The Connected Educator Chapter 2 Summary

Chapter 2 of Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach and Lani Ritter Hall's The Connected Educator: Learning and Leading in a Digital Age discusses the importance of developing these online communities, whether they be for learning, professional, or even personal use. These communities that they present us with depict the necessary tools and benefits of using these communities. One of the main benefits of these communities in communication. They allow us to connect with people all over the world which in turn allows for better networking as well as the ability to help one another. These communities all for people to post information for others to use. For example, they use an example of how a first-grade teacher " ...uses technology to help her students connect, collaborate, and learn with people from around the world". (Nussbaum-Beach and Hall 32). In order to sell yourself to people when applying for jobs, you have to network and the personal learning network allows for that because it is intended to stimulate personal growth. By following the model that Nussbaum-Beach and Hall provide us with these learning communities would make networking easier since you would be able to connect with anyone at any time and market yourself to them.

These networks that Nussbaum-Beach and Hall describe would benefit me in my future career as a manager because it would allow me to network and connect with people all over the world. As a manager, I would be overseeing my own team as we work on the projects assigned to us. The networks would allow me to have members on my team who are either across the country or across the world since we would have the ability to contact each other at any time. We would be able to share knowledge and ideas to accomplish the task at hand. Additionally, if there is another team in a satellite office who has research that we are applying to the project or is aiding on it we could reach out to them to and gain that knowledge, unlike if these networks did not exist. Even the personal network would benefit me because it would help me network with people whether they are in my field or not, I can establish these connections with them which could be useful in the future. Networking with people outside your company could allow for job offerings or networking inside your company could lead to special projects which would, in turn,
further your career in the company.

“Developing a Connected Learning Model.” The Connected Educator: Learning and Leading in a Digital Age, by Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach and Lani Ritter. Hall, Solution Tree Press, 2012, pp. 25–44.