Reflecting on my
Professional Learning Network
Over the last few months, I conducted an experiment in Connected Learning by intentionally and carefully developing my own PLN using various social media platforms. For the purpose of the experiment, I limited my PLN to one of my professional topics of interest - library makerspaces. Below, I reflect on my experiences and thoughts during this journey.
I will refer to a number of frameworks and models to analyse my experiences. For your reference, the main frameworks are:
Types of Connected Learning Experiences (Oddone, 2019)
Ways to be a Connected Learner (Oddone, 2018a)
Professional Digital Identities (Lupton, Oddone & Dreamson, 2018)
Before
With the aim to analyse my online activities in relation to research, I hoped to better understand how I could grow as a connected learner and educator. The Transformative Teacher Framework assists teachers in identifying their development in the eight domains of “learning, techno-social development, modalities of learning and production, voice and storytelling, socio-political development, role of the teacher, and hybridity/third spaces (Baker-Doyle, 2017). Upon analysis of my online activities against the framework, it was clear that I was yet to truly use sophisticated transformative practices (Baker-Doyle, 2017). In the learning domain, for example, I generally reached out to peers only when seeking advice. In the techno-social development domain, I used digital technologies mainly as a consumer and did not integrate connecting technologies into my pedagogical practices. Similarly, my digital identity was unsophisticated, reflecting a basic level of quality in my digital interactions and application of digital literacies for learning (Lupton, Oddone, & Dreamson, 2018).
The Experiment Begins
By trialing multimodal ways to present content over a broad range of social media, I hoped to find effective ways to communicate, share knowledge and collaborate. For example, a YouTube video was used to showcase my first experience with a 3D doodling pen because it could show the techniques I used. An infographic was used to present a simple method for creating a LEGO wall – allowing simplicity and visual interest without overwhelming blocks of text. I then proceeded to share the content in different ways, different times, through different platforms.
My first critical incident occurred when I created and shared a blog post and infographic called My Makerspace Initiation: The LEGO Wall. In the spirit of experimentation, I shared the post via Twitter and Instagram, added it to a Pinterest board and shared it on a closed Facebook group for teacher-librarians. Each of the posts themselves received minimal comments and likes, with Twitter data showing merely 4 people clicked the link to my blog through my tweet. Blog data, however, showed that the blog post received 291 unique visits on the day of sharing – a result directly related to the closed Facebook group. It is interesting to note that I had already been an active participant in this Facebook group yet was not established on the other social media platforms.
Reaching Out
My activities at this stage were complex as I navigated multiple social media platforms and tried to be responsive to the conversations, questions and information my PLN members shared online. A critical incident occurred during this time. Upon realising that a teacher-librarian colleague showed interest in a makerspace tool called Makey-Makey, I wrote a blog post detailing my experience with the resource and shared it on Twitter, tagging my colleague in the post. Although the digital artefact was simplistic in regards to the information it presented, it attracted various interactions such as comments on the blog post in addition to questions on Twitter. Within a few days, I was tagged in a post on Twitter where my colleague stated that she was successful in gaining approval from her principal to purchase the resource.
A @makeymakey water piano was my very first maker space activity. Read how easy it was on my blog. https://t.co/m0HZb7yI3v#MakerSpace #makeymakey #STEMed #LCN600 @Beetle693 pic.twitter.com/J4NHQXzh8r
— B J K L (@BeeJayKayEl) May 7, 2019
Super excited! I just got approval to make a LEGO wall in the library. Now just have to buy the equipment and make it. Hoping P&F can help out with funding. Thank you @BeeJayKayEl for the inspiration □#MakerSpace #Maker #LCN600 #LEGO
— Alexandra Rummenie (@Beetle693) May 10, 2019
@AdobeCare Hey! I drew this large triangle. I need the tip of the triangle (shown with opacity lowered) to be a different color than the main triangle. How do I accomplish this?
— The Library is Open (@cscardina) May 19, 2019
If you’re using photoshop, I can record my screen to show you the steps. What colour did you want the tip of the triangle to be? pic.twitter.com/674XMWqDqr
— B J K L (@BeeJayKayEl) May 19, 2019
My experimentation with Instagram further strengthened my PLN by providing me with opportunities to connect in a more individualised way. I found that Instagram is used less by educators and schools for professional learning, and believe this element allowed me to create meaningful connections more easily. Using Instagram, I experimented with hashtags relating to my area of interest and actively commented, asked questions and linked my content to the accounts I began to follow. Despite having a small number of Instagram followers in comparison to Twitter, in merely a matter of weeks, I was able to build a relationship with a local library who invited me to visit to learn from their expertise in makerspaces. I was also able to connect with an interstate teacher-librarian who has since taken on an unofficial mentorship role, communicating with me via multiple social media platforms, private messages and my professional email account.
Through my activities on Instagram, I became aware that the quality of my connections are important to consider when developing my PLN. Part of being digitally literate means understanding how digital connections can add value or distract from a user’s learning goals (Nussbaum-Beach & Ritter-Hall, 2011), and this was demonstrated in my experiences using multiple social media. An aspect of connecting online as a self-directed sharer (Oddone, 2019) is having the ability to expand and evolve my use of social media in relation to my changing needs as a learner.
Shaking Things Up
Once I began focusing on stretching and amplifying my interactions, I experienced the social benefits of nurturing my PLN. Throughout my career so far, I had occasionally felt isolated and misunderstood amongst direct colleagues due to a misalignment of teaching philosophies (Cook, Johnson & Stager, 2016). By connecting with others who share the same interests whilst also expanding my connections to those outside teacher-librarianship, I began to feel supported by those who have travelled similar journeys. I learned that human beings are often generous in sharing their knowledge, and that reciprocity and appreciation go a long way in building trust with others. Additionally, the diversity of perspectives I began to encounter both inspired and challenged me as I interacted with learners whose experiences and opinions differed to mine (Trust, Krutka and Carpenter, 2016).
Diversity is an important part of an effective PLN, and the value of diversity was made evident during my journey. A critical incident relating to this happened after I shared the afore-mentioned blog post, which I posted on Twitter, Instagram and a closed teacher-librarian Facebook group. Although blog data showed it received 291 unique views, the comments on social media were minimal to none. Within a few days, however, I witnessed a long thread in the same Facebook group questioning the purpose and benefits of makerspaces in libraries.
The discussion was lengthy and passionate, with many teacher-librarians expressing concern over the amount of energy makerspaces have taken away from promotion of reading activities. As I processed the insight I had gained, I wrote and shared another blog post where I attempted to formulate my beliefs about the topic. The Facebook thread, which was indirectly related to my earlier post, allowed me to review my practices and explore both the positive and negative impacts of makerspaces in libraries. By interacting with a broader range of learners, I was able gain a deeper understanding of my area of interest and use this information to improve my practice.
The map below represents my PLN at the time of writing. Note the diversity, breadth and complexity of the connections.
Into the Future
Firstly, I learned that social media is a powerful tool which can significantly broaden and enhance the learning of users. Despite the risks and dangers associated with the digital sphere, when used strategically and carefully, the potential learning which social media can provide is virtually limitless. Secondly, I learned that I have a substantial amount of knowledge and wide range of skills which can benefit my own learning and the learning of others. The realisation that my own expertise has value to members of my PLN was unexpected yet uplifting. I came to understand that everyone can make valuable contributions to the learning of others.
Thirdly, I have started to recognise the importance of my digital identity professionally and personally, and the strategic way social media platforms can be used to enhance one’s digital footprint, social media identity and digital literacies. This is an area I have admittedly avoided, due to restrictions and codes of practice related to my current employment. The substantial impact digital identity can have not only on interactions and connections, but also on career and professional opportunities (Oddone, 2017), means that I must concentrate on developing a more intentional social media identity and digital footprint in the future.
As I continue to nurture my PLN, I will aim to foster a more authentic presence by monitoring my PLN members and exploring whether I can leverage “context collapse” to create balance between my identities in various online spaces (Marwick & Boyd, 2011). By combining my interests and passions with my online professional practices, I can work toward my goal of being a genuine influencer (Oddone, 2019) – a connected learner who builds a professional reputation online through collaborative sharing of their expertise (Baker-Doyle, 2017).
Finally, I aim to explore how the principles of PLNs can be applied to my teacher-librarian practice. The importance of digital literacy is undisputed, yet educators are still faced with obstacles and policies preventing the active use of social media in the classroom. Educating my colleagues about the value of incorporating connected learning into meaningful learning experiences for students is a goal I will be pursuing. Students cannot learn effective digital literacy skills without actively participating in the use of the technologies and being guided in their effective and safe use (Richardson & Manchabelli, 2011). Digital literacies affect all aspects of our lives, including civics and citizenship, politics, economics, and the relationships within society in general (Meikle, 2016). If we are to prepare ourselves and our students for success in today’s landscape of social media and interconnectedness, we cannot ignore the significance of teaching and learning digital literacies through PLNs.