To succeed as a connected educator and to transform to that of a connected educator teachers must view themselves as learner first, lead learner to students, and develop into teacher leader. As learners, Nussbaum-Beach (2012) points out that through the use of technology teachers are able to plan and develop their own learning, can select personal mentors, organize their conferences and attend online workshops. In reference to Trust (2012), successful connected educators make connections to thousands of individuals with an assortment of expertise by joining online communities and subscribes to educational blogs, podcasts, professional videos, and news feeds. Nussbaum-Beach (2012) indicates that successful connected educators use blogs, wikis, microblogging, social bookmarking, and social networking or the technologies used by many of today’s youth as a means to transform to lead learner. To become a lead learner, Trust (2012) contends that teachers must learn to model connectedness and enable students to develop personal learning networks, made up of people and resources from both their physical and virtual worlds. By learning from, and expanding on, connecting learning experiences, effective teachers gain a reputation as connective leaders. Through virtual world connections connective leaders may gain followers from establishing positive reputations.
The strategies of cooperative learning along with collaborative learning are vital components of connected learning. Both involve small-group collaborative participation over lecture-based teaching, and where both support a discovery based approach to learning. Panitz (1996) distinguishes cooperative learning as a methodology chosen by teachers for students to build foundational knowledge which is based around teacher led outcomes typically closed-ended or having specific answers. In contrast, the teacher of collaborative learning hands over his or her authority and empowers the small groups who are often given more open-ended, complex tasks. Collaboration now has broadened to include connecting in digital space, and provides an open format for teachers to expand their professional development practices. Nussbaum-Beach (2012) states collaborative learning is connected to the social constructionist's view that knowledge is a social construct and we first have to invest in personal knowledge development through collaboration before we will have knowledge to share with others.
The initial step in organizing a connected learning community revolves around the school principal. The most effective school principals are those who view transformation as a process. The transformational principal is a visionary of change in which children’s wellbeing is the major focus for change. Through their personal learning network experience they learn as they lead. They formulate a vision and produce a clear mission for school transformation resulting in a connected learning community. According to Nussbaum-Beach (2012) transformational leaders, are collaborative decision makers who empower stakeholders to share a vision of change and then actively participate in learning and leading. Transformational leaders, encourage collaboration through distributed leadership. They encourage teachers to practice distributed leadership when appropriate by staying abreast of what teacher’s abilities and potentials are. Distributed leadership consists of team leaders, community organizers, connected coaches or expert voices.
Connected educators seek out social connections via online networks to collaborate with dependable sources. According to Nussbaum-Beach (2012) a personal learning network is made up of people a teacher chooses to interact with in an attempt to gain knowledge with the intent that some type of learning will take place, thus contributing to their professional development. Within local school communities, teachers bring their expanded knowledge forth from their personal learning networks, thus leading to school transformation. The successful connected learner is dedicated to improve ongoing professional behaviors in an attempt to make connections to students learning. Trust (2012) points out that highly effective teachers model the process of information analysis and knowledge acquisition by continually learning through collaboration, professional development, and studying pedagogical techniques and practices through online networking. This commitment includes deep reflection and a willingness to experiment with new professional strategies brought forth by members of their professional learning networks. Effective networking skills and strategies include good listening skills, the ability to ask open ended questions which promote expanded thought and dialogue. Succeeding as a connected learner involves becoming a co-learner, co-creator and for some co-leader by gaining followers.
Members of a connected community, learn to become great team members mainly by staying focused on the learner. They seek evidence of students leaning as well as keeping others informed of students’ strengths and weaknesses. Trust (2012) explains that teachers post links to resources for members of their Personal Learning Network (PLN) to view and they ask other members for help finding specific resources. They connect with others seeking collaboration on a class projects, pair their students with pen pals, or just to design lessons. In relation, Nussbaum-Beach (2012) adds when teachers share their practices collaboratively, they become aware of colleagues and are more receptive to adopting effective practices that lead to school improvement practices. Teacher leadership occurs when a teacher shares with other teachers what works (or hasn't worked) in her or his own classroom in an effort to improve performance for all the students in the school. According to the National Research Council (2000), “teachers are key to enhancing learning in schools. In order to teach in a manner consistent with new theories of leaning, extensive learning opportunities for teachers are required” (p. 203)
There are two types of PLNs in which teachers make connections, information aggregation and social media connections. For social aggregation, Trust (2012) identifies three popular web sites identified as tools in which teachers join: Edmodo, Classroom 2.0 and Twitter. Social media connections are social media sites which teachers use to connect with people from around the world. Some social media connects include real-time interaction, involving instant messaging like chat-rooms or even Skype. They include sites like Facebook, Twitter, Ning, and Wikispaces. According to Trust (2012) typically teachers choose both types of PLNs tools. To begin as a connected learner a suggestion would include, Edmodo, Facebook, and Wikispaces. According to Trust more than 6.5 million teachers and students are using Edmodo. Edmodo has 12 subject communities which provide a space for teachers to make connections with many educators in the same subject field. A second selection would be Facebook since most people, teachers and students, are already using this social networking tool. At Facebook teachers can post significant events, content videos for students or teachers to view and they can post comments. Since it is interactive, instamatic statements from participants is possible. Wikispaces is another social networking site for both teachers and students. A Wikispace is a place to create pages related to school content for students, or provide a place for students to display their learning. This can be open for others to view or set just for specific viewers for their feedback.
To plan for the future we need to realize that technology will continue to change exponentially and student’s connections to these changes will continue to grow as a result. The purpose of education is to produce autonomous learners who will contribute and function within society. With this in mind teachers must realize their role is to assist students to learn to navigate and to effectively evaluate the expanding networks filled with expanded information now and in the future. “Highly effective teachers model this process of information analysis and knowledge acquisition by continually learning through collaboration, professional development, and studying pedagogical techniques and best practices” (Trust, 20012, p. 1). Like Trust, Nussbaum-Beach (2012) concludes that teachers need to embrace the status of being a learner first. With the knowledge gained as a learner, they assist students learning by becoming lead learners in their classrooms. With the experience they have gained as learners, and lead learners, effective connected educators can gain the reputation of becoming teacher leader within our school systems and within a connective network environment.
References
Common Sense Media. (2012). Social media, social life: How teens view their digital lives. Retrieved from http://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/research/socialmed
iasociallife-final-061812.pdf
Nussbaum-Beach S. (2012). The connected educator learning and leading in a digital age. Bloomington: Solution Tree Press. Print
Panitz T. (1996). A Definition of Collaborative vs Cooperative Learning. Deliberations, Retrieved from http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/deliberations/collaborative-learning/panitz-paper.cfm
Trust T. (2012). Professional learning networks designed for teacher learning. Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, 1-5. Retrieved from http//:acce.edu.au/sites/acce.
edu.au/files/pj/journal/27_1ProfLearning_Networks_p34-38.pdf
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