Technology Blog 1 (Chapter 2): Connected Learning Communities and why it applies to my career.

 In the Connected Educator chapter 2 Developing a Connected Learning Model, Nussbaum-Beach begins to explain the different types of connected learning communities specifically used by educators for personal and professional growth in this time of technological advancement. The connected learning communities are diverse groups created, found and designed by teachers in order to achieve the common goal of helping students understand and learn. The three main groups of connected learning communities are professional learning communities, personal learning networks, and communities of practice. Professional learning communities are revolved around the in-person interactions that focus on constant school reform for students improved learning. This type of community focus on shared power which allows a comfortable environment for questions. The next community is Personal Learning Networks. In this community the educators go out their way to design their own community to learn ways for personal growth which can lead to improvement in the professional area of their life. The last community is Communities of Practice. This community is revolved around people with a common interest who want to learn more to make their interest and practice of their interest more effective. 

While all three communities have a specific difference, Nussbaum-Beach emphasizes how the communities are built on trust and desire to learn. This desire to learn allows the groups to constantly improve and change with the times which allows a comfortable environment. This comfortability allows people to freely voice their opinions and their ways of life like certain skills for their interest without the fear of being judged. This freedom helps contribute to the constant growth as the diversity of the people is accepted allowing people to learn outside of themselves in order to gain new skills. For educators specifically there is a different focus in each group however the ultimate goal and ones effected are the students. The students are the ones that receive the positive shift in teachers as the new skills may be relevant to the students, and the teachers will feel more confident in what they are teaching. 

Connected Learning Communities relate to psychology as it can help create a safe space for those who want to learn since it can be a way of sharing questions and knowledge. This relates to a future career in therapy because it helps lead to the ultimate goal of helping someone's mental. In the communities' co-workers can come together to promote mental health in ways to best gain more people. However, it can the patients who might want more support as a therapist can lead the patients to different support groups and learn from others in the field both online and in-person tactics or ways used to help the patient. Lastly as a therapist people can contribute to case study research on different topics like mental health as well as studies on changes in the fields. An example of contributing to case study research through the Learning Communities would be if someone was writing a paper on the use of support groups in therapy and you are a therapist who specializes in this, can give their data on the change of their patents with and without support groups. As the world expands there will be an increased use in technology and with this increased use people will be able to expand their outreach as well as diversify learning since they will be able to meet people with common goals and interests' different skills.