Blog Post #1

How do we connect with other communities in our professional lives? In chapter 2 of The Connected Educator gives us an idea of the importance of expanding our networks from a professional learning community to personal/global communities of inquiry. "High-functioning professional learning communities engage in collective and continuous inquiry, participate in thoughtful conversations about their professional learning, devise strategies act on what they have created, and reflect together" (pg. 29). Professionals/colleagues are learning strategies and routines in their workplace whether it's from other colleagues, customers, patients parents and students. This is an example of Local Community. These individuals meet face-to-face in decision-making or share a common goal of bettering the students' achievements.

However, there is more to professional development outside the walls of a school or workplace when connecting in a Global Network. In this method of personal learning networks, educators, students, and professionals can benefit from extending their hand to other professionals online and collecting resources. This personal developmental approach can include examples like using Twitter as an open book for people to communicate their ideas and reflections with one another to broaden experiences and challenges.

 A Bounded Community is the "better" way in connecting with individuals of the same interests and working together in a community of practice. They develop a shared number of resources: experiences, stories, tools, ways of addressing current issues, in short a shared practice. This takes time and sustained interaction face-to-face as well as online. In communities of practice, colleagues will share a domain of interest, collective competence between skilled individuals, and shared practice. "For our purpose, these practitioners are situated in an online, global, and diverse community. They develop meaningful relationships with people they might never have met if not through an online community; they trust each other to interact, share, and co-create knowledge and content" (pg. 34).


Overall, what I can take away from this is expanding my connections in the medical field with people of the same professional goal as me. When becoming a physician, it will be very important for me to learn about different kinds of advanced technology. In various countries there is possibly better/easier technology to use to treat patients. When connecting with other physicians or professionals in the medical field, I will be able to share my experience as well as listen to theirs and learn from them. I can introduce new methods or new ways to make use of my practice. This is necessary since there is a very high demand in all aspects of treating patients and finding cures.

Works Cited

Nussbaum-Beach, Sheryl, and Lani Ritter. Hall. The Connected Educator: Learning and Leading in a Digital Age. Solution Tree Press, 2012.