Chapter 6: Building Your Connected Learning Community

The author, Sheryl Nussbaum, introduces the main points to Chapter 6 of "The Connected Learner." The primary focus of this section is on networking and what distinct elements to think about and consider when developing a personal learning network. The Book speaks about setting up your own personal learning network and its significance for development among a group of leaders and learners. This will allow for a close relationship and a profound connection between the networks. Everyone should consider who they want to be or exceed one day before networking. Nussbaum goes in more detail with us to find out who we should follow and to learn how we can decide who to trust when we follow individuals. I firmly agree that learning who to follow is very important and will play the main role in our achievements. Our mentors are what shapes our career, and the book mentions if we don't understand how to trust someone or who to trust, then one strategy is to do a background check on the person before we choose to follow the person. Networks will assist a lot if you want to know more about your interest and provide you with more resources and enable you to meet and connect with individual people of the same interest. Thus, having a network of mentors who can see you one day will make it possible to develop and accomplish more.






One thing I disagree with the book is when Twitter was mentioned, it is an excellent way to develop a personal learning network. But, I find twitter to be in the same category as Facebook instead of Linkedin. Twitter is great when it comes to learning about what our leaders are thinking today, but it won't enable you to retain the same professionalism as Linkedin. I don't have a twitter account, nor do I stay active on Facebook, but when it comes to keeping up-to-date on how to connect and network with someone I find interesting or see that individual has the same interest as I do, then Linkedin is very helpful. Right now, I have an objective that I want to achieve, and I've discovered that I can relate to the chapter. This one business that values diversity and is one of the world's leading wealth management companies and my objective is to be part of that business. They share the same value as I do, but one problem is they are very selective. To be deemed a prospective candidate I am using my military networks to meet with the recruiters, I am networking within my business to discover a connection that may lead me to someone who works internally, and I am even looking at other options to get in contact. At first, people would feel overwhelming when networking, but in the long run, it helps out in so many ways as long as you stay in contact with your networks or have a positive attitude.

My questions to my fellow classmates are, can you guess what company I am trying to get into? and what do you want to get out of networking with someone?


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