It's all about who you know

Each time you type a search into Google, you enter a world of infinite resources. But have you ever thought about the people behind those search results? Push a little deeper on those links, and you have the potential for making real connections with real people.

This week I learned about the Professional Learning Network (PLN) – an acronym to describe the people we meet with, bounce ideas off, and look to for advice. Here’s a map I’ve put together of my own PLN (make your own at Ayoa.com):

Elmer, S. (2021, September). My Professional Learning Network. Ayoa.com. https://share.ayoa.com/mindmaps/3a6b3835-e2c4-4ccd-bb8d-645be1e83d84

As you can see, I have a vast sea of resources in terms of real people. Co-workers, vendors connections, and personal friends all provide touchpoints for information and expansion of my knowledge and resources. Best of all, I’m friendly with all of these people, meaning there are opportunities for collaboration and in-depth idea sharing.

Unfortunately, even though I’m an “IT guy,” my virtual connections have stagnated. Sure, I'm a proficient Googler – I’ve even watched a professional development video or two on Linked In Learning. But I’ve never really invested in any of these virtual resources – I don’t know many contributors to these affinity spaces (Gee, 2018), and I’ve rarely shared my own ideas with these potential virtual colleagues.

Tanya Menon (2017) has some great ideas for how to better connect with “strangers” on the web, and what I’ve realized is that I need to invest some time - and courage - on those potential connections. By expanding who I know, the depths of what I know can be plumbed ever deeper.

Resources:

Elmer, S. (2021, September). My Professional Learning Network. Ayoa.com. https://share.ayoa.com/mindmaps/3a6b3835-e2c4-4ccd-bb8d-645be1e83d84

Gee, J.P. (2018, February 26). Affinity spaces: How young people live and learn online and out of school. Phi Delta Kappan. http://www.kappanonline.org/gee-affinity-spaces-young-people-live-learn-online-school/

Menon, T. (2017, March). The secret to great opportunities? The person you haven't met yet [Video]. TED. https://www.ted.com/talks/tanya_menon_the_secret_to_great_opportunities_the_person_you_haven_t_met_yet/transcript