Chapter 6: Connected Educator (Blog 2)

In chapter six, of Sheryl Nussaum-Beach's novel, The Connected Educator: Learning and Leading the the Digital Age, the author summarizes how to create your Personal Learning Network (PLN). This can be applied to all careers, not just teaching, as it is displayed in the novel. The initial step of creating the Connected network for your personal career is to develop and determine your goal. What is the purpose of your networking and what would you like to learn? A beginning networker must keep in mind that developing a PLN takes time and that the individual must accept their position as a Learner above anything else. Next, the individual must select their tool of choice, whether it be blogs, photo-sharing, or Twitter. One must consider the outcomes when choosing their tool. What is it that you want to display into the physical realm and which tool would be most efficient in doing so? A learning individual will want to keep their username the same across different tools and may want to select a mentor if need be. The next step involves usage of the tool. The individual must select carefully who it is they wish to follow, basing off of who has the greatest value to their network. One can look at respected bloggers or Twitter users and see who they follow. From here, the learner can choose to follow some of those individuals. One must ensure these people are trustworthy and helpful before following them.  From here, the individual and the members within his or her Personal Learning Network, are free to share and discuss information regarding their common goal or topic. While there is endless information about every topic, developing a network as this allows organization and adequate sharing of knowledge.



This Personal Learning Network (PLN) can be applied to my future career as a nurse in many ways. Initially, as the chapter mentioned in the beginning, there is endless information to be gained from accessing the internet. Creating a Personal Learning Network would further my career as a nurse, because this would allow me to develop deeper connections as well as relationships with both leaders and learners. By finding others with similar goals as me, helping others medically, I can share the information I know, while also learning much information that I did not know. As a future nurse, I must remember that being a learner is first before my career. Especially in the use of a PLN, there is always more information to be learned and there will NEVER be a point that I know everything. Learning is beneficial in every career, however, in nursing it is entirely essential to always be learning. In the medical field, there is constantly ever-changing information. Scientists and researchers are consistently realizing and discovering new information. Networking will aid me to keep up with the modern dynamic, medical world. Developing a Personal Learning Network will allow me to always learn and to be able to connect with many others with the same career goal as myself. This will encourage me to be a more efficient worker, and to be the best nurse that I can be.