Why is it important to contribute to PLNs?
Have you ever asked others for assistance, or learned a technique from someone in your PLN, that helped you solve a problem in your classroom? This is the reason why contributing to PLNs, by sharing expertise, ideas, and insights and responding to requests for help, is so crucial.
Everyone has knowledge to share, including new teachers, veteran teachers, students, parents, peers, and colleagues. Are you a classroom management superstar? Do you know how to design informal and formal assessments? Are you always trying out new digital tools in your classroom? You may not think that what you have to share is important, but everyone is a “more knowledgeable other” (Vygotsky) in some topic. By actively sharing your professional knowledge and expertise, you are helping others in your PLN learn and grow their practice. And, in turn, you are helping your PLN grow.
According to George Couros (2017) “The positive shifts we have seen in education in the last few years are not because we have access to information. It is because we have access to each other“ (para.5). Together we are better and stronger.
Of course, sharing can be scary. You may feel that sharing your ideas and insights could lead to criticism and negatively impact your digital reputation, or that others may think that you are bragging. It is perfectly reasonable to not be completely comfortable with writing and responding to posts on online spaces. But, you can’t overcome your fears unless you address them. So, share away! Just do it! Start small by retweeting or sharing posts in other spaces (e.g., sharing a post from the Edmodo math subject community with teachers in a Reddit forum). Then, take a leap and write your own blog post or lead a Twitter chat!
