Building a Collaborative Culture

"In a culture of collaboration, learning thrives" (Nussbaum-Beach  and Hall, pg. 58). As educators, we need to be sure to work together in order to help our students grow and learn. I liked when it was said how important relationships are, and how closely related in-person interaction is with online interaction. You can say many of the same things in person as you do on Twitter to open up a conversation. The difference between congeniality and collegiality is that congeniality is the day-to-day collaboration and discussions between each other, while collegiality is the partnership between people. Trust that is built through these relationships allows a more welcoming environment for students, which, in turn, makes students thrive more. I really like that the author suggested blogs in our book because it can be hard to find good blogs to follow. We need to remember that it is important to leave a positive digital footprint to keep a positive online reputation. This trust is important to establish within your PLN because they will help you further your career if you reach out and gain trust with them.



So far, with my experience with my PLN, I am enjoying reading other peoples' articles that they are posting and am happy with the type of communication so far. Multiple people have messaged me directly letting me know that I can contact them if I need anything, and it is nice to know that there are people there who are supporting what our class is doing. I know that if I have any questions regarding opinions, school, or education in general, I will have multiple people getting back to me quickly with great advice. I was surprised when I was engaged in the chats because people actually reach out to you as a student individually. My thought was that professionals would see a college student as not being serious, and would disregard any input. Instead, I was tweeted at, retweeted, and welcomed to the group. I really enjoy being on Twitter for this reason because it makes me feel like I have people to rely on and that I am in a safe environment.