It's Cool to Be Connected

We are in a really cool place and time to network. I feel like it’s impossible not to be connected to some type of network, especially working in an educational system. At a school level, a grade level/content team would be a network, any type of committee or vertical team you are part of would be another network, any district event you participate in would be another layer of networking, and so on. Then, don't discount social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, X, etc. Those are GREAT tools for networking!

What networks do I belong to? I am part of a network created when I joined a graduate program. My peers are one layer of networking through discussion posts and class discussions. Another layer is a personal graduate class collaboration group. We are a smaller group of learners that originally connected to get feedback on projects and discuss learning. Throughout the course of time, we connected in a variety of ways and found ourselves branching out to assist and talk through things other than classwork. In my school district, I’m part of a leadership cohort, coaching cohort, and now coaching leadership network that provides time for book studies, feedback cycles, learning cycles, and mentorship opportunities. I am officially part of TCEA, an active Seesaw Ambassador, a new Eduaide AI Pioneer, Adobe Creative Educator, Discovery Ed Den Star, and BookCreator Educator: those all come with different virtual networks, webinars, and other ways to connect with teachers utilizing pedagogical practices alongside digital tools.

Additionally, I’m part of many social media groups on Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter) that allow me to network, discuss, and learn through various posts. Surprisingly, many “big names” are quite responsive on Social Media and lots of people are open to discussion and learning together. I also feel very connected to the various blogs and podcasts that I follow/read/listen to because of their response cycles to their followers and listeners.

What an amazing time to be able to learn so easily and effortlessly from so many people in so many different places. I hope that my networking group just continues to grow and expand as I continue to grow and learn new things.