Tag: Connections

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Find your niche & own it!

Elyse Hahne

This morning, I participated in the #leadLap twitter chat and was blown away with the topic of how to own your PD and cultivate what you learn with the world. More specifically, this is a huge topic of interest of mine for a three reasons.

Make connections

Being visibly supported and connected gives the learner (YOU) a circle of support that continuously grows each and every day as well as each connection you make. Your PLN continuously stretches your current mindset, gives you food for thought, and allows YOU to become a better educator with support each and every day! Twitter has become a HUGE part in my life. Not just based on the conversations; based on the support it brings me each and every day! Reason number 1: The built in support that makes YOU a better educator for the good of the community you serve.

The wealth of knowledge shared online and through the word of mouth multiplies each time you communicate with others. From sharing quotes to sharing book resources, your capacity to share with others blooms with every interaction and opportunity. Not a day goes by that I don’t read or hear about a good resource or a new idea. Reason number 2: New ideas and resources for you to look into, read, and utilize with your community of learners and educators around you.

Life is likea cup of tea.

Lastly, the power of your PLN makes YOU a better all around person each and every day. The community of support, the sharing of ideas, and the compassion so many give and lend to you and others shines each and every day. The power of your PLN makes YOU a better person inside and out. It is amazing to form life long friendships, come together in real life, and share your stories. I am amazed at the good social media has brought to my life each and every day and will never take for granted the connections I have that makes me a better person today. Reason 3: Professional Learning Networks (PLNs) empower YOU as a professional as well as a person each day! You have value and strength in words and in connections. 

Each interaction, twitter chat, or social media connection gives YOU the power to be a better person, a better educator, and a more connected person each day. Social media has opened doors that weren’t around 20 years ago. It is fluid, easy to access, and unique to each interaction. There’s something worth finding what works for you and owning the ability to find good in educators and people around you. Find your niche, whether its face to face, on twitter or another avenue, or a mixture of things and OWN your learning to be a better professional and a better person each and every day! 

PLN

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YOU are more than JUST

Elyse Hahne

Everyday, we meet people who are around us. We introduce ourselves, have conversations, and make comments like “I’m just a teacher” or “I’m just a mom/dad.” Well it’s time to stop the JUST comments. YOU are more than JUST a person.

YOU are an individual, a thinker, a dreamer, a decision maker, a person, an educator, a family member, and, more importantly, your thoughts matter.

When people say they are “JUST” something, it’s not forward thinking. YOU have opinions, thoughts, and can bring value into conversations. When you set yourself apart from the community of learners and JUST yourself, you don’t value yourself and others won’t either.

It’s time to sail forward and know you are more than JUST a person. You are an individual of society who can give value, meaning, and understanding. You are a person who has thoughts and feelings. In education, YOU are so much more than JUST and it’s time to own it.

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It’s time to set sail to more than JUST a person and own your thoughts, feelings, input, and YOU as a person. It’s time to more forward and knock out the thought of JUST because that’s what you’ve been told. It’s time to be proud of your knowledge and understandings.

It’s time to set sail and be MORE THAN JUST!

Are you in?

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The power of your PLN

Elyse Hahne

Make connections

Imagine who you’ve connected with today. Think about this for a minute. Who have you texted, tweeted, messaged, or spoken to? It could be family, professional, on social media, or in real life. Connections are all around us.

From personal to professional, we, as human beings, communicate to interact with the world. Interactions can be simple as to update one another on progress and can occur in real life. Interactions can have a profound impact on one’s life. What one person says matters. It makes an impact on our lives. It means something.

When we communicate together its learning. It’s taking the time to connect on a level that is more than just pleasantries. It means something. An impact or an acknowledgement typically occurs. Connections are made by responding or striking up a conversation.  Parties are connected once they interact. This is where social media is by far the ultimate in your connections.

Social media has taken connections to an all time high. As an educator, I never realized the power of social media connections until two years ago. I knew about twitter and blogging, since I have a personal outlet, but didn’t realize the power of social media and a PLN (Professional Learning Network) until I started truly connecting with others and growing and learning as an educator. There are educators, students, and learners connecting with each other about various topics all day, every day. Social media provides the outlet and the users provide the content.

PLN

My PLN has skyrocketed over the past several months. Twitter chats, connections, and interactions have impacted me so much and, I am proud to say, twitter is my ultimate social media outlet to learn, interact, and grow with. Not only have I learned, I have been empowered. Empowered to do more to be a better educator, empowered to take a leap of faith and get outside my comfort zone. Empowered to move forward not only as an educator but as a professional wanting to grow.

I am excited to take this leap of faith and blog to reflect, learn, and grow. I hope to continue on the path of empowerment and knock out the fear of vulnerability to move forward. Aaron Hogan has said “blogging is learning” and I hope to be able to achieve this mission while blogging and connecting.