Blog #3: Connect!

Connection drives everything. Whether you are connected in personal relationships, driving empathy and love, or connected professionally to others in your field, driving imagination and collaboration, connection is key. Being a "connected" instructor means you are involved in the worldwide discussion and creation of the newest ideas and strategies using the most current information in order to best cater to your students. Being a "connected" instructor means giving yourself the resources to give your students their best shot at being successful. Being "connected" looks like having multiple platforms where you can collaborate with a variety of people and share and collect ideas for your own instruction in your classroom.

Instructors should definitely create a PLN (personal OR professional learning network)! There are so many benefits not only for yourself, but for your students and for your colleagues. Having a PLN allows you to develop personally and professionally in whatever ways you desire. It opens doors for you to explore your own unique interests and passions, to brainstorm new ideas or finetune old ones. An instructor with a PLN is the most up-to-date with current research and best practices. With the diversity and number of platforms for PLN creation today, you can be connected 24/7 and in ways that you personally enjoy. Students also can and should definitely create their own PLN for all of the same reasons.