Jumping in the water...

OK, here goes my first attempt at posting... As a district social worker, I may be the only non-teacher in the group. Often the professional development classes don't pertain to the work we do, so I was excited to see a course that is relevant to my work with students and a topic that is an integral part of their lives. Now, if only I can get up to half their speed in turns of knowledge and skills... As someone who hasn't even set up a Facebook account, because I don't think I have the time to keep it up, I'm curious how I can pursue a PLN?

PLNs seem to be a great resource, no matter what your discipline. Time, however, is one of our most precious resources. I'd love to find a way to create my own personal and professional network to help me narrow in on the areas where I need support and ideas! So, I guess I'm interested in learning more about the most targeted, efficient way to navigate this process.

My interest in social media really comes in wanting to be one step ahead of our students, or at least along side. As the speaker in the video noted, kids are already engaged in their own PLNs. No one is teaching them how to leverage information, do it safely, ethically, and without bullying. The best way to do this for kids is to do it for ourselves. So those are my goals for this class--to learn enough about social media to help students navigate a complex world and use it in a way to help me do my job better and more creatively.

I'm excited to learn from all of you. I'm continually amazed at how creative and committed our teachers are!