A Professional Learning Network (PLN), can support a teacher’s personal growth in several ways. Teachers benefit from PLNs through social growth, affective growth, cognitive growth, and identity growth. When thinking of my own PLNs that I have been a part of in the past, have been in for a while, and have recently joined, I feel that the biggest area of growth for me is my cognitive growth. I have gained so many resources, tools, and strategies from the teachers that are in my same professional learning network. It has been so helpful to hear not just about what the resources are, but how they are being used and implemented in these teachers’ classrooms. I have also gotten to hear about the things that did not go as planned which has given me ideas on what I can avoid doing in my own classroom. My personal cognitive growth has greatly impacted my student’s learning environment and academic success in a positive way.
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| Image Source: (Facebook Screenshot) Personal Photo |
At my school, we are in the process of adopting this new math program. This year, we have implemented one aspect of the curriculum: Number Corner. We currently have a handful of teachers piloting the rest of the curriculum and it will be rolled out to all teachers, myself included, next school year. Just like when I joined a new grade level and was seeking information to help me find success, I decided to look for a group with experienced teachers in this new curriculum that I will be diving into next school year. This Facebook group, my new PLN, has been a great resource for me to connect with other teachers in my grade level that are using this curriculum. I have a window into what it will look like next year and how I can best structure this program in my classroom.
One of my biggest areas of concern was the storage and preparation of all of the new Bridges materials. I have heard from the piloting teachers that there are so many materials and a lot of games, centers, and activities to prepare. Based on this feedback, I planned to use some of my classroom budget money to purchase the necessary storage items, but I had no idea where to begin. This is the first cognitive growth that I have gained from my PLN. I have seen many examples (and many links!) to storage ideas and solutions.
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| Image Source: (Facebook Screenshot) Personal Photo |
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| Image Source: (Facebook Screenshot) Personal Photo |
I have seen lots of teachers like myself post, and many teachers comment with their solutions. I have even been able to search “storage” to find targeted posts with information that I’m seeking. I have also been able to take that new knowledge and share it with my grade-level team so that we can all use those solutions.
In addition to the storage ideas for next year, I have found some really valuable slides that partner with the Number Corner curriculum that I am currently teaching. These shared resources have been transferred to my classroom immediately and my students are already seeing the benefits through their Number Corner growth. I look forward to using my new PLN next year as I fully adopt the Bridges math curriculum in my classroom!
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| Image Source: (Facebook Screenshot) Personal Photo |
Hi Maddie,
ReplyDeleteIt's great to hear how your participation in PLNs has contributed to your cognitive growth, specifically in exploring new resources, tools, and strategies shared by fellow educators for your 2nd grade classroom. I also talked about how I joined Facebook groups when I became a librarian. They have helped me tremendously. Like you I've found that connecting with other librarians in my field has been incredibly enriching. Hearing about their experiences, strategies, ideas and even their mistakes has given me a whole new perspective on my own librarian practice.Facebook groups being specific such as yours which is curated for 2nd grade teachers utilizing the Bridges math curriculum shows how PLNs provides support and guidance tailored to specific professional needs. Connecting with experienced teachers facing similar challenges will definitely help you in getting valuable insights and solutions. I also enjoyed reading about your dedication to applying what you've learned from your PLN directly to your classroom. The way you've taken storage solutions and curriculum resources from the Facebook group and integrated them into your teaching practice was awesome! It looks so organized! Could you elaborate on how these storage solutions have influenced your classroom environment and instructional practices? Did the students like it? Did you see any changes such as behaviors, grades etc. with this new idea? Overall, I can definitely see that you are committed to making a difference in your classroom even if it’s just a simple thing as organizing. Thanks for sharing!
Hello Madeline,
ReplyDeletePLNs are great to have, and similar to you, they benefit my cognitive growth too. I learn so much through my online PLN because other teachers are posting what works for them and what new activities they have done in their classrooms that have benefited their students. I get very inspired and like to try new activities in my classroom too. I have recently joined educational facebook groups and the information they provide is awesome. I love that you are learning how to store the materials appropriately in your classroom through your PLN. I am always looking for new ways to store materials in my classroom as well, because we don’t have any storage space available at my school. I might purchase some of those bins too! Thanks for sharing.
Daniela
This is an excellent example of teachers helping teachers via social media!
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