Assignment # 5

The hardest part for myself in creating a PLN is not to try and use everything at once. I have said many times in class, that I am helping lead a new push in our school for the use of social media. Our school has been a technology-driven for many years and this is the natural next step. While my principal is very supportive of the use of technology, he has been resistant using social media because it is foreign to him. While I am not comfortable using some forms of social media, I believe this is the next step in our school. So now what? My plan is to work backwards. We have the infrastructure, technology, and every tool needed to complete this endeavor. However, I think it needs to be a slower process.

•  Step 1- create a purpose for the new social media sites. 
• Step 2- identify how and who will manage the social media 
• Step 3- Create guidelines for social media (what will be acceptable, who will monitor it, and how situations will be handled. 
• Step 4- Create the accounts Step 5- Update, update, update 

The next part of my plan to create a PLN is to include our staff. We are fully adopting the Google platforms for our school (Docs, Gmail, slides, classroom, etc.) and I know there is going to be a learning curve. I would like to dedicate 5 minutes of each staff meeting to share something “new” or a success story amongst the staff. Hopefully, this will help teachers want to integrate technology into their classroom and be on the cutting edge. Also, we will be using many professional development days for new technology this year, so we will hopefully see the benefits. My personal goal is to be active in research of new technologies. I will dedicate at least three ½ hour blocks a week to do nothing but research and explore. Hopefully, this will lead me to new systems I can share with the staff. I do not have the power to implement standard 3 a, but I can be a model, up to date, and lead effective collaboration. I am excited to use some of the approaches we are learning in this class in my own classroom and school. My final goal is to be present in one professional development day a year dedicated to new technologies. As a whole, teachers are very comfortable researching new strategies to teach in the classroom. I have found them to be hesitant in learning about technology because “I am not able to make that call if we can use that technology (as one of our teachers told me).” I want teachers to feel empowered to try new technologies and innovate. I know this is a long list, but believe it is the next step to improve our school, our community, and student learning.