“I’m convinced that we as educators have an
obligation to initiate new learning, become skillful in the use of new tools
that accelerate and advance our learning work, and share with others what we
are learning.” - Pam Moran,
Superintendent Albermarle County Public Schools
Educators have worked
extremely hard over the past years to shift away from a paradigm of isolation
and closed doors to one of inclusion and support. School districts have developed and
established professional learning communities to further the practice of
connecting with colleagues and eliminate the practice of isolation. Through this intentional work, school leaders
and educators have learned from each other, supported one another through new
learning, and become reliant on a small team of colleagues for support and
encouragement. They have become
“connected” and see the potential in continuing the work.
Being connected to others is
exciting. As educators it is powerful to
know that we can share ideas and learn from one another. We now have the opportunity to stretch our
thinking and create a network for learning.
Too often though, this network is limited to just our school walls. To be a truly “connected educator”, we need
to expand our network beyond the walls of the school and engage and participate
in the global connectedness we live in.
To do this we must look
beyond the traditional meaning of connectedness. Defining it is not as simple as participating
in a professional learning community at your school, belonging to the science
team in your district, or knowing your colleagues and staff. Many people instantly assume that in order to
become a connected educator we need to embrace technology as the vehicle for
this. Technology can play a critical
role, but being connected is much more than just using technology. It is about the interactions and
conversations we have with people. It’s
about connecting with people who inspire, support, and enrich your
learning. It’s about creating
conversations that have purpose and meaning to your work. It’s about becoming a connected learner and
increasing your expertise. In order to
do this, an educator must be willing to:
•
Seek out and connect with other educators
through any means, technology or otherwise.
•
Explore, create, share, and contribute
something meaningful to the group.
•
Become digitally literate through the use of
Twitter, reading of blogs, and the development of a Personal Learning Network
(PLN).
•
Share with colleagues what you have learned
through connecting with other educators.
•
Be transparent in thinking and reflect on the
conversations you take part in.
•
Talk about how being connected has affected
your work.
For me the answer about
needing to be a connected educator is clearly yes. Being an active participant in the connected
world with which we live, has had a profound impact on my work as a school
leader. The connections I have created
through using technology and otherwise, has allowed me to break down the
isolation I feel as a solo building administrator. I have a network of wisdom that I can turn to
when I need information or want to learn something new. Knowing that I can reach out and receive
thoughtful, intelligent, and honest feedback is comforting. The more conversations I have, the more I
realize there is no way I could effectively do my job without being a connected
educator.
Here are a few ways that our
school and I have benefitted by becoming connected with others:
•
Fifth grade students participating in an
“Identity Day” project where they create a display that shows what they are
passionate about in their life. This
idea came from Chris Wejr, Principal at James Hill Elementary in Langley,
British Columbia. This project has become
an integral part of our end of school year reflection.
•
Participating in the World Read Aloud Day
with multiple classes in our school.
Through the power of Skype we read books aloud to other classrooms
across the world. Reading with a class
of students in the country of Jordan was a highlight for all.
•
Participation in a local network of local
school administrators to examine and reflect on the implementation of a new
teacher evaluation system.
•
Learning how to become more effective in my
work as an instructional leader by participating in educational chats (edchats)
on Twitter.
•
Developing a collaborative writing project
between our school and an elementary school in Missouri.
This list is by now ways
exhaustive, but I hope it provides you with a small glimpse on how being
connected has made the work that happens in our school meaningful.
We live in a connected world
and the students that walk through our doors each day are connected. They want and need educators that are
connected, not just through technology, but also with each other. Being connected to others is exciting and I
hope you find being connected as enriching to your practice as I have in mine.
Scott
Friedman, Principal
Nine Mile Falls Elementary
Nine Mile Falls School District
sfriedman@9mile.org
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