Concerts & Collaboration: How Your PLN is Like a Band

As I sat thoroughly engaged in a concert last night (Guster, Ben Folds Five, Bare Naked Ladies, if you must know!) I began to see correlations between concerts, teachers, and collaboration.  And how your PLN through Twitter might be better than any in your building.

How many times have you gone to a concert of one? Even if there is only one "performer" there is a multitude of supportive people around them; stage hands, song writers, etc.  As I watched the performance last night I got to see evidence of all of the collaboration that must go on.  These musicians work together, tossing around ideas of how do a montage of a wide variety of other artists' songs in a way that was not only meaningful and organic but entertaining and engaging.  Members from Guster jumped in and performed with BNL.  Musicians in Guster jumped from one instrument to another.  They made full use of their strengths and overcame their weaknesses, together.  They WERE better together.

Having a husband who has been in numerous bands over that the last twenty plus years I have also come to know the behind the scenes drama that can ruin a good band.  It's inevitable that the drama creeps in.  Some bands overcome it, others do not.  When your only collaborator(s) are within your own building it sometimes becomes difficult to push aside drama.  I'm not saying that your PLN through Twitter is without this, but I am suggesting that because you can have a working relationship with your Twitter PLN and they are not in your same physical space, you have the opportunity to physically work away from any drama that might arise.

My husband has a former boss that had a steadfast rule; don't become friends with the people you work with.  He was friendly with them, but didn't maintain a friendship outside of work.  It has worked well for him and I can see the advantages.  What I think a Twitter PLN has is the best of both worlds.  You can let friendships grow without the worry or concern for it directly affecting the physical space of your job.  And you can collaborate with others who may have different experiences than those within your building, thus building on the strengths of each member.

I'm still finding myself in my Twitter PLN.  I've made some connections but am still working toward that deep collaboration.  And that's ok.  All good things take time.  And when it happens I know that what we create together will be as amazing and engaging as a great music concert.

The Power of Twitter

I am not normally one who puts themselves out there and seeks out others (I'm trying to change that!).  I'm normally on the shy side.  My husband even teases me because I don't like to make phone calls to people I don't know.  That being said I have made tremendous connections to educators all over the world through Twitter.  I don't know if its because you can hide behind a computer screen that makes it less intimidating to put yourself out there.  Maybe its the positive nature of the people I have interacted with in my Personal Learning Network (PLN) that sets me at ease.  Either way, I have come to know and trust the power of Twitter and greatly respect the people who make it so powerful.

Case in point...

Last night I had the sincere pleasure to speak with Cheryl Morris (@guster4lovers) via Google Hangout (GHO).  I tweeted my tech issue I was having in trying to collaborate making videos for my flipped class with a colleague when we aren't together.  Without getting into the specifics, we were trying to do something fairly elaborate and certainly out of my tech knowledge comfort zone.  Cheryl and I were able to find a work around and she even taught me some valuable tidbits on Camtasia.  A 10 minute conversation gave me more than most PD I've attended.  It was so valuable!  And it never would have happened had it not been for Twitter.

By the way, Zach Cresswell (@z_cress) had also jumped into that Twitter feed and was  helpful.  I've connected with a teacher who flipped this year and is teaching the same thing I am next year.  Here's to potential collaboration with John Stevens (@Jstevens009)!  I've picked the brain of Crystal Kirch (@crystalkirch), the WSQing queen and flipped math guru who had been an inspiration to me.

I've attended Twitter chats.  Mondays at 8pm EST I'm sharing ideas with my #flipclass tweeps.  I'm doing a book study of Teach Like a Pirate by Dave Burgess (@burgessdave) through #tlap chats on Mondays at 8pm CST (that's 9pm EST by the way).  I read amazing blogs and articles I never would have found if it weren't for the connections I've made on Twitter.

So let go of your inhibitions.  Don't be shy.  Jump into Twitter.  Meet wonderful people and develop your own PLN.  Don't worry.  Most of us don't bite.

Editor's Note:  A sincere THANK YOU to those I follow on Twitter (mentioned and not mentioned).  You have collectively and individually been a powerful force in supporting me to become the educator I've always wanted.  I am forever in your debt!