In chapter 2 of The Connected Educator, the author describes connected learning communities. Teacher professional learning focuses on gaining new knowledge and learning new skills through workshops they attend. It is extremely difficult for them to try these skills in their classrooms.
The author uses the term connected learning communities to describe three different methods. The three different methods are professional learning communities, personal learning networks, and communities of practice.
Professional learning communities are valuable. It has both teachers and administrators working together to improve student achievement. These communities are about continuous improvement, shared leadership, and school reform. On the other hand, personal learning networks are about individuals enhancing their personal and professional learning. These individuals design short and long term goals for professional growth and personal learning. Last but not the least, communities of practice are more about a group collaborating together to learn to do it better. Every individual in that group share an interest, a concern, a set of problems, or a passion.
In my future profession as a physician assistant, the connected learning model will help me improve myself in my profession. One method that I learned in this chapter that will prove to be very beneficial in my profession as a physician assistant is communities of practice. Since I will be working with other individuals in the same profession as mine, I will be learning how to collaborate together as a group to improve ourselves.
Reference:
Nussbaum-Beach, S., & Hall, L. R. (2012). The Connected Educator: Learning and Leading in a Digital Age. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
