Leveraging The “Networked” Teacher: The Professional Networked Learning Collaborative

The Professional Networked Learning Collaborative seeks to leverage the new reality of education.

Individual educators used to operate under this model. Alec Couros of Open Thinking blog created this graphic.

by courosa

Educators understood the value of collaboration, and so the Professional Learning Community arose.

But technology has changed that world. The 21st Century educator now operates under this model. (Alec Couros of Open Thinking blog created this graphic)

 

by courosa

The person is the portal to the network. The person is an autonomous communication and collaboration node.

As sociologist Barry Wellman said, “Each person operates his networks to obtain information, collaboration, orders, support, sociability, and a sense of belonging”

So, just at the individual educator has become networked, so too must the Professional Learning Community. And when a PLC becomes networked, it becomes something different. The PLC becomes the Professional Networked Learning Collaborative.

PNLC members will fluidly move between the physical and virtual networks to communicate, collaborate, and share ideas, data, strategies, and information. Each member being a portal or node to their individual network makes the PNLC exponentially stronger, knowledgeable, and wise.

PNLC are able to maximize individual members’ networks to the advantage of the whole.

Microsoft research sociologist Marc A. Smith put it this way. “Whenever a communication medium lowers the cost of solving collective action dilemmas, it becomes possible for more people to pool resources. And ‘more people pooling resources in new ways’ is the history of civilization in seven words.”

The Professional Networked Learning Collaborative allows educators to solve education problems, increase student achievement, share strategies, and analyze data, etc., with members who are physically present “at the table” and with educators who are virtually present from anywhere on the globe. The PNLC allows teams to leverage not only their knowledge, but also the knowledge of other educators, specialists, consultants, etc., from anywhere else virtually.

For example, if a team was discussing the needs of a student with special needs, they could network in specialists from the district office or the county office, or a college professor in another state.

If a team was analyzing data, they could collaborate virtually with data specialists who could offer their unique expertise virtually.

The essence of the PNLC is that the “who” of potential members and collaborators is increased exponentially because of individual members networking through collaborative technology platforms, the “what.”

Each member is a portal or node to his or her own network. Each member can potentially leverage not only their network, but also the network of those who are in their network. This principal is known as Metcalfe’ Law. The number of potential connections between nodes grows more quickly than the number of nodes. The total value of the network where each node can reach every other node in the network grows with the square of the number of nodes. In other words, when PNLC members connect their networks, it creates more value than the sum of networks independently.

As communication and collaboration technologies become more pervasive, they will fade into the background and PNLCs will focus on the work. Just as we don’t  “see” or think about the electricity that is powering the lights in our classrooms and offices, powering our copy machines, etc. the computers that we run our communication and collaboration platforms on will disappear into the background and we will be free to focus on “what” and not the “how” of these technologies.

Networks have now become so much a part of our lives that physical presence is no longer necessary for a member to “present.” Howard Rheingold calls this “presence of those who are absent.” PNLCs can call on a district specialist, consultants, teachers, and staff who are in different physical locations (even different time zones) and who will be able to collaborate, contribute, cooperate, and share just as if they were present physically.

As anthropologist Mizuko Ito puts it, “As long as people participate in the shared communications of the group, they seem to be considered by others to be present.”

Virtual participation = presence = collaboration = results

The Professional Networked Learning Collaborative: “Educators working together in the ongoing purpose of increasing student learning while sharing physical space, virtual space, or both simultaneously. The Professional Networked Learning Collaborative operates according to the values of ICE³: Imagination, Innovation, Inquiry, Collaboration, Creativity, Curiosity, Exploration, Experimentation, and Entrepreneurship.” Rob Jacobs

Comments

[Anne Marie Cunningham]

Yay! I'm doing a presentation next month on how social medic/networks can support scholarship in medical education. This is a great post. Really helps me develop my thoughts:)

I think we need to develop our own skills in this area and then we can model to our students.

[Rob Jacobs]

Glad it was helpful.

[Nina Peery]

I was about to take exception to the comment that "networks have now become so much a part of our lives that physical presence is no longer necessary for a member to “present.” When I read it again, and think carefully about what it is saying, I guess I have to agree. I recently attended the TCEA Area 7 conference in White Oak where Jennifer Wagner was scheduled to lead several sessions, but due to bad weather in Texas, could not get a flight out of California. Due to the perseverance and creativity of several people, she presented all three of her workshops by being networked. I sat in on her last workshop in which she presented with Paul R Wood assisting from the Texas side via Skype. I concur that I probably received the information I would have gotten had she been standing in the room with me. I do not know that I agree with the following comment,"PNLCs can call on a district specialist, consultants, teachers, and staff who are in different physical locations (even different time zones) and who will be able to collaborate, contribute, cooperate, and share just as if they were present physically. Jen Wagner was certainly in a different location and a different time zone. She did a wonderful job presenting, collaborating, contributing, cooperating, and sharing with those of us in Texas. The part I do not fully agree with is "...just as if they were present physically." I know I for one was really looking forward to meeting her face to face. I believe the face to face contact would have made the presentations much more rich and allowed an even deeper connection. I am grateful for technology that allows us to cross time and space barriers, but the physical aspect will always remain an important component.

[Rob Jacobs]

Nina, thoughtful comments. Thank you. I agree to a point with your questioning the "...just as if they were physically present" comment. Face-to-face is much richer. However, the youth of today seem to believe that connecting virtually is, to them, the same.

Maybe I should re-think that line, as I myself will always prefer face-to-face, but the upcoming young educators of the future may not.