Technology Blog #2: Connecting Knowledge Through Various Experiences

     Chapter 6 of The Connected Educator by Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach explores how an individual can build their own learning community to grow as both a learner and an educator. Personally, I found many takeaways in this chapter, along with real-life connections that I have made through my years of experience. 

    Currently, I work 2 jobs while I am at school that are deemed to be more “professional”, and during the summer, I work at my township's summer camp. Over the past 2 years of working as a substitute teacher and in an afterschool program, I have gained experience and knowledge that I wouldn't have otherwise gotten from the summer camp alone. I have taken what I have learned in a more “professional” work environment, and significantly improved in my summer job as a camp counselor. Immersing myself in these two different communities has put me at an advantage, per se, since many of my coworkers at the summer camp job do not hold the same experiences as I do. Thus, as someone who is always encouraging a positive learning environment and as the chapter also emphasizes, sharing knowledge with others is extremely crucial. When my coworkers have a hard time navigating through something, I am eager to share my experiences and knowledge with them in hopes that it aligns their thinking in any way. 

    On the other hand, there is always room for improvement, and people whom I come across through my work experience also have their own perspective. Something that stood out to me in this chapter was “Remember to take the posture of a learner. You will grow as you go” (Nussbaum-Beach & Hall, 2012). Not only can I learn from my coworkers in real life, but also online through individuals who have a similar work style to mine. Some of the most important tools I have learned online are actually from social media; my algorithm is often catered to education/teacher TikToks, which is quite similar to my work experience now. 

    A specific example from someone that I closely follow on social media is Timm Chiusano. He used to have a job in corporate, but now focuses his time on teaching others on emotional intelligence through work experiences. He has taught me so much about how to stay humble and stay appreciative. One of his sayings is to “care more, but give fewer F’s,” which has stuck with me greatly over the past few years. I take this saying in the sense that I should care about the experience that I am getting through work and learning, but at the same time, I shouldn't fret and push through the times I may get something wrong or make a mistake. This online outlet for me has made me grow a whole lot as someone connected to multiple professional organizations, and I am glad I discovered it. If any of you guys are interested in learning more about him, his handle is @timmchiusano on TikTok and Instagram.

One last thing that I would like to add to this is how important David Lee’s 4L model is (Linking, Lurking, Learning, and Leading). This model incorporates the idea of Learning from others by following their work and implementing it into your own by taking initiative. In general and through my experience, we all learn from each other to grow and lead in our own professional paths. We all have different goals and outcomes, but in order to get there, connecting and learning from each other first is what is most important. Almost no one gets to where they want to be on their own.

                                                               

 Sources 

Nussbaum-Beach, S., & Hall, L. R. (2012). The connected educator: Learning and leading in a digital age. Solution Tree Press.

Shutterstock. (n.d.). Sharing idea knowledge transfer information [Stock vector]. Shutterstock. https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/sharing-idea-knowledge-transfer-information-260nw-2215926423.jpg