Connecting with others in a *Digital Space*
Over the last week, I have had the opportunity to listen to conversations and engage with materials concerning digital citizenship, equity, professional learning communities, and the future of VT education. While some of these interactions have been in person, much of the communication has been through a digital space. With these conversations resonating with me throughout this week, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on engaging with others in a professional network.
The first reflection I had is around the sharing of information within networks. I attended a conversation this week with people from many organizations from throughout Vermont, all invested and motivated to better the education system. The meeting felt exciting, organic, and allowed space for many different perspectives. The face-to-face interactions were filled with spontaneous questions and people drawing connections between thoughts. I felt lucky to be listening to what felt like an inspirational brainstorm, and witnessing others connect with new *mavens* and *translators* in the education field. The discussions circled around how to best connect VT teachers with the resources and technology they need, and the strategies on how to best utilize professional networks to help them do it effectively. Those present at the meeting were voluntarily sharing successful experiences and valuable information to drive our conversation towards best practices. I left the meeting feeling like I had learned an incredible amount (I took 11 pages of notes!), but also feeling a deep sense of gratitude and awe at others' experiences and expertise.
The second reflection I had was centered in the importance of building professional networks digitally. While the face-to-face interaction earlier this week allowed for a sense of spontaneity and excitement, those meetings are infrequent- due to logistics, space, time, distance. Building a network utilizing technical tools allows us to have those interactions on a more frequent basis. Not only will these interactions help us with our professions, but they will build our sense of worth, bolster our commitment to education and share in the *good fight* of improving our educational system. As stated in the Harvard Business Review, "...Not only do they gain career benefits from networking, but they construct their sense of self from the feedback generated by these extra-organizational connections." The value of networks is incredible, and I am just starting to feel the power of being connected digitally with like-minded educators.
https://hbr.org/2007/03/leading-clever-people
The first reflection I had is around the sharing of information within networks. I attended a conversation this week with people from many organizations from throughout Vermont, all invested and motivated to better the education system. The meeting felt exciting, organic, and allowed space for many different perspectives. The face-to-face interactions were filled with spontaneous questions and people drawing connections between thoughts. I felt lucky to be listening to what felt like an inspirational brainstorm, and witnessing others connect with new *mavens* and *translators* in the education field. The discussions circled around how to best connect VT teachers with the resources and technology they need, and the strategies on how to best utilize professional networks to help them do it effectively. Those present at the meeting were voluntarily sharing successful experiences and valuable information to drive our conversation towards best practices. I left the meeting feeling like I had learned an incredible amount (I took 11 pages of notes!), but also feeling a deep sense of gratitude and awe at others' experiences and expertise.
The second reflection I had was centered in the importance of building professional networks digitally. While the face-to-face interaction earlier this week allowed for a sense of spontaneity and excitement, those meetings are infrequent- due to logistics, space, time, distance. Building a network utilizing technical tools allows us to have those interactions on a more frequent basis. Not only will these interactions help us with our professions, but they will build our sense of worth, bolster our commitment to education and share in the *good fight* of improving our educational system. As stated in the Harvard Business Review, "...Not only do they gain career benefits from networking, but they construct their sense of self from the feedback generated by these extra-organizational connections." The value of networks is incredible, and I am just starting to feel the power of being connected digitally with like-minded educators.
https://hbr.org/2007/03/leading-clever-people
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