Professional Learning Networks

Over the past few years I was using LinkedIn, but mainly for corporate networking or job searching. I would be interested in exploring it further in terms of education, but I have found Facebook as being a good social networker recently. In the year or so leading up to this program, I began following “Reclaiming the Language for Social Justice,” and “Class Hacks: Disruptive Teaching to Spark Social Change.” The former is a group of people all over the US, and likely abroad, who teach English through a lens of social justice. Throughout our history and even now, academic English learners particularly in the U.S. are met with a lot of resistance and often, treated with condescension. The point is that a student is no less brilliant just because he or she may struggle with aspects of English. The group has provided a lot of resources for reading about “types” of English including dialects and specific struggles that students have coming from various parts of the world. It has broadened my perspective on linguistics, social aspects of language, and basically given me a connection to people like myself across the world who want to be better English teachers. At first it was hard not knowing anyone (actually) in relation to the group, but I have learned to take it for what it is- a resource and a reminder, more than anything.

The latter is a book club made up of 200+ teachers in the Minneapolis area that meet to discuss books related to “disruptive teaching” or teaching tactics related to social change. I haven’t yet made it to a group meeting, but the friend who invited me to the group has told me about it. Their most recent book “Whistling Vivaldi,” she said, has great anecdotes and discussion, and has a lot of heavy research about what works in diverse classrooms.

Beyond electronic resources, I am lucky to have a “Critical Friend Group” made up of wonderful women I met during my undergraduate studies. Though once we were students, now we are teachers, photographers, writers, and social workers. The breadth of experiences we can share and support each other through is truly a blessing. We are essentially a “book club” meeting once a month or every other month to discuss a shared piece of literature. They keep me connected to classic works of literature, reading for fun, and reading for improving myself. Since we all bring different ideas and slightly different priorities to the table, it definitely keeps me from feeling “smart” all the time. The idea, for me, is keeping connected with people who share similar roots and values as we move through a constantly changing world.

The idea of becoming stuck in a Filter Bubble is a bit concerning, but I hope to keep my eyes, ears, and mind open enough through connection with these groups, and being open to others, to continue my growth as a professional. Though, I don’t think it’s overly “limiting” to be part of a group that discusses positive “hacks” for any classroom, or with regards to treating students with more equity.