and that made me feel safe when I finally feel comfortable contributing to this site. As of right now I find myself in a consumer set of mind but if I was an active member in this community I would share my thoughts about what being a teacher means to me. I would contribute words of encouragement to those seeking help in situations where they are losing faith or dealing with certain students that they cannot relate to. I would share videos or information with those who needed to hear the specific title and try to become a positive stepping stone for more teachers like me. 

Black Educators Rock:

 https://www.facebook.com/Black-Educators-Rock-846983265370644/

            This site was the first teacher page I was brought into. Teachers I used to work with added me to the group and continue to tag me in important messages that will help me with teaching math or just in general. Many teacher have shared coupons and decorations to do in my classroom. It also serves as a way to show pride in what we are doing as teachers. I know the name may seem intimidating but I find that a group of back educators are setting a tone for African Americans to see that success does happen for black people. Many are still in the mindset that this cannot happen because they are not around it or don't see it. However with this site, I have been shown the possibilities and been able to encourage those going into promotions. I am a contributor and a consumer. I would say I consume more than I contribute but for those that live around me, I try to share places in Beaumont that do special project for teachers. Activities that I try most likely come from black educator’s rock and I truly enjoy this Facebook group!

ISTE: http://www.iste.org/

            This learning network provides guidelines to using technology in the classroom. It strives to connect people to technology to help create more in depth learning using tools that could change the way we think about the world. It looks to keep students involved in their own learning by finding the potential of their resources. We are working in a world that is ever evolving and the school systems we have created is becoming outdated for the types of tools that are being created. With every advancement in technology, we must ensure that training and uses are being portrayed so that people see the value and the importance of using them. ISTE creates the opportunity and the structure of technology that we need to address and use to be able to relate to new generations perspectives. I am a consumer in this learning network because I just joined and am still figuring out the guidelines to technology that they discuss. If I were an active member, I would try to pick a few standards that I could see me using inside the classroom and try and dissect the meaning of it in my own teaching experience. I would write about how I could structure my classroom to this standard and share my findings, failings and accomplishments with it. I would introduce this site to my students and have them also pick a standard that they feel that would like to try in the classroom and have them share it with the classroom. This learning network provides every type of learner, and individual to share, learn, and digest information and I believe will benefit me in every aspect. 

Reference:

  Brianna Crowley. 2014. "3 Steps for Building a Professional Learning Community".

http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2014/12/31/3-steps-for-building-a-professional-learning.html